The Oakland Raiders will boast an elite offensive weapon in Antonio Brown next season. How likely is it that Brown can top 1400 receiving yards in 2019?
Despite all the ups and downs of last season, Oakland Raiders fans have plenty to look forward to as the 2019 NFL season draws near. After stockpiling on draft picks and other assets via trades, John Gruden alongside Mike Mayock made impactful acquisitions via free agency and through the NFL Draft. With new faces on both sides of the ball, there is plenty of upside for the final season at the Coliseum.
Arguably the most notable acquisition of the offseason occurred on March 9th, 2019. For the price of just a third and fifth-round pick, Oakland brought in an elite wide receiver in Antonio Brown to pair with franchise quarterback Derek Carr. Carr now has in all likelihood the best offensive weapon he’s had in his Raiders career.
With Brown headlining a revamped group of wide receivers, many are foreseeing a return to MVP candidate form for Derek Carr. If there’s a reason to believe that the former will come to fruition, it will be in large part due to the presence of an all-time talent like Antonio Brown. Carr will likely take advantage of all his new receiving weapons such as Tyrell Williams and JJ Nelson, but that doesn’t negate Antonio Brown having another dominant season with the Silver and Black.
Brown is currently on a six-season streak of garnering 1,000+ receiving yards. He’s also hovered around or above 13 yards per reception in each of those six straight seasons. Now entering his first season with the Silver and Black, there’s no reason to believe that Brown cannot emulate that same level of success on the football field.
Jon Gruden has been gushing over his new elite wide receiver, and you can expect that Gruden is eager to maximize Brown’s talents in every corner of his playbook. For the man throwing to Antonio Brown under center, Carr has formed a special bond with him over the offseason. The two have worked together plenty since Brown was traded to the Raiders. It should come as no surprise that number four will be leveraging Brown’s talent at any moment he can.
After critics reared their heads throughout last season, Carr has a chip on his shoulder to prove his doubters wrong as cement himself as the franchise quarterback. What better way to do so than forming a lethal duo with a talent like Antonio Brown?
Skeptics may be hesitant on a dominant season from Brown due to his age. The soon-to-be 31-year-old wide receiver has been exceptional, but is he on the tail end of his career just as he begins the next chapter in Oakland? Those skeptics forget that last season Antonio Brown still recorded 1297 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns at the age of 30. Better yet, it was just two seasons ago that he went off for 1533 receiving yards, the third largest total of his career.
If there were an athlete to embody the phrase “age is just a number,” Antonio Brown may very well fit the bill.
Over/Under 1400 receiving yards for Antonio Brown: Over
Antonio Brown may not obliterate past 1400 receiving yards in his inaugural season with the Oakland Raiders, but you’d be wrong to doubt someone as hardworking as number 84. With coach Gruden at the helm, quarterback Derek Carr with a chip on his shoulder, and the looming season to be the last in Oakland, there’s plenty working in favor of a big year for Antonio Brown.
Don’t forget that Brown very well has a chip on his shoulder as well. Despite producing on the field, his final season with the Pittsburgh Steelers was not without drama off the field. But now heading into Oakland, Antonio Brown has the opportunity to cement himself as the league’s top receiver. He never really left, but if he needs to prove it, look for it to happen in Silver and Black.