Buccaneers: Why Antonio Brown will be the best WR3 in the NFL in 2021
By Rob Leeds
The Buccaneers have reached a new level of talent with Antonio Brown on the roster.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were not concerned about overkill when they constructed their current roster. There hasn’t been a second where this coaching staff has stopped and said, “we’re good,” and no individual player shows this more than Antonio Brown.
With Mike Evans and Chris Godwin on the roster, there isn’t another receiver in the league that could break into one of the starting roles, but AB knew this before he signed on.
The lead-up to Brown joining the Bucs was far from smooth sailing, but once Brown was on the team, everything started to click, and now he can continue to build on a great 2020 season.
Tampa did not have to bring Brown back. With Scotty Miller and Tyler Johnson on the roster prior to the draft, the unit was already going to remain one of the best in the NFL, but the coaching staff chose to make the right decision again. In what was a shock to most of the NFL world, the Super Bowl champs were able to keep their entire starting roster intact, and they even kept their star depth receiver that is still one of the best of all time.
Brown is one of the best receivers of all time. During the middle of the 2010s, AB was nearly unstoppable, and anyone who diminishes these accomplishments is likely focusing on Brown’s off-field decisions. Brown did plenty to hurt his overall legacy, but there should never be any part of his game worth doubting as a player.
Hopefully, with the off-field incidents in the rearview mirror, Brown can focus on the 2021 season, where he should be a force of nature.
Who can stop the Buccaneers with Antonio Brown?
Throughout the NFL, there isn’t a better third receiver than Brown. Projected to finish the 2020 season with 966 receiving yards, Brown was dominant in the third role for the Buccaneers, and there is no reason to think that this won’t continue in 2021.
Brown now has even more time to build chemistry with Brady and the new offense. No one had a perfect offseason last year, but Brown was playing from behind by missing half of the regular season as well.
Even with all of the issues that he faced, Brown could persevere and win a Super Bowl with the only team that would take a chance on him. This was still the right move by the Bucs, and they will continue to reap the benefits of this move as Brown is on pace to compete for 1,000 yards through the air in 2021 behind Evans, Godwin, and even Rob Gronkowski.
Based on most secondary configurations across the league, there isn’t a depth DB in the league that can hang with AB, which lead to plenty of wide open receptions throughout the season. Other teams just won’t be able to keep up with the depth.
There isn’t a more decorated receiver playing in the league right now, and at only 32 years old, Brown is still in a perfect position to be one of the best receivers in the NFL; it just so happens that he is paired up with some of the best athletic talent in the league as well.
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