The Las Vegas Raiders recently traded right tackle Trent Brown to the New England Patriots. While signing him looked like a smart decision at first, things didn’t work out the way they wanted. Thus, it wasn’t surprising to see both parties wanting to move on with Brown opening up about his new start in Foxborough.
Brown recently had a sit-down with the New England media and said that ever since he left Foxborough nothing has gone right for him. He mentioned that he has dealt with nagging injuries and wasn’t feeling “the place of work”. He then added there were no hard feelings. Simply, the Raiders weren’t a fit. He went on to say, ‘I’ve never been more proud than when I put on a Patriots jersey’.
Later in the press conference, Brown said that he doesn’t care whether he plays left or right tackle in New England. He will do what the team asks him to do and praised offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia. He said that the Pats showed him to appreciate football and it’s where he needs to be, the place where he has had the most fun, ‘you have no choice but to be a better man’.
The Raiders gave Brown a four-year $66 million contract hoping he would solidify the right side of their offensive line. That was the case in 2019, when he made the Pro Bowl. However, his second year with the team was full of mishaps. He was out of shape, dealt with a calf injury, tested positive for COVID-19. He ended up playing just five games and 26 percent of the team’s total snaps on offense. Over his two-year stint in Las Vegas, he appeared in 16 games and missed the same amount.
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The Raiders and Trent Brown shoulder blame
There is no conspiracy, Brown just wasn’t a good fit in Silver and Black, and both parties deserve blame. On one hand, the right tackle didn’t look motivated and seemed out of shape during his stint with the Raiders. There’s also the fact he took off his COVID-19 tracker during the pandemic, that’s on him, not the team.
On the other hand, Las Vegas knew the kind of player they were getting. For better or worse, their ecosystem is different from the one in New England and it didn’t bode well for Brown. Also, he wasn’t overly enthusiastic about being hospitalized after a bubble of air entered his bloodstream. The Raiders medical staff botched that one, and it’s not the kind of situation where saying sorry suffices.
In the end, trading Brown was the best course of action for both parties. The Raiders cut their losses while he has a chance to get back on track with the Patriots. Think of it as an ‘addition by subtraction’ kind of deal.
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Top Photo: Elise Amendola Associated Press
