There was a time, probably in the middle of a Twitter Q&A, when many NFL pundits thought there wouldn’t be much of a market for Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown.
When General Manager Kevin Colbert came out and publicly said there were three teams who contacted the team before the NFL Scouting Combine, national media scoffed at such news.
At the combine, Colbert suggested the number had grown tremendously, and it seems as though it has. Everyone knew if a deal were to get done, it would be in Indianapolis. After all, it is one of the few times all NFL General Mangers, Head Coaches and some owners gather together at the same event.
According to a recent report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Steelers have drawn enough interest from other teams, a deal could be done prior to March 17th, and without the Steelers having to fork over Brown’s $2.5 million dollar bonus without him ever stepping foot in Pittsburgh again.
One takeaway from Combine week in Indy: The #Steelers have enough interest in WR Antonio Brown to be able to trade him before March 17, sources say. The #Raiders, #Broncos, and #AZCardinals are among the teams who have appeared the most intrigued.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 4, 2019
According to Rapoport, the biggest players in the mix are the Oakland Raiders, the Denver Broncos and the Arizona Cardinals.
These three teams are certainly intriguing for many reasons. The Arizona Cardinals possess the top overall draft pick in the upcoming selection process. Not suggesting they would trade the top pick away for Brown, but that pick could provide other first round selections which could be valuable to the Steelers. The Cardinals’ quarterback situation is in flux with Josh Rosen in house, but many speculating the team wants to take Kyler Murray with the top pick.
The Oakland Raiders have several first round picks from trading away players like Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper, one of which could be headed the Steelers’ way in return for Brown’s services. Derek Carr is the Raiders’ quarterback for now, which is an upgrade over what the other teams are offering.
Wouldn’t it be something if the Broncos make a move and get Antonio Brown, who would be catching passes from Joe Flacco in 2019? Suffice to say, the Broncos could be willing to give up something of value to get Brown.
Let’s take a look at each team’s first round picks:
Arizona: No. 1 Overall Selection
Raiders: No. 4 Overall, No. 24 and No. 27
Broncos: No. 10 Overall
Certainly intriguing, and if this report is true, the Steelers faithful might know exactly what they get for Brown, sooner rather than later. Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black-and-gold as they prepare for an exciting offseason.