The Seattle Seahawks were reportedly having internal discussions about signing free agent wide receiver Antonio Brown last week. Meanwhile, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Donte Whitner believes the 49ers should add the talented but controversial player.
Former NFL executive and current analyst Michael Lombardi believes that if either of those two possibilities develops, it will determine which team is the favorite to win the NFC West and possibly represent the conference in Super Bowl LV (h / t 49ers Web Zone ).
“I think Antonio Brown changes the balance of power in the West (if he signs there),” Lombardi said Tuesday on the 95.7 show The Game, “Joe, Lo & Dibs.” “I think if Seattle catches it, they will become the favorites. I think if the 49ers get it, they keep the favorite. Remember, we are six inches from the Seattle host [a playoff] game.
“There is that line of balance. Even though the Niners dominated playoff time, I think that little bit of balance that is in that conference will change. Antonio Brown would make Seattle, for me, a Super Bowl contender in the NFC right away, and he would make sure the 49ers had their place. “
Lombardi is correct in pointing out the difference between the 49ers who won the division last season, and not the Seahawks, was Dre Greenlaw’s saving tackle on the goal line in Week 17. Let’s not forget, though, that Seattle required extra time. to beat an injury-exhausted San Francisco team early in week 10. The 49ers might not have as much cushion in their division as some of the other best teams in the league, but I’d say it’s bigger than most remember. , and the statistics certainly support that.
[PODCASTINSIDER49ERS:[49ERSINSIDERPODCAST:[PODCASTINSIDER49ERS:[49ERSINSIDERPODCAST: Listen to the last episode]
And, if the 49ers are already big favorites in their division, not to mention current betting favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl by a decent margin, they don’t need Brown to get his place at the top of the conference. Yes, Deebo Samuel must recover from a Jones fracture, but San Francisco is optimistic that he can return in time for the Week 1 home game against the Arizona Cardinals. The 49ers also expect Jalen Hurd to make a big jump in his second season, while Kendrick Bourne and first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk are also a big part of the offense.
Brown’s record speaks for itself. While he brings more talent to the table than each of those players, he’s not worth the distraction that comes with, particularly for a team that had a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIV. San Francisco already came to that conclusion before the start of last season, long before the team established itself as the cream of the crop in the NFC.
“We took a quick look and then we said, ‘Hey, we’re not interested in that for our team,'” the 49ers general manager said of the acquisition of Brown in March 2019.
Based on what has happened since those comments, the question arises as to why San Francisco would feel compelled to bring that circus to the locker room. The best reason, arguably, would be to keep him away from other NFC contenders, especially those in the division. That, however, is not a sufficient reason to mess with the team’s chemistry. Not to mention, Brown has multiple legal hurdles that he must overcome before stepping onto the field in another NFL game.
If the Seahawks want to risk it, all the power for them. Frankly, it makes a lot more sense to them than the 49ers, given the ground they need to regain in the division. Seattle’s reported consideration of Brown and Josh Gordon, not to mention the other major moves that have been made recently in the NFC West, would appear to be a direct response to the long-term threat that San Francisco poses to those teams.
[RELATED:[RELATED:[RELACIONADO:[RELATED:Stephen A. says the 49ers would have won with Rodgers in QB]
Perhaps the Seahawks are convinced that Brown has finally learned his lesson and that they have the right people to keep him under control. Perhaps he will be the opposite kind of teammate he has been throughout his tumultuous career, and he will provide Seattle with the missing ingredient to reach the top.
Anything is possible I guess. But the Seahawks are much more likely to end up adding their name to the growing list of teams that have acquired Brown out of competitive desperation, only to realize their mistake after it was too late.
