Source: Seattle Seahawks 'performed their due diligence' on Antonio Brown but 'weren't comfortable' signing him

The Seattle Seahawks were widely considered the favorite to sign Antonio Brown, but instead he will be joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who signed the controversial wideout to an incentive-heavy contract with a maximum value of $2.5 million. Did Seattle lose out on grabbing Brown or did they simply decide to he was not a good fit? According to a league source, the answer seems to be the latter.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio wrote that the anonymous league source said the Seahawks "performed their due diligence" but ultimately decided "that they weren’t comfortable adding Brown to the team." Florio suggests that the discomfort may have come more from Brown's conduct than his abilities on the field, as Brown's erratic behavior and actions, including allegations of sexual misconduct and assault, caused the league to hand him an eight-game suspension for violating its Personal Conduct Policy.

According to reports, Brown is committed to rehabilitating his public image to get his career back on track, but the Buccaneers are still taking a risk, hoping that he will not fall back into old habits and prove to be more of a distraction than an asset. That's why head coach Bruce Arians has repeatedly made it clear that Brown is on a short leash in Tampa Bay, saying that "we're going to have problems" if Brown complains about his role in the offense.

If Brown is able to stay focused on his production on the field and keep out of trouble, the Seahawks may regret their decision to pass on him. However, it's not like Seattle is lacking in great receiving options, as D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are among the most talented receiving duos in the league.