The Pittsburgh Steelers are a team who is not just looking to ship All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown out of Pittsburgh, but to get the best deal possible for him. Since the start of the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine there have been plenty of rumors of teams who have shown at least some interest in the prolific receiver. Some of those teams who were at least rumored to show interest are:
New York Jets
Washington Redskins
Tennessee Titans
Green Bay Packers
Denver Broncos
Oakland Raiders
Arizona Cardinals
The list could go on, in regards to teams just showing a hint of interest in Brown’s skill set. With all NFL coaches and General Managers at the Combine, it was long speculated this would be the time to really get a deal done, and it looks like it might just follow the projected trend.
This according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
Teams that have spoken to the Steelers about a potential Antonio Brown trade have been told that a deal is expected to be in place by Friday, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 6, 2019
The Steelers obviously want to get a deal done before having to pay Brown his $2.5 million dollar roster bonus, but there might be a little something extra going on with this report as well.
Pittsburgh wants a deal to get done, and they want to put some pressure on potential suitors. What better way to do that than to tell teams interested how they might want to put their best offer together because a deal is close to being done?
There might not be a great deal offered currently, but if a team like the Raiders thinks they might lose out on Brown, they might just go ahead and say they’ll give a better first round pick, and possibly another later round pick, to seal the deal.
It is all part of the song-and-dance which sums up negotiations within the NFL. Could a deal be done and solidified by Friday? Sure. Should it surprise anyone if it doesn’t get done? Absolutely not.
Either way, be sure to stay tuned in to BTSC for the latest news and notes regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers as the offseason is really starting to heat up with the start of the new league year.
UPDATE:
It seems as if a few more teams have gotten into the mix for Brown in the last 48 hours. This could get really interesting, really fast.
The Antonio Brown sweepstakes are heating up: Sources say the #Steelers have begun telling teams that this is moving quickly and to give their best offers ASAP. This could wrap up soon. 3 new teams have jumped in the last 48 hours. Meanwhile, #Jets, #AZCardinals are out.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 6, 2019