Glazer: Raiders 'Very Quietly' Tried to Trade Antonio Brown Before Release

The Oakland Raiders released wide receiver Antonio Brown on Saturday but not before reportedly attempting to get back some assets in a trade.

According to a report from Jay Glazer on Fox NFL Sunday, Oakland covertly shopped Brown before cutting him loose:

"Here's what nobody knows. On Thursday, they made the decision, 'We're done.' So they very quietly started calling around to other teams trying to trade Antonio Brown. But because of the soap opera, and because of the guarantees in his contract, they couldn't really get a taker. On Saturday, they finally released him. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told me there were three teams heavily involved, including the New England Patriots. There was one team I know of that Antonio Brown was actually on the phone with their head coach 15 minutes before he signed with the Patriots."

While the Raiders may have been shopping Brown, there are plenty of suspicions around league circles that many of Brown's antics were all done in an effort to get released by the Raiders.

"Brown, during the week, actually sought advice from social media consultants on how he could accelerate his release from the Raiders," ESPN's Chris Mortensen said on Sunday NFL Countdown.

Jeff Howe of The Athletic added, "There are teams around the NFL that believe Brown wanted to be a Patriot all along, and Brown might have just been doing anything possible to propel himself out of Oakland."

And with multiple reports noting the Patriots attempted to trade for Brown this offseason before he was dealt to Oakland but were rebuffed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, it would add up that Brown might attempt to force his way to New England instead. 

And so what transpired was a dysfunctional summer and doomed relationship between Brown and the Raiders:

It's certainly possible that Brown's main goal this offseason was to hit free agency so he could pick his own team. Pittsburgh didn't offer him that opportunity, trading him to Oakland, and maybe Brown gave the Raiders a chance before deciding it wasn't the situation he wanted. Maybe he didn't. 

Regardless, he ended up with Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and a franchise that has become famous for its lack of drama. The Patriots, as an organization, keep things close to the vest. Brown, as a celebrity, has taken the opposite approach, building a brand by having a consistent presence on social media, at times to the detriment of himself and his team. 

It will be a fascinating combination, that much is for certain. But if Brown wanted the Patriots all along, perhaps he'll be more inclined to buy into the Patriot Way. That remains to be seen. But clearly, the Raider Way wasn't for him and vice versa.