The Dallas Cowboys have a problem with their wide receiving corps, but despite that, signing Antonio Brown is a move they should definitely avoid.
Dallas will once again look to make it THE year. Cowboys fans are notorious for claiming that it would the season they would win the title, but they still haven't even made it to the NFC Championship Game since their Super Bowl victory in 1995. The team went 12-5 in the 2021 campaign, winning the NFC East division, but they lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round.
In the offseason, Dallas made many moves, including trading receiver Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns. This diminished their receiving core, though they still have a solid unit. However, Michael Gallup will not be ready for Week 1 after tearing his ACL in Week 17 of last season. He is the second receiver for Dallas behind CeeDee Lamb. Their offseason signing, James Washington, also suffered an injury and is expected to be out 6-10 weeks.
This leaves rookie wideout Jalen Tolbert as their second option. The lack of depth at the position due to injuries led to rumors around Brown. AB was once a top-tier player in the NFL but has struggled with controversy over the past few seasons.
Last campaign, he left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the middle of a game after refusing to enter the contest when asked by head coach Bruce Arians. He went on to take off his shirt and run off the field in front of the crowd.
Brown's talent is still there, but he can be a major distraction. With that said, here are three reasons the Dallas Cowboys should not sign Antonio Brown amid receiver injuries.
Why The Cowboys Should Not Sign Antonio Brown
3. Cowboys don't need Antonio Brown and have other options available
While Dallas' receiving room will be thin at the start of the season, they don't need to add Brown. The Cowboys have an explosive offense with Dak Prescott at quarterback leading the charge. They also have a great running back tandem with Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard. Dallas will still have Lamb as their top target, along with a quality tight end in Dalton Schultz.
Last season, Lamb caught 79 passes for 1,102 yards and six touchdowns. His connection with Prescott was phenomenal, and the Cowboys can rely on that and the run game while they wait for Gallup to return.
Despite Brown saying “Tell Jerry Jones to call me!” in an interview with TMZ sports, they don't need him.
If Dallas does decide to sign another receiver, there are other options besides Brown. Emmanuel Sanders, T.Y. Hilton, Cole Beasley and Will Fuller are all free agents and could be solid additions.
2. Antonio Brown has injury risks
Many may have forgotten that Brown pointed to his ankle injury as the reason why he departed from the field in his last game with the Buccaneers.
AB later went on to say he would avoid surgery unless an NFL team were to sign him. Even if his ankle has healed since then, it's hard to ignore that his last time playing was with a nagging injury.
Ankle injuries are known to be common and can be reaggravated. Having this become an issue with Dallas is something they don't need to deal with.
1. AB is a locker room distraction
The biggest reason why the Cowboys should not sign Brown is that he is a locker room distraction. Whether or not he is a Hall of Fame talent, Brown could take away the focus from football. Since leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers, he has quit on two teams, the Las Vegas Raiders and Buccaneers. He has also faced problems off the field, which is a cause for concern when trying to build up a good culture.
Even if Brown were to go about his business and play without distractions, the media would be waiting for him to slip up. The pressure surrounding a player and a team like that would be tough to go through.
Brown may be a great talent and could bolster the receiving unit for the Cowboys, but the potential baggage is not worth it.
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