The 2019 offseason was one to remember for the Oakland Raiders. The team signed several key veterans in free agency, such as Trent Brown, Richie Incognito, and Tyrell Williams. All three have had massive impacts for the team over the first 10 games of the season.
Oakland also had a fantastic draft class, finding a ton of playmakers on both sides of the ball. However, all that seems to be overshadowed by the decision to trade for wide receiver Antonio Brown.
The team desperately needed a No. 1 receiver and took a risk by giving up a third-round pick for Brown. That moved turned out to be disastrous as the team moved on from him before the season started.
In a recent article by Bleacher Report, the move to trade for Brown was named as the team’s biggest “boneheaded decision” of the offseason. Take a look at their reasoning behind the selection:
The Raiders traded for the embattled wideout after it first seemed like he was headed for the Buffalo Bills. Oakland ended up sending a third- and fifth-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Brown, and they signed him to a three-year, $50.125 million extension as well.
Brown was sidelined for much of the offseason with a mysterious foot injury, and he got into a confrontation with general manager Mike Mayock before publicly begging for his release. After the Raiders obliged, he promptly signed with the Patriots, but that proved to be short-lived as well.
The Raiders are still dealing with the ramifications of acquiring Brown. Not only did they lose assets, but they remain wrapped up in a grievance over their decision to void the guaranteed money on his contract.
While the move certainly didn’t pay off for the Raiders, the team seems just fine without Brown’s services. Oakland is now a no-nonsense team that has a real chance to make the playoffs this season. Before long, Brown’s time in Oakland will be an afterthought.
