Facing Antonio Brown in preseason would have been great test for Rams

With Antonio Brown dealing with a foot injury, it seems unlikely the Los Angeles Rams will face the speedy wideout during their first preseason action on Saturday.

In less than a week, the Los Angeles Rams will kick off their preseason game of 2019 by hitting the road to take on the Oakland Raiders, who were considered one of the big winners from the offseason.

From coming up big in the draft with three picks in the first round to landing one of the top superstars the NFL has to offer in Antonio Brown, the Raiders hope to see much different results compared to last year, in which they were labeled a complete bust.

The hiring of Jon Gruden last year was supposed to help Oakland return to the level of being a serious contender in the AFC like a few years ago. And while it may seem unfair to judge after only one season, there’s no excuse with the kind of money Gruden is pulling in.

Going back to Brown, one of the newest members of the Raiders has been one of the most popular topics of discussion in camp so far since he’s been dealing with a foot injury that has prevented him from participating in practices.

In fact, Brown even spent time this past weekend meeting with a foot specialist, making it seem like the chances of him suiting up for that first preseason game against the Rams highly unlikely, although the team previously indicated how they were considering resting him anyway.

Preseason games can be difficult to get excited about since most teams tend to rest most of their starters to avoid injuries, but even if Brown received limited action on Saturday, this would be a solid test for the Rams’ defense.

Just because Los Angeles is considered one of the early favorites in the NFC after earning a trip to the Super Bowl last season doesn’t necessarily mean they’re guaranteed to live up to expectations since the team still has a long way to go.

Seeing how the defense would have looked against Brown would have brought even more excitement to the Rams on defense, but at least the meaningful action will be here in September before they know it.

Even if Brown were to somehow be miraculously ready to go health wise before Saturday arrives, the Raiders are smart enough to realize playing him wouldn’t be worth the risk.

So instead of preparing for the speedster, all the Rams can do is wonder what could have been in this matchup come Saturday.