Barber: Raiders' Trent Brown sued for domestic violence

ALAMEDA

Here we go again.

That’s what I think these days when I hear that another professional athlete has been accused of domestic violence. Here come the sordid details. Here comes the uncomfortable confusion as we attempt to sort fact from fiction in the face of opposing narratives. Here comes the realization that, no matter how the case in question is resolved, too many large men are harming and terrorizing the women in their lives.

Trent Brown is the latest defendant. Brown is the Raiders’ starting right tackle. He stands 6 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 350 pounds, and he is very, very good at blocking. In fact, it would not be absurd to say he has been the Raiders’ best player through five games.

Diorra Marzette-Sanders, the mother of Brown’s young son, has filed a lawsuit accusing the NFL player of a series of terrible incidents. The suit says Brown “slapped Plaintiff across the face leaving her mouth bloody and her face bruised” sometime in 2018, “grabbed her face and covered her mouth while choking her out until she couldn’t breathe” in March of 2019, and told her during one argument that “I’ll shoot yo ass in the (bleeping) head before you walk out that door with my son.” You get the idea.

These allegations make me cringe even more than usual because Brown, during his time with the 49ers and Raiders (he spent a year with the Patriots in between), has always seemed mellow and generally pleasant. I hope he didn’t do those things to Marzette-Sanders. I don’t presume to know one way or the other.

What I do know is that Brown wasn’t on the practice field with his teammates Wednesday. While they tuned up for the Green Bay Packers, the big right tackle did movement exercises in the team pool, supervised by a trainer.

Head coach Jon Gruden suggested Brown’s move from turf to surf had nothing to do with the DV accusations. He said Brown strained his calf practicing Monday.

As for the legal matter, Gruden said, “We’re aware of it, and we’re looking into it. And I’m not gonna say anything else other than we’re aware of it.”

I know one other thing: Losing Trent Brown would be a huge blow to the Raiders, who are 3-2 and unexpectedly challenging for an AFC playoff spot. He is the key figure in this team’s key source of power, the offensive line. I know this point is far less important than the safety of Diorra Marzette-Sanders, but that’s where we are right now.

The Raiders have already withstood the removal of some crucial pieces. Troubled wide receiver Antonio Brown, Oakland’s biggest offseason acquisition, never played a down with the team. Middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who brought stability to the defense, has been suspended by the NFL for repeatedly endangering opponents on the field. Promising rookie Johnathan Abram is out for the season with a shoulder injury.

Despite all that, the Raiders have bounced back from a 1-2 start to regain their course. And the main engine has been the improvement of a big, physical offensive line.

In consecutive losses to Kansas City and Minnesota in Weeks 2 and 3, the opponents sacked Derek Carr seven times and hit him 10 times. Carr isn’t a quarterback who can overcome that sort of pass rush and thrive. But in Weeks 4 and 5, the Colts and Bears combined to hit Carr just twice. The only sack in that span was by Indianapolis’ Anthony Walker.

More impressive is what the Raiders’ O-line has been doing in the run game. The Bears have one of football’s best front sevens. And the Oakland line pushed them around like throw pillows en route to 169 rushing yards in London. It was something to see.

“If you ever looked at any championship team, they all ran the ball in some form,” said running back Josh Jacobs, the Raiders’ rookie sensation. “When you can’t run the ball, you can’t establish that tone. It wears a defense out, takes a toll on people.”

And the Raiders’ resurgence up front has come despite some fluidity. Jordan Devey replaced Gabe Jackson (knee) at right guard in the preseason, and then Denzelle Good replaced Devey (torn pectoral muscle) during the Colts game. Brown, who has a history of nagging injuries, missed a total of 33 snaps against the Chiefs, Vikings and Colts.

“We’re still gelling,” Gruden said. “I mean, we haven’t had any continuity since I’ve been here, really.”

The Raiders got some good news this week. Jackson, a five-year starter at guard (the past three on the right side) has returned to limited practice after missing the first five games. The positive vibes didn’t last more than a couple days, though, as Brown’s name began to trend for all the wrong reasons.

The Raiders have a substantial investment in Brown - more than $15 million this year, and a total of greater than $36 million guaranteed over the life of a four-year contract. Up to now, he had earned it.

“I mean, the video’s out there,” Gruden said when I asked him about Brown. “He’s the real deal. He’s a complete difference-maker for us.”

Gruden wasn’t lying. The Raiders’ entire offensive line has been a strength in 2019. But it’s Brown, with his gargantuan frame and nimble feet, who has been the eraser.

The calf injury is a setback. The civil suit could be much more than that. Raiders team owner Mark Davis claims to have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to domestic violence and other forms of abusing women. If Marzette-Sanders’ attorneys, or the NFL (which is sure to investigate), or law enforcement finds evidence that the plaintiff’s allegations are true, the Raiders will look ridiculous if they don’t cut ties to Brown.

Considering what happened with Antonio Brown and Vontaze Burfict, another “character issue” - admittedly, an inadequate way to describe hurting the mother of your child - would solidify the reputation the Raiders have been trying to avoid.

You can reach columnist Phil Barber at 707-521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com. Follow him on Twitter: ?@Skinny_Post.