The NFL Network finished up their yearly tradition of revealing the top 100 players going into the 2019 NFL season as voted by the players themselves, and the Oakland Raiders were finally able to see one of their own in Antonio Brown ranked No. 7 on the list.
The sight of Brown comes as a bit of a relief after none of their players had been featured on the list up to that point. Fortunately, they can take solace in the fact that they were to add a top-10 player to their roster via trade this offseason.
The Raiders have ushered in some significant changes to their roster since the arrival of head coach Jon Gruden. Although it did not pan out well in the 2018 NFL season, there is still plenty of optimism going into the 2019 campaign.
Brown’s status took a bit of a hit last year after his fallout with the Pittsburgh Steelers which resulted in his unceremonious departure. Regardless, there is no denying that he still garners plenty of respect from his peers as one of the best wideouts in the NFL:
"He's like a magician or something."
"I think of him as unstoppable."Nothing but respect for 84.
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— Oakland Raiders (@Raiders) August 1, 2019
Despite dropping from No. 2 last year to No. 7 this year, the 31-year-old has long been considered the gold standard for receivers and for good reason. He brings some much-needed firepower to the Raiders’ receiving corps as a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro.
Despite dealing with his fair share of issues with the team, there is no question that he was still all business when it came time to play. He finished the year with 168 receptions for 1,297 and a career-high 15 touchdowns before sitting out the season finale after the damage had been done.
Brown has made it clear that there is no love lost for his former team and he is anxious to prove the critics wrong. While some of the antics have lowered his value in the eyes of the media, it is clear that his opponents still do not doubt his ability.
The veteran wideout is slated to serve as the No. 1 option for Derek Carr in what Gruden hopes to be a revamped passing game, however, the bigger story is the impression he has already made on some of the other players in the locker room. It is safe to assume he will remain a positive presence as long as he remains a focal point of this offense while the Raiders look to be competitive in 2019.
It will be interesting to see if the run-heavy Gruden will be able to appease Brown’s desire to garner an ample amount of targets in the offense.
Rounding out the top 10, was Aaron Donald (1), Drew Brees (2), Khalil Mack (3), Patrick Mahomes (4), Todd Gurley (5), Tom Brady (6), Aaron Rodgers (8), Julio Jones (9) and Von Miller (10).
