Anyone looking for a part-time summer job? Are you in the Pittsburgh area? How about a receiving few bucks to cut Antonio Brown’s lawn at his former home?
Well, it may be too late, but AB was willing to fork up some cash to get this domestic duty taken care of.
The Raiders wide receiver’s Pittsburgh home is on the market but hasn’t had a chance to get the lawn tamed yet. And it shows:
Can you get Derek and the team to stop over and cut your Pittsburgh home grass? @AB84 , @Raiders Business must be boomin! pic.twitter.com/RFbXKTRQgG
— DONALD BINOTTO (@DBINOTTO1) May 23, 2019
That’s definitely a situation that needed to be taken care of — and in his defense, he’s been really busy. The seven-time Pro Bowler is trying to develop some solid chemistry with his new signal caller, Derek Carr, and has been putting in some hard work both on and off the field to study the offense at his new home.
And as far as the old place goes? Well, he got someone to take care of it:
Hey AB, @Tyler_Saint21 and I got the grass cut for you! pic.twitter.com/vA7casXum9
— Taylor Rombold (@TaylorRombold) May 27, 2019
Check that off the old honey-do-list.
ALAMEDA — Antonio Brown has done extensive work building a rapport with quarterback Derek Carr and a receiver corps he wants to lead.
That’s an effort he started shortly after being traded to the Raiders in March, with all the extra time spent with his quarterback. He went to Carr’s son’s birthday party in Fresno. He has been over to Carr’s house, and they’ve found East Bay parks or university fields to work on timing and chemistry.
“I think it did help connecting with him early on,” Brown said after Tuesday’s OTA session. “As the offseason continues, I’ll continue to get better. I think he learned firsthand working out, and that I’m always trying to get faster. I’m excited and grateful to be here continuing to put my will on display and help the team out.”
Brown can’t help the team scoring touchdowns in May. He can demand better from his position group and leading by example by practicing his tail off.
“Camaraderie is key,” Brown said. “You need that to win and get to know the guys and have their back. I’m out here to do that, and show what I’m about.”
Some may take that quote an apply it as a shot at Pittsburgh, and the divisiveness often emanating from previous Steelers locker rooms. That wasn’t a cannonball across the bow, or a podium misstep.
Brown doesn’t make those. He’s as polished as it gets in front of the press, sticking to his message and filling downtime with a megawatt smile.
Tuesday was all about chemistry and understanding those he’s working with and for. That, he says, is why he has put so much effort into making an excellent early impression on his new team.
“You want that respect for a guy, to know what he stands for and where he comes from so you can be on the same page and do what you desire to do,” Brown said. “We have a desire to win.”
Brown previously talked about setting a new standard for work ethic within his position group, about instituting fines for mistakes and creating accountability within a new locker room culture.
That has already been instituted in meeting rooms as he tries to lead a position group also featuring Tyrell Williams, Ryan Grant and Hunter Renfrow.
“We’re bringing the juice, challenging each other every day,” Brown said. “We’re holding each other accountable, for knowing what to do and how to do it.”
There’s someone holding Brown accountable as well. Gruden is pushing his superstar receiver hard, just as he did previously working with Jerry Rice and Tim Brown in their 30s.
Brown admits surprise at Gruden’s unwavering intensity and welcomes someone above matching his intensity.
[RELATED: Mayock, Raiders stand behind Incognito deal]
“He challenged me from the meeting room to the field, lining me up in all kinds of positions,” Brown said. “He’s hurrying up the offense to see if I can handle it.
“…He’s excited every day. I thought he would slow it down during the offseason, but he’s always high energy. I love the passion. There’s never a dull moment with him.”
ALAMEDA – The Raiders did their homework on Richie Incognito before signing the interior offensive lineman on Tuesday morning. Okaland’s general manager Mike Mayock spoke with several position coaches and front-office folks who have worked with him.
The Raiders had 10 people surrounding his May 6 workout in Alameda. They spoke to the NFL about possible discipline from two 2018 incidents that led to police being called.
They weighed pros and cons, and decided to offer the talented soon-to-be 36-year-old a chance to compete for a starting spot. That started during Tuesday’s OTA session, where he was thrown into the first unit right away.
“We have done a one-year, prove-it deal with him and that means both on and off the field,” Mayock said Tuesday. “There are some expectations he has to meet in both areas. He turns 36 in July. We think he’s going to be a good football player and allow himself to compete for the left guard job.
“I feel comfortable that he’s going to compete on the field and wants to compete off the field. We’re going to provide the infrastructure for him. It’s a two-way street. We have to help him help himself.”
Incognito has had several off-field problems, most notably his involvement in a well-publicized bullying scandal while with the Miami Dolphins. More recently, he was convicted of disorderly conduct stemming from an Aug. 2018 incident at an Arizona funeral home shortly after his father’s death. He was also reportedly taken to a mental health hospital after making threats in a Florida gym in May 2018.
The disorderly conduct conviction could lead to a suspension, though Mayock said that outcome remains uncertain.
“There’s a chance there could be league discipline,” Mayock said. “We don’t know what it will be, but it’s a one-year minimum prove-it deal, and we feel that he’s incentivized properly to stay straight. We can’t control what the NFL will do.”
The Raiders can, and will, set up a support system to help Incognito if he needs it. The team’s player engagement department will be involved, and he’s set to see their clinician on Wednesday.
Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden understand this signing will be controversial for some, and contrasts recent statements they made after the NFL draft about brining in higher-character players.
“It’s a fair question,” Mayock said. “Both Jon and I have talked a lot about foundation. We have reinforced that with our draft. At the end of the day, you can’t have all Boy Scouts. You have to do your homework in each individual case. We’ve done our homework. We’ve talked to an awful lot of people. We talked to Richie and told him what we expect on and off the field and we’ll expect him to adhere to that. … The infrastructure will be here for him to use.”
Bringing a 30-something on a one-year deal is a far different commitment than using a high draft pick on young players hoping to form a foundation of success as the team transitions to Las Vegas in 2020.
How it impacts the 2019 locker room is yet to be determined. Many know Incognito as a good teammate despite his issues in Miami. His new teammates speaking publicly Tuesday were fine with the addition, which could help up front. He’s in great physical shape after a year away from football, and sources say the Raiders were impressed by his mental state while meeting with him.
[RELATED: Carr should benefit big time in second season with Gruden]
Taking a flier on someone like this, who could help the 2019 Raiders even at his advanced age, was deemed worth the risk. It’s one the Raiders will stand behind confidently after the research done before making the move.
“We’re all going to take ownership with Richie,” Mayock said. “Jon and I both talked about that, and we agree that a guy at this age, on a one-year deal, we’re all-in.”