Raiders Expect Antonio Brown To Report Back Soon
Fortunately Antonio Brown hasn’t filed his retirement papers yet. The Raiders’ star receiver threatened to hang up his cleats over a dispute about what helmet he’ll wear this season, but things appear to be deescalating. 
Brown “is expected to rejoin the club at its training camp headquarters in the near future,” a team official told Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Brown has been staying away from the team’s practices the past couple weeks. His absences were originally thought to be due to his frostbitten feet, but it was revealed today it’s actually about the helmet.
Gehlken reports that a ruling from the arbitrator is expected sometime next week on whether or not Brown can wear his current helmet. All equipment must be approved by the National Operating Committee for Standards and Athletic Equipment, and they apparently refuse to test Brown’s model because it is more than ten years old. Brown’s wasn’t among the helmets that were banned this offseason, his just wasn’t even included in the NOCSAE’s study because it was more than a decade old. Since that model wasn’t specifically banned for not being safe, his appeal could have some hope.
Gehklen notes that the team next practices on Monday, and whether or not he’s present will go a long way in determining what kind of story this is going to be moving forward. Of course this is Brown we’re talking about, so while things seem to be heading in the right direction for now, that can change at any moment. We’ll keep you updated as we hear more.
Raiders’ Antonio Brown Threatens To Retire
The Antonio Brown saga has reached new heights. On Friday, Brown informed Raiders officials that he will not play football again, unless he is permitted to wear his old helmet again (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). 
Brown filed a grievance against the league this week in order to get permission to wear his preferred headgear. The wide receiver, who recently suffered a foot injury while receiving cryotherapy treatment, has been staying away from team practices after being barred from wearing the helmet that he has used throughout his career.
Other players – such as Packers star Aaron Rodgers – have complied with the league’s mandate to wear an updated helmet that has been cleared for safety. However, Brown is bucking the system.
Brown, one of the most talented wide receivers in the game, was an absolute headache for the Steelers in 2018. After clashing with head coach Mike Tomlin and other key figures throughout the year, the Steelers shipped him to the Raiders in March for a pair of mid-round draft picks. In an effort to keep the mercurial star happy, the Raiders also gave Brown a new deal worth $50.125MM over the next three seasons with $30.125MM in guarantees.
Brown finished last season with 104 receptions for 1,297 yards and 15 touchdowns. The campaign marked his sixth straight season with at least 1,200 receiving yards and 100 receptions.
This year, the Raiders were hoping for seven in a row. Now, they’re just hoping he’ll play.
Latest On Raiders’ Antonio Brown
Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown has filed a grievance against the NFL to be permitted to wear his preferred helmet, league sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. There was some recent scuttlebutt that Brown was skipping Raiders camp in response to the cryotherapy treatment that damaged his foot. Rather, it seems that Brown is staying away as he fights the league for his right to wear the headgear that he wants.
It’s yet another strange twist for Brown, who spent the 2018 season clashing with teammates, coaches, and executives in Pittsburgh. The former Steelers star could be primed for big things in Oakland, but he’s presently in a holding pattern.
On the helmet front – Brown is expected to have a hearing in the coming days, and an arbitrator will decide whether or not he gets to wear the helmet he wants. Meanwhile, Brown continues to meet with specialists to solve his foot issue.
The Raiders are “aware and supportive of Antonio Brown, but [have] no further comment,” the team told Schefter.
West Rumors: 49ers, Seahawks, Broncos
It’s been a long offseason for the 49ers, who have seen numerous key players deal with injuries throughout the spring and summer. Add more to the list of San Francisco talents set to miss the preseason. Jerick McKinnon and Weston Richburg are both unlikely to play until Week 1. Given $18MM guaranteed, McKinnon is still dealing with knee trouble after missing all of last season with an ACL tear. The sixth-year running back received a platelet-rich plasma injection on his knee and is expected to miss the 49ers’ August slate, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com notes. The team activated him from the PUP list Tuesday, but Kyle Shanahan said his prized 2018 offseason signing experienced significant soreness after going through individual drills the past two days. Richburg, who remains on the active/PUP list after a January knee surgery, is being targeted a Week 1 return. So are Nick Bosa and Jason Verrett. The 49ers hope Dee Ford, who received a PRP injection on his injured knee, can play by the team’s dress-rehearsal preseason game.
Here’s the latest West news from outside of San Francisco:
- With the Seahawks in desperate need of available pass rushers come Week 1, more blitz opportunities may be on tap. Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright and Mychal Kendricks (should he be on the field) are in position to be used more as rushers. “If we can play really good D, it’s going to be because of Bobby and K.J. and Mychal and the guys in the linebacker spot. We’re going to utilize them as much as we can to be a factor in all aspects, run and pass [defense],” Pete Carroll said, via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson. “Those guys are really good pass defenders, and they love coming off the edge too. We’ll plan on using those guys a lot.” After Frank Clark‘s departure, the Seahawks have Ziggy Ansah and L.J. Collier injured. Jarran Reed incurred a six-game suspension. Wright has not collected a sack since 2016, when he had four. Wagner had 4.5 that year but recorded 2.5 since.
- Theo Riddick will earn a $2MM 2019 base salary with the Broncos, and $750K of it is fully guaranteed, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. Another $250K will be available in per-game roster bonuses. Overall, Riddick signed for $2.5MM with $1MM guaranteed. This makes it a near-certainty Riddick will appear on the Broncos’ 53-man roster in September.
- The Broncos are already down Todd Davis for multiple weeks; they will be without one of his top backups for longer than that. Joe Jones suffered a triceps injury this week, and a second opinion delivered more clarity on the inside linebacker’s timeline. Jones will be out between six and eight weeks, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets. But he will not need surgery, which could increase his chances of making the Broncos. If Jones hits IR before the Broncos finalize their 53-man unit, the special-teamer will be ineligible to return for them this season.
- Returning 2018 fifth-round pick Johnny Townsend would seemingly be in line to keep his job as the Raiders‘ punter, but Jon Gruden said rookie UDFA A.J. Cole has put himself in the conversation to unseat the incumbent, per Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (on Twitter). Cole would be an option to handle Raiders kickoffs as well.
South Notes: Ramsey, Texans, Kamara, Bucs
Throughout the offseason, John Dorsey insisted he wanted Duke Johnson on the 2019 Browns. But the Texans‘ decision to offer what will likely become a third-round pick — assuming Johnson plays at least 10 games this season — was clearly a proposal the Browns could not refuse. The consensus around the NFL placed the passing-down back’s value at being worth a fifth-rounder in a trade, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (on Twitter). The Browns getting a likely Day 2 pick is, then, quite the haul. That said, the Texans needed help behind Lamar Miller and now have a running back under contract through 2021.
The GM-less Texans had Bill O’Brien running point on this trade. The sixth-year HC spoke with Dorsey and pulled the trigger, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). With O’Brien clearly having a say in the Jadeveon Clowney process, and the team opting not to hire a GM this year, it is not surprising the post-Brian Gaine Texans have him operating in a key personnel capacity. This marks another notable trade between these franchises, who made 2017 swaps in deals that sent Brock Osweiler (and a second-round pick) to Cleveland and Deshaun Watson to Houston. But the parties who negotiated those deals, GMs Sashi Brown and Rick Smith, are out of the picture.
Here is the latest from the South divisions:
- Jalen Ramsey is under Jaguars control through the 2020 season, thanks to the fifth-year option the team exercised this spring. But the contract-seeking cornerback has not exactly been pleased with the franchise as of late, considering his 2018 team-imposed suspension and the high-end corner still attached to his rookie contract. When asked by Titans tackle Taylor Lewan and former Titans linebacker Will Compton (during the duo’s “Bussin’ with the Boys podcast, via the Florida Times-Union) about where he would like to play if he left Jacksonville, Ramsey responded by saying he would like to go to the Titans or the Raiders. Ramsey is a Nashville-area native and said he would be attracted to Las Vegas. The standout corner, set to play for $3.6MM this season, continues to stir the pot.
- After going down in a Buccaneers practice this week, Vita Vea will get a knee MRI on Friday, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com tweets. The Bucs hope their second-year nose tackle suffered an LCL sprain, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Vea missed three games due to injury as a rookie.
- With Mark Ingram out due to suspension to start last season, the Saints played Alvin Kamara on 82% of their snaps. The rest of the way in 2018: Kamara played 61% of New Orleans’ offensive plays. Sean Payton prefers the latter work rate, despite Ingram’s defection to Baltimore, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com notes. “Look, is one player taking exactly Mark Ingram’s reps? I can’t tell you that right now,” Payton said. “And yet I think there’s that presumption that Alvin’s going to get more. And I think our pitch count and how we’ve played and utilized him has been really good.” Kamara received 201 touches in 2017 and 275 last season; he cleared 1,500 scrimmage yards in each. Latavius Murray will be his backfield mate this season. The Saints also added Jacquizz Rodgers recently.
- The Bucs worked out rookie UDFA defensive lineman Shane Bowman on Thursday morning, Greg Auman of The Athletic tweets. The Jaguars waived Bowman earlier this summer.
Latest On Antonio Brown’s Foot Injury
We finally have some clarity on Antonio Brown‘s foot injury, and it’s a doozy. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Raiders wideout suffered frostbite during a “cryogenic chamber mishap.” An ESPN.com report provides even more context, noting that Brown wasn’t wearing the proper footwear when he entered the chamber last month in France.
Brown opened training camp with his new team on the active/NFI list, and the receiver subsequently visited a foot specialist for a “very minor” foot injury. The Raiders offseason acquisition was later categorized as “day to day,” but it sounds like that designation has since changed.
Today, coach Jon Gruden told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio that Brown was “still collecting information” on the injury. While the team is hoping to learn more later this week, there currently isn’t a timetable for the receiver’s return.
Brown ended his prolific Steelers career with a trade request, and he was ultimately dealt to the Raiders for a third- and fifth-round draft pick. Naturally, Gruden is excited to add the seven-time Pro Bowler into his offense, but he’ll have to be patient for the time being.
“You know me, it is like waiting for Santa Claus,” Gruden said of anticipating Brown’s return. “I have been really excited to coach this man. I think he is a great player and he is a great competitor. We need his life in this offense and on this football team. We will just cross our fingers. I will make no speculation whatsoever. He has to get it evaluated. He has to get the information he needs, and when he does, he will be back.”
Brown finished last season with 104 receptions for 1,297 yards and 15 touchdowns. It was his sixth straight season with at least 1,200 receiving yards and 100 receptions.
Raiders’ Nevin Lawson Suspended 4 Games
Raiders veteran Nevin Lawson has been slapped with a four-game suspension, the cornerback announced on Twitter.
“Despite being very cautious about what I put into my body, I discovered that a test determined that I ingested something that is on the NFL’s banned substance list,” Lawson said in the statement. “Specifically, the substance is Ostarine, which I have never knowingly taken.
“Unfortunately, it does not matter, as I am responsible for knowing every single ingredient that goes into my body, and I apparently failed in this regard. This disappointing and temporary setback says nothing about my constant drive and daily commitment to be a better player and human being, a priority of mine which will continue for the rest of my life.”
The 2014 fourth-round pick out of Utah State spent the first five seasons of his career with the Lions, including a 2018 campaign where he finished with 53 tackles, one sack, and five passes defended. The 28-year-old averaged 15 starts per season between 2016 and 2018, but he hasn’t snagged a single interception in more than 3,000 career snaps.
Detroit determined that they couldn’t stomach his salary, and he was cut by the team back in March. He quickly caught on with the Raiders, where he’s expected to play a reserve role behind Daryl Worley and Gareon Conley. Lawson has the ability to play both outside cornerback and in the slot, so there should be a role for him when he returns from his suspension.
Latest On Antonio Brown Timetable
- Despite Antonio Brown‘s trip to see a Bay Area foot specialist, the Raiders wide receiver remains categorized as “day to day,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The 10th-year wideout has yet to go through a full Raiders training camp practice.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/3/19
Here are Saturday’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DT Tracy Sprinkle
- Waived: CB Jermaine Ponder
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: TE Zach Conque
- Waived/injured: TE Billy Brown
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers from Eagles: LB Joey Alfieri
- Signed: DE Terrence Fede
- Waived/injured: DE Alex Jenkins
New York Jets
- Waived: TE Bucky Hodges
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: RB Mack Brown
- Waived: G Lukayus McNeil
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Jackson Harris, TE Wes Saxton
- Waived: TE Justin Johnson, TE Tyrone Swoopes
Antonio Brown Visiting Foot Specialist
Antonio Brown has not done much in Raiders training camp, beginning it on their active/NFI list and having missed almost all of his new team’s sessions thus far. An offseason foot problem, one recently labeled “very minor” has shelved the 31-year-old superstar. Brown is now set to visit a foot specialist on Saturday, Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets. Jon Gruden said Friday he’s disappointed Brown has not been able to do much in camp, and while The Athletic’s Lindsay Jones tweets Brown is only dealing with foot blisters, a specialist visit is not a great sign to start Brown’s Oakland tenure. Frustration is mounting on both sides, but this is still being viewed a minor malady, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Michael Gehlken (Twitter links). Brown has missed six of seven Raider camp workouts and has not participated in a full session yet.