If there was any hope that the Buccaneers would add Antonio Brown to a wide receiver group that already employs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, it doesn’t exist anymore. Appearing on the ‘Tiki and Tierney” Show, head coach Bruce Arians gave an emphatic ‘No” in response to the idea that Brown could suit up with the Bucs.
“Yeah, it’s not gonna happen,” Arians said. “There’s no room. It’s just not gonna happen. It’s just not a fit here.”
Even when given the scenario of Brown coming in on a veteran’s minimum salary, Arians didn’t budge and quickly shot that down as well.
“No,” answered Arians. “I just know him, It’s not a fit in our locker room.”
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The moment Tom Brady signed on with the Bucs, the chatter began about the possibility of Brown joining him. Last year, they spent one game together with the New England Patriots and seemed to be a natural fit together on the football field. However, Brown quickly wore out his welcome as he lasted just that one game because of a myriad of off the field issues. Since then, it hasn’t got much better for Brown who played under Arians when he was the offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh during his first two seasons in the NFL.
| Game | Game | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | G | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Lng | R/G | Y/G | Y/Tgt |
| 2010 | 22 | PIT | 9 | 0 | 19 | 16 | 167 | 10.4 | 0 | 26 | 1.8 | 18.6 | 8.8 |
| 2011* | 23 | PIT | 16 | 3 | 124 | 69 | 1108 | 16.1 | 2 | 79 | 4.3 | 69.3 | 8.9 |
| 2012 | 24 | PIT | 13 | 10 | 106 | 66 | 787 | 11.9 | 5 | 60 | 5.1 | 60.5 | 7.4 |
| 2013* | 25 | PIT | 16 | 14 | 167 | 110 | 1499 | 13.6 | 8 | 56 | 6.9 | 93.7 | 9.0 |
| 2014*+ | 26 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 181 | 129 | 1698 | 13.2 | 13 | 63 | 8.1 | 106.1 | 9.4 |
| 2015*+ | 27 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 193 | 136 | 1834 | 13.5 | 10 | 59 | 8.5 | 114.6 | 9.5 |
| 2016*+ | 28 | PIT | 15 | 15 | 154 | 106 | 1284 | 12.1 | 12 | 51 | 7.1 | 85.6 | 8.3 |
| 2017*+ | 29 | PIT | 14 | 14 | 163 | 101 | 1533 | 15.2 | 9 | 57 | 7.2 | 109.5 | 9.4 |
| 2018* | 30 | PIT | 15 | 15 | 168 | 104 | 1297 | 12.5 | 15 | 78 | 6.9 | 86.5 | 7.7 |
| 2019 | 31 | NWE | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 56 | 14.0 | 1 | 20 | 4.0 | 56.0 | 7.0 |
| Care | Care | 131 | 103 | 1283 | 841 | 11263 | 13.4 | 75 | 79 | 6.4 | 86.0 | 8.8 | |
| 9 yr | 9 yr | PIT | 130 | 103 | 1275 | 837 | 11207 | 13.4 | 74 | 79 | 6.4 | 86.2 | 8.8 |
| 1 yr | 1 yr | NWE | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 56 | 14.0 | 1 | 20 | 4.0 | 56.0 | 7.0 |
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
From a pure football standpoint, it is hard to find a better match for Brady than Brown. We saw that relationship start to blossom on the field during their very short time together. However, this statement makes it very clear that the talent, in this case, is not enough to outweigh the baggage that would come with signing the controversial receiver.
The move to sign Brady in the offseason was as much about culture as it is winning a Super Bowl in the next couple of seasons. Signing Brown sends the opposite message when it comes to culture and for Arians, no amount of talent is going to change his mind.
– Ian Glendon is the Editor-In-Chief of Full Press Coverage and the Managing Editor of FPC Buccaneers. Like and follow on Twitter @iglen31 FPC_Buccaneers and FullPressNFL
