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    Two Minute Warning: Do the Raiders have a Brown stain?

    The Oakland Raiders traded for Antonio Brown in the offseason. Now, the question is will he ever play?

    By Cole Thompson

    Antonio Brown just can’t stay out of the news. From coded tweets to working too hard, the former Pittsburgh Steeler wideout is always seen in a negative light. That didn’t change over the weekend.

    Many already knew that Brown had suffered minor frostbite from his unproductive trips to the cryotherapy center. Most believe he was sitting out due to that. Well, what if I told you  #footgate is only the secondary craziest story of the week for the new Oakland Raiders receiver.

    According to reports, Brown is willing to retire from football altogether if he is not allowed to wear his old helmet that he wore in Pittsburgh. No, not his Steelers helmet just painted to look black and silver, but the same style and fit he has worn since 2010.

    With HBO’s Hard Knocks in the building to capture it live, this could not be a worse situation for the organization heading into the second week of preseason. According to statements made by the league’s front office, Brown has been told he must upgrade the helmet due to “safety concerns” and “age of the helmet”. NFL Network’s Michael Silver outlined the entire process in a 20-page thread.

    Lucky for Brown, he has the support of his teammates and head coach, for now.

    “I don’t know what anybody’s writing or what anybody thinks,” Gruden said. “His foot injury wasn’t his fault. It was a total accident. It really wasn’t his fault, and it’s a serious injury. I know some people are smarting at it, but it’s really not a laughing matter. The guy was hurt. He’s innocent. He didn’t do anything wrong.”

    Already a bad fit?

    Brown is a player everyone knows works hard when at practice. That might be a problem for him now as multiple doctors have told him to rest off his feet. Throw in the news of his potential retirement, and you have yourself a PR nightmare.

    One, if not, the best wide receiver in the league, the Raiders knew the type of talent they would be getting when trading for him this offseason. But Pittsburgh probably also knew the baggage Oakland would be taking on if a trade was made. Should Brown go through with his choice to sit, the Steelers would likely be winners of the trade despite many judging the team for settling on a third and fifth-round selection.

    It’s incredible how fast a story can turn itself into massive headline drama within seconds. The NFL is hoping to find a better way to keep their players safe, thus always updating their equipment. But Brown now is going to hold the NFL liable should he suffer a concussion under a new helmet.

    According to reports by Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic, Brown will sue the league should he suffer a head injury with a new helmet.  The news officially broke on Friday, but apparently, Brown had been in talks with the head office throughout the entire OTA’s.

    So before a snap has been played, Brown’s feet are frozen and his helmet is not welcome. Naturally, everyone else who was told they must receive new helmets complied. But they’re not AB84.

    Good luck Oakland

    Brown’s recent history has shown he is willing to throw anyone under the bus to get what he wants. Despite collecting his sixth consecutive 100-catch season, Brown was involved in controversy criticizing his former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, coach Mike Tomlin and multiple teammates on his staff.

    Now, because of the league’s hope to minimize damage to CTE, Brown’s marriage to Oakland is already needing a couple’s counseling session. With a decision coming from the league sometime this week, he is not expected to be at camp until the grievances have been answered. And if told no, we may never see him play another snap of the football.

    There are drama kings, and then there’s this stuff. Yes, while Brown could be superstitious on using a new helmet, the NFL will always have the final say when it comes to the safety of their players. Brown has no leverage to stand behind, so threatening retirement is really all he can do.

    Sometimes a player will holdout because they want to be paid the money they’re deserved. Other times, players won’t report to camp because they want out hopefully to be traded. But Brown is getting paid, and he requested the trade to Oakland.

    Literally, why is this being spoken about in a casual context? The childish actions by Brown could hurt his team as the Raiders look to start the year on the right note.

    With trouble brewing out west, the Brown era out west is already tainted before football has been played. While he may not like the rule, it’s for his safety. Figure it out and move on with life. It’s not the end of the world that you need a new helmet.

    Ok, with the rant over, we have some stuff to talk about in the week’s Two Minute Warning. With an emerging receiver to take over for Brown, a rookie shining out west and plenty of news surrounding the first week of NFL preseason, let’s get the ball rolling and talk some football.

    A replacement already for Pittsburgh?

    When the Steelers agreed to trade Brown, they knew they’d need someone to pick up his production. While the team did use a third-round pick on Diontae Johnson, they might have a future star in the works already in the building. Preseason means little to some, but James Washington is looking ready for a strong second season.

    The former Oklahoma State product finished his rookie season with 16 receptions for 217 yards and a touchdown, according to Pro Football Reference. In Friday’s 30-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington was the star of Pittsburgh’s offense. He’d finish with four catches for 84 yards, including a sweet 43-yard bomb from Joshua Dobbs in the second quarter.

    “I would say I’m a lot more comfortable than I was last year,” Washington said According to the Pittsburgh GAZETTE. “But it’s just the first preseason game. I just got to keep building off this. I can’t get too high. I just got to stay steady and keep going.”

    Washington’s development in the league has been slow, but Pittsburgh used him as a fourth or fifth option last season. That likely isn’t going to be the case this time around. JuJu Smith-Schuster will probably take over as the team’s top target, making his former No.2 position available.

    If Washington continues to develop, expect him to be the next great receiver to come out of the Steel City.

    Gathers gets a chance

    Rico Gathers has always been an enigma in football. A former basketball star for the Baylor Bears, he transitioned over to football following his senior season. The Dallas Cowboys tried to transform him into a quality player for three seasons, but it just didn’t work.

    Gathers, however, is far from being done with football. In fact, he’s now a member of the hottest team in sports.

    The Cleveland Browns announced the signing of Gathers Sunday morning, also stating they had waived tight end/fullback Orson Charles. And while the Browns are set with David Njoku and Seth DeVale, perhaps the addition of someone with Gathers’ size could help in the run game. Through three entire seasons in Dallas, the 25-year-old only collected three receptions for 45 yards. All those came last season.

    While some players can make the transition in sports, perhaps Gathers just isn’t one of them. Still, he’ll have the first crack and restarting his career with Baker Mayfield now throwing him balls under Freddie Kitchens’ offense.

    Hurd hurdling to a starter role

    The San Francisco 49ers have been trying to find weapons for Jimmy Garoppolo in the past two draft classes. Dante Pettis had a promising rookie season while the team also used picks on slot receivers, Trent Taylor and Richie James.

    General Manager John Lynch doubled down again, using his second-round pick on South Carolina’s Deebo Samuel and his third-round pick on Jalen Hurd. Sure, preseason games mean absolutely nothing, but Hurd had fans excited on Saturday night. He’d finish with three catches for 31 yards, two of which came in the forms of touchdowns from Nick Mullens.

    The former Baylor and Tennessee player was one of the biggest names heading into the draft. After fizzling out for the Volunteers at running, Hurd made the switch to wide receiver. According to head coach Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers have a plan implemented to show off multiple levels of Hurd’s talent.

    “I can do different things,” Hurd said according to NBC San FRANCISCO. “We will see what they do with me. I love the opportunity, so I’m just trying to seize the opportunity and make a play.”

    Expect a huge turn around from the offense this season. Not to say Hurd will completely correct the issues, but he’ll help.

    Goodbye coach

    The Pittsburgh Steelers accounted this morning that wide receiver coach Darryl Drake has died.

    He was 62.

    “We are at a loss for words following Darryl Drake’s passing this morning,” Steelers Owner Art Rooney II said in a statement. “Darryl had such an impact on the players he coached and everyone he worked with throughout his entire career. He was a passionate coach and had a tremendous spirit toward life, his family, his faith and the game of football. Our prayers and thoughts are with his wife, Sheila, his three daughters, his grandchildren and entire family during this difficult time.”

    Drake joined the Steelers last season following a five-year stint as the wide receiver’s coach at the Arizona Cardinals. Before his time under Bruce Arians, he held the same position with the Chicago Bears from 2004-2012. Drake also made coaching stops at Western Kentucky, Baylor, Georgia, and Texas.

    Arians, now the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, spoke very highly of his friend as he, like many, mourned his death at practice.

    “We lost a great man, husband, father, coach and a dear friend Darryl Drake,” Arians tweeted on Sunday afternoon with a photo of Drake on the Cardinals sideline. “Our prayers go out to his family. RIP brother.”

    Players and fans also wished to pay respects to the long-time coach, sending positive thoughts through social media and sending the Steelers prayers during this difficult time.

    We here at Pro Football Network, send positive thoughts to the direction of the Steelers.

    Parting Shots

    10) While the Kansas City Chief’s offense is going to be already great, the addition of Mecole Hardman is certainly going to help. He’s fast. Like very fast. Like don’t look away from the screen or you’ll miss him.

    9) Hunter Renfrow has been one of the top names coming out of Raiders’ training camp. But hey, if you wanted to know what it’s like playing in the slot, now you can. Thanks to this helmet video, you know can see what Renfrow sees when he’s out the field.

    8) The Atlanta Falcons might have the best 1-2 combo in football with Calvin Ridley and Julio Jones. Let’s also not forget about Mohamed Sanu Sr. who is still a part of that offense and could be one of football’s top No.3 targets. Here he is working out over the weekend.

    Yeah, Atlanta’s offense is going to be scary good.

    7) In case you forgot, Nathan Peterman is the G.O.A.T. of football. Sorry guys, he just is. Don’t believe me? Well, check him out running down defenders in Los Angeles in the preseason game from Saturday night.

    Seriously, the true G.O.A.T. is right there. And the reality is, Peterman might play because Gruden really loves him.

    6) The Baltimore Ravens have traded kicker Karee Vedvik to the Minnesota Vikings for a fifth-round pick next April. Vedvik, a native of Norway, was 12 of 13 on field goals for the Ravens the past two preseasons. Following this weekend’s game where he made a 55-yard kick, his value went up.

    Minnesota will now have a three-way kicking contest between Vedvik, Daniel Carlson and Dan Bailey. Carlson was one of the top kickers in NCAA history during his time at Auburn. This is just proof to show you kickers are a crapshoot. Sometimes, you just aren’t right for the NFL.

    5) While the New Orleans Saints have Micheal Thomas, they could be getting him another weapon. Here’s a look at Lil Jordan Humphrey taking the ball 33-yards for the touchdown. He finished the night with a team-high of 42-yards.

    4) There’s always one or two players who in their third year could become standouts. The pick this season has to be Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ wide receiver, Chris Godwin. Through two NFL seasons, the former Penn State wideout has collected 93 total catches for 1,367 yards and eight touchdowns.

    Under the direction of Arians and new offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, the Bucs are expected to be a heavy pass team as the quarterback whisperer tries to fix Jameis Winston. Arians have had success in the past, transforming veteran quarterbacks into quality players. Expect Godwin to be this seasons, “next big name”.

    3) The Dallas Cowboys could be going to war against one of their own. According to Micheal Lombardi of The Athletic, Dak Prescott was offered a contract this offseason that would pay him $30 million annually. He elected to turn that down.

    With Dallas now looking to pay six players this offseason, it’s easy to see at least the team franchise tagging one of them while they try to get the money together next season.

    2) It’s early, but two names could come to mind when speaking about early favorites for the 2019 Rookie of the Year. And although we still have three more weeks before the start of the regular season, Miami Dolphins’ Preston Williams and Pittsburgh Steelers’ Devin Bush certainly made their cases in their first preseason action.

    Bush led the Steelers with 10 total tackles and looked like a magnet when trying to stop the run. He made some mistakes in coverage that could be easily corrected over time. Williams finished Thursday’s action with four receptions for 97-yards, making two acrobatic plays. Right now, those are two names to watch moving forward.

    1) Make sure you check out the PFN’s Podcast network. This week, Kai’Chen and Eric discuss the Duke Johnson trade and Kyler Murray’s debut. If you want to hear something else, check out Zach and Eric as they breakdown the outlook for both the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets.

    Cole Thompson is the Lead NFL writer for Pro Football Network. Follow him on Twitter at @MrColeThompson. 

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