Anonymous NFL Coach: 'I Bet' Patriots, Bill Belichick Take Shot on Antonio Brown

The Oakland Raiders released Antonio Brown on Saturday, ending Brown's short but drama-filled tenure with the organization. 

The question that remains, however, is where Brown will end up once he's officially an unrestricted free agent at 4 p.m. on Saturday. And in the opinion of one NFL coach, a team to keep an eye on is the defending NFL champion New England Patriots, per Pro Football Talk:

The Patriots surely won't be the only team to at least explore signing Brown. He's arguably the most talented wideout in the league and has averaged 114 receptions, 1,524 yards and 11 touchdowns over the last six seasons. 

Those are Hall of Fame numbers, and Brown's work ethic and ability to show up on Sundays and produce have never been called into question. 

What has been called into question, however, is whether some of Brown's behavior off the field and in the locker room is a distraction for the teams he's on. Let's review Brown's summer:

• Missed time at training camp after his feet were burned in cryotherapy. 
• Skipped practices while in a dispute with the NFL over his helmet.
• Posted the letter the Raiders sent him when they fined him on social media.
• Had a confrontation with general manager Mike Mayock at a practice this past week, reportedly about the fine he received, cursing at him and calling him a "cracker," according to Josina Anderson of ESPN (Brown told ESPN's Dianna Russini that he never called Mayock a cracker).
• Apologized to the team about that incident.
• Posted a video (warning: link contains NSFW language) on social media that included a phone conversation with head coach Jon Gruden (or someone who sounded like Gruden), potentially breaking a California law that outlaws phone conversations being recorded without the consent of all the people on the call.
• Was fined again by the Raiders for his confrontation with Mayock. The Raiders also voided the guarantees in his contract, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
• Requested his release in an Instagram post on Saturday morning. Hours later, the Raiders granted him his request.

The breaking point for Brown was when the Raiders took away his guarantees, as he told Jeff Darlington of ESPN:

Of course, if you think you've heard the last of Brown, well, think again:

Despite the chaos of this summer, NFL teams will have interest in Brown. He's simply too talented to ignore, and a team with a strong culture like New England might believe it can get an elite season of production from him while navigating any other concerns. 

The thought of Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and Brown combining forces is potentially terrifying for the rest of the NFL. The Patriots may choose to stay away from the circus that has followed Brown all summer, but from a football perspective, that potential marriage would be dynamic on the field if it worked out.