Antonio Brown is just another headache inducing version of Terrell Owens

The saga is over (for now).

After an offseason and preseason filled with enough drama to put a daytime soap to shame, the Antonio Brown/Las Vegas Raider episodic quest of calamity is over.

Brown, who had an offseason where he did his best Terrell Owens impersonation, was released by the Raiders on Saturday.

A few hours later, he was reportedly set to join the New England Patriots.

Brown's release capped a long-running list of events that turned out to be more of a distraction than his talent was worth, at least for the Raiders.

CBSSports compiled a  timeline of Brown's exploits here, dating back to January 2017 when he was still a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Of note was a holdout over having to use a different, league approved helmet, getting frostbitten feet after leaving them too long in a cryotherapy machine to having a yelling match with Raiders GM Mike Mayock.

The question now is can Patriot head coach Bill Belichick control the madness? History says yes, at least for a season (they made it work with guys such as Corey Dillon and Randy Moss). Plus, they already have Josh Gordon.

It is clear, the Patriots don't mind taking chances on guys with the belief that Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady can keep things under control.

The issue with Brown is nothing new to the NFL. There is a reason I compared him to Terrell Owens. Brown has shown he is merely a symptom of a problem that has always been with the league: Talent outweighs headaches.

Look back through the league's history, and it is littered with players who were sterling on the field, but were either distractions on the sidelines, or in police trouble in their personal lives.

There is no doubt Brown is talented and backs it up on the field, amassing over 1,000 yards receiving in seven of his nine seasons. He has also proven to be a big-play threat in the passing game, but the off-field issues clearly outweighed the talent for the Raiders.

But takinga  step back, Brown's saga is no different than Terrell Owens' from roughly 15 years ago. Both players did not do anything really illegal or criminal. But they were drama queens, or like fireflies unable to resist the pull of the limelight.

If anything, Brown, Owens and many, many players past and current, show the NFL is still a league filled with general managers, coaches and fans who will put up with a lot, if you are talented enough. Unless you are Colin Kaepernick of course.
From being a constant headache to finding their names in the police blotter, players' skills will continue to be the trump card to behavior in the NFL. That won't change until organizations, fans, and yes, the media, decide to change it.




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