Not only will the Steelers be entertaining trade offers for Antonio Brown, but ESPN’s Chris Mortensen expects Brown to be dealt by the first week of March (video link). Mortensen says the star wideout has ignored phone calls from ownership and from head coach Mike Tomlin, and while he has had some communication with support staff, it looks as though he is trying to separate himself from Pittsburgh.
Brown is due a $2.5MM roster bonus when the new league year begins in March, and Mortensen believes the Steelers will trade Brown before they have to pay that bonus. While Brown’s significant salary cap hit has been cited as a deterrent to such a trade, Mortensen observes that the Steelers will be credited with $14.5MM towards the 2019 cap because of the Le’Veon Bell situation, and if the team extends quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as expected, that could open up more cap space.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets that one NFL GM believes Brown will not be traded and that the Steelers will be able to resolve their differences with him. But if that does not happen, Pittsburgh may have enough cap flexibility to make a trade feasible.
The Steelers are said to be seeking at least a first-round pick in exchange for the increasingly-mercurial Brown.
Pittsburgh must get him out of the AFC if they trade him. I could see Carolina or Sam Francisco as possibilities.
Might not be possible. The teams with the greatest needs for AB are mostly in the AFC.
It’s gotta be a team that has plenty of cap room too. San Francisco almost seems like too obvious of a fit.
Colts!
But the question for all these teams are would you rather go for A.B or OBJ.. obj might have a higher price due to age and timing with all this Steelers mess but worth considering
Lol obj isn’t going anywhere. They’ll move on from Eli.
Steelers won’t be low-balled for AB. They can technically keep him, but they’ll fetch a nice return.
I would San Fran because I don’t think the Giants will trade Beckham. And the 49ers need a big playmaker and have the cap room and draft capital.
To Arizona. For pick 33 and Fitzgerald.. sign Fitz for cheap in 2020 after exchanging AB salary in 2029.
Yeah but Fitz won’t play for cheap, he’ll retire
I could see him wanting a Superbowl.
By cheap I mean like 1 year 10-15Mil.. not league min.
I would think a 1st and a 2nd, at least, but I don’t think he’s going anywhere. Steelers will be unwilling to take the cap hit.
When it’s known that you have to trade somebody, every team is going to lowball their offers. Good luck getting anything more then a 3rd or a 4th round pick.
You can argue he’s the best WR in the NFL. At 15 mil a year for 3 years he’s a difference maker. You really think there won’t be two teams bidding higher than a 3rd?
They will wait until the Steelers dump him. His trade value gets diminished when everybody knows that he has to be traded. Nobody wants a prima Donna WR who deliberately sabotages his team. Even more with his huge contract that comes with him. Prima Donna WRs almost never win Super Bowls.
Except when they are the best WR in the league.
The best WRs in the league never win a Super Bowls. Single easiest position to fill. Especially those who sabotage their team deliberately.
Dude, STOP. You keep posting asinine comments on AB. If #1 WR’s are so easily replaced, the. Why did OBJ, Julio, AB, Green, etc all get HUGE deals??
How many Super Bowls have they won? How many winning seasons does OBJ have. Rather have the crap WRs that NE has and win 5 Super Bowls. Big money WRs dont win Super Bowls. Just ask T.O, T Brown, S Johnson and just about every other big money WRs. A Brown is just like T.O. a selfish WR who only cares about 2 things in life money and his ego. Those WRs are team cancers nobody on the Steelers cares about Antonio and his me only behavior.
What about Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, Torrey Holt & Micheal Irvin
wasn’t a cap when Irvin played. Same with Ruce. Neither of those players went home and threw a 2 year old temper tantrum because they had their feelings hurt. Browns a baby. Harrison won a SB because the team he played against didn’t have a QB and his QB had his only decent postseason in his career. No high paid WR has won anything recently. It’s also a 20,000,000 hit if Pitt releases Brown. No team is going to offer high value when they know that Pitt has 0 choices, but to trade him. Rice is a better WR then Brown and was a much better teammate then Brown will ever be. Brown is good, but his selfishness is unworthy of a winner. He is a great whiner though. Enjoy waxing his dolphin.
You just started the best WR never win SB and no you have excuses on why some have won
Rice and Irvin won theirs before a salary cap. Just about none have won with a salary cap. Only Harrison won a SB with a high valued QB. No top WR has won multiple SBs with a salary cap. The list is limitless. Single easiest position to win a Super Bowl with average players. I would rather have an average WR then the singlemost selfish player in the league. Brown is a whiner he is the reason why the Steelers choked this year. Him and his husband Bell.
What about Antonio Brown?
How did their teams do in the playoffs? That’s right they all missed the playoffs. You’re making the exact opposite of your argument.
Ac… how many time has your team made the playoffs in the last 8 yrs? Go ahead, conveniently become a Pats fan real quick, just so you can prove a point.
Nice straw man.
His contract is far from huge it’s $12, $11 & $12 over the next 3 years that is far from extravagant for a Top 3 WR
Cooper?
Cooper wasn’t a prima Donna he just wasn’t playing well
I think the Steelers will weigh the cap hit vs a repeat of Brown’s immature behavior next season and pull the trigger on the trade.
Immature behavior? All season people gave Bell hate for how he handled things, not knowing if he’d play or not, so Brown goes the complete opposite makes it clear he wants out and doesn’t want anything to do with them but it makes him immature?
I think it’s funny the double standard in the league, why is it when a team trades a player it’s business but when a player wants to be traded he’s immature or a baby?
Not showing up for work and not returning calls from the people who sign your paychecks is generally regarded as immature behavior by actual adults.
If that’s not obvious enough, is tossing furniture off a 14th story balcony what you’d define as immature?
Funny how some of us think a huge contract and signing bonus makes it different with AB.
It doesn’t. He gone.
I’d take a high 2 and a 3. Plus a decent young guy on his rookie contract. Jets would b Darron Lee. Along those lines. U can obviously find starters at the beginning of the second round. JuJu, Darius Leonard, Budda Baker, Branden Smith, Cam Robinson, Kevin King, etc. plus it eases the cap with second round money instead of 1st round money
Marcus maye they need help at safety and Robby Anderson a good wr to help replace brown are also people they may want
The Jets wouldn’t trade Maye and Robby Anderson has more off-field baggage than most guys in the league, so acquiring him for AB would be counterproductive.
Larry Fitz and pick 33.
SF, IND, PHI should be the major players here and I’d expect to see a day 1 pick and two day 2 picks heading back to Pittsburgh.
Eagles are set at WR with Jeffery, Tate, and Agholor. Add in Ertz and there’s no need to spend money they don’t have on AB
I can tell you’re from Philly based on the word jawn alone
No way Indy is even interested
I was thinking that the raiders have the draft power and the cap space to do it.
Everybody thinks they are going to get this great return and they should because he is that good but honestly it would take a team really desperate to offer more than a first round pick.
It really just takes a team that isn’t worried about his attitude.
He’s a HOF WR on an affordable contract.
Maybe they get the Jets number one for Brown and Steelers first and second rounders.
Wait, are you saying the Jets give up their 1at rounder, while the Steelers give up Brown and their 1st and 2nd round picks? If so, this could very well be the dumbest thing ive ever read.
DUMBEST THING IVE EVER READ!
Antonio Brown is too old to be worth a top ten pick. He’s on the downside of the hill so his productive years are limited. So for the Steelers to get a top ten pick, they need to add something to the kitty.
I could see them getting a 2nd rd pick back from the Steelers for the Jets 1st rounder, but def not a 1st & 2nd. Brown is easily worth a mid-1st.
And he’s got a big contract to carry
I got my money on him going to the Packers, believe Cobb is a FA, and they have an extra first from the Saints trade
NEVER going to happen.
What about the Patriots you know they are gonna go after Brown!!!!
I’m a Pats fan but I’m realistic, Steelers won’t trade a top 5 wide receiver to them. I’d be hyped if they did!
Don’t rule out the Patriots!!!
Repeating yourself 3x doesn’t make it any more realistic. Like theTruth said, they would never trade him to their biggest competition in the Conference. They will be sending him to the NFC if they even elect to move him.
I would trade him to the Bengals…. he hates the Bengals. Or somewhere with no QB
I’m thinking Bengals
That would be scary. There is no secondary in the league that could contain Brown and Green
And no qb that can throw to them
Hey Cuban, that’s what the trade value is…Dumbest thing you ever read? Maybe you should learn how to read. They have schools for that!
Sorry but you’re wildly wrong
You think the trade value is the jets give up a 1st, and get not only brown but a 1st and 2nd as well. You sir, are an absolute imbecile, no school that you speak of can help you. Good day.
He’s going to 49ers
{gif of a dumpster engulfed in flames}
I’m thinking more along the lines of the dog in flames saying “this is fine”
To Packers for Saints 1st round pick they have. AB and DaVante best WR duo in the league.
would have to be for GB 1st..Steelers arent gonna want pick #32
Dumb trade. Brown would bristle sharing things with Adams.
Packers late first rounder and maybe a fourth and call it good. Steelers lose leverage when the player is disgruntled and they’re the ones desperate to trade him.
I’m not trading AB for anything less than a top 5 pick or multiple high picks period.
1. AB & pick #20 to San Fran for the 2nd pick & their 2nd or 3rd round pick
2. SB & pick #20 to Jets for the 3rd pick & a 3rd rounder
3. AB to Buffalo for the 9th pick
4. AB to GB for one of their picks
5. AB & #20 to Raiders for pick #4 & a 2nd rounder
Don’t really see the Raiders but everything I read says they would want him but that’s the scenarios I see that could work
I don’t think AB nets you a top 15 pick. I just don’t think anyone up there is ready to compete like that and willing to give up top draft capital. I get he’s a stud, but I think you’re playing in the bottom half of the first round if you get a first rounder given the feeling that the Steelers have to trade him.
I wouldn’t trade him out of principle. I wouldn’t work him you will play your contract out keep your mouth shut and respect the coach or you will be suspended without pay until you do, even if that means he sits the rest of hismcontract
You can’t be suspended without pay for that kind if conduct. And why deal with it when you can get something of value in return.
If they trade Brown why do the Steelers take the big cap hit? Shouldn’t the team that acquires him to do so?
The fact that you wrote that for everyone else to see is HILARIOUS! LMAO
You can win 12 or 13 games, pound teams, go to the playoffs and this prima Donna will still pout. He can’t help himself
Put him around some quality players in your locker room and allow him to hold court and now you have a toxic problem
The guy is talented. Like Hines and Heath, he’s made Roethlisberger look a helluva lot better than he is. But clearly, Tomlin has some attitude problems he needs to ship out, as team has been replaced by me-first guys
I’d burn it down and start all over without the Bells, Browns and others before going through this BS again
Ship him to Arizona and get Peterson and a 1st rounder
I wish that proposal was on the table
I would take Peterson alone for him & be happy
This is crazy… not only would Peterson something the Cards would do, Arizona is the 1 pick… do they have a second first rounder.
I don’t see it guys. Brown turns 31 in July and there are plenty of miles on his wheels. At this age most guys begin breaking down physically and the speed starts to go. Maybe he can milk a few seasons as a slot receiver but do you want to give up high picks and pay his salary for a diminishing player? Maybe a late second rounder to a playoff team or a third round pick but I don’t see teams flipping first round picks for a 31 year old guy who relies on speed and is coming off a situation where he basically quit on his team. I understand he is a hall of famer and a favorite of fantasy players but I just don’t see teams exchanging or giving up high picks for a me first guy heading into the back end of his career. Sorry Steeler fans. You deserved better than the way Brown and Bell gave up on the team. At least you have Schuster and Connor going forward.
I doubt they’d pull the trigger but with the Jaguars about to lose fournette after the whole debacle with his whole $7 million signing bonus getting freed up, they could have the money. They clearly need a #1 receiver they havent had since jimmy smith.
Detroit seems to always mess up the draft. Might as well send him there. Remember all those years in a row they kept taking a WR? Pair him up with Golladay and Jones. Oh wait, Stafford is the QB and the OL can’t protect him. The Lions have way too many holes to fill.