Antonio Brown

Fallout From Antonio Brown Trade

March 10th, 2019 at 8:57am CST by Rory Parks

Now that the Raiders have agreed to acquire Antonio Brown from the Steelers, you can be sure that more news about the deal (and the deals that were discussed, but never came to be), will be trickling in. We will monitor the AB fallout here throughout the course of the day, as the football world continues to process the conclusion of the biggest storyline of the offseason:

The Eagles did discuss Brown with the Steelers, but as ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets, those talks never got serious. Instead, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh were simply doing their due diligence.
Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com suggests it was the new contract that Brown was demanding, rather than the draft picks, that scared the Eagles away (Twitter link).
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter) agrees with Shorr-Parks’ theory, saying that plenty of teams were willing to give up the third- and fifth-round picks that ultimately got the job done, but the Raiders were the only team that was willing to tear up Brown’s existing contract and give him a new one.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that the Bills were willing to swap 2019 first-round picks with the Steelers (No. 9 for No. 20) and trade away two mid-round picks, but it was Brown’s contract demands that proved to be the undoing of that potential deal.
La Canfora adds in a separate tweet that the Redskins were still engaged with the Steelers after the Bills deal fell through earlier in the week, but it is unclear how serious the Pittsburgh-Washington talks became.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com concedes that the Raiders easily got the better of the Steelers in this trade, but he reviews what Pittsburgh’s options were, and none of them were good (Twitter link). The Steelers could have cut Brown and received no trade compensation — which also would have allowed Brown to sign with any team he wanted, including a major conference rival — or they could have kept him, fined him when he didn’t report to camp, and hoped that he wouldn’t retire because he would have had to pay back $11MM if he did so.
Fowler also passes along a couple of Raiders-related notes in a separate tweet. A source close to Brown said the wideout was excited about joining the Raiders in part because of the presence of head coach Jon Gruden and quarterback Derek Carr. Brown is also intrigued by the Raiders’ collection of high draft picks and young talent, and Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther — who had to devise many a game plan for Brown when he was the Bengals’ DC — strongly endorsed Brown’s game.
Plenty of people have been wondering why the Steelers didn’t demand one of the Raiders‘ three first-round draft picks before agreeing to deal Brown to Oakland, and NFL Insider Adam Caplan says the Raiders simply refused to do so (Twitter link). Although the Raiders would of course have preferred to give up one draft choice instead of two, the club was adamant about holding onto its three first-rounders and one second-rounder.
Although the Steelers‘ $21.12MM cap hit that they will have to absorb for Brown in 2019 is a killer, the trade does save the club $15MM in cash that can now be spent on other players, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes.
Brown’s contract with the Raiders has set a new benchmark for players like Julio Jones, Tyreek Hill, and Michael Thomas, who will all cash in shortly.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com takes an excellent in-depth look at the saga and what it means for both teams.

Steelers To Trade Antonio Brown To Raiders

March 10th, 2019 at 7:59am CST by Rory Parks

Hallelujah, the great storm is over. The Steelers have agreed to trade Antonio Brown to the Raiders in exchange for a third- and fifth-round pick in this year’s draft, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). The news has since been confirmed by other major outlets, but Brown himself was (fittingly) the first to break the story, having posted a Photoshopped picture of himself in a Raiders uniform and a picture of himself and Oakland QB Derek Carr at the Pro Bowl (via Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area on Twitter).

RapSheet also tweets that Brown will get a new deal from the Raiders, which does not add any more time onto the three years he had remaining on his contract with the Steelers, but does make him the highest-paid receiver in the game from an AAV standpoint. Brown’s new pact with Oakland will pay him $50.125MM over the next three seasons, plus $4MM in incentives, for an AAV of $19.8MM. Plus, Brown gets $30.125MM in guarantees, and his contract with Pittsburgh had no guaranteed money left.

New Raiders GM Mike Mayock appears to have come out quite well in his first trade as the (figure)head of the Oakland front office, and the Steelers’ return has been universally panned. But as Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette observes (via Twitter), and as we have expected for some time, Brown’s erratic behavior and demand for a new contract torpedoed the Steelers’ bargaining position. Also, the fact that Pittsburgh was willing to accept such a low return suggests that the club was never going to bring Brown back and that it was more concerned about ridding itself of Brown’s antics, as Dulac tweets.

The Raiders played the long game, per Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter). The Raiders have long coveted Brown but believed they were out of the running for him as of Wednesday. However, they did not get desperate and try to up their offer, and in the end they got their man for their price. And the fact that they did not have to add any years onto Brown’s deal to convince him to sign off on the trade makes it even more of a coup.

So the Raiders get a dynamic wideout to assist in their rebuild and their transition to Las Vegas in 2020, but what about the Steelers? The trade adds some legitimacy to the speculation that the team is trying to appease quarterback Ben Roethlisberger at all costs — perhaps to stop him from retiring — and that the relationship between Brown and Big Ben had become truly untenable. Of course, the club has an excellent track record of finding top-tier receiver talent all over the draft, and they now add a second third-round choice to their 2019 draft capital along with a fifth-rounder to replace the one they sent to Oakland last season to acquire Ryan Switzer.

However, the trade is devastating from a salary cap perspective. As ESPN’s Field Yates tweets, Brown will now count for more against the Steelers’ cap in 2019 ($21.12MM) than any other WR will count for his own team. It is a tough pill to swallow, but as with every transaction of this magnitude, the passage of time may ultimately change everyone’s perspective.

AFC Notes: Brown, Steelers, Chargers

March 9th, 2019 at 9:47pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

It’s been more than a full day since the report that a deal was “close” to being done for Antonio Brown, but the Steelers haven’t moved yet. We still don’t have any word yet on where he’s heading, and it’s become clear that part of the holdup with trade negotiations is the fact that Brown wants a pricey new contract wherever he goes. After Odell Beckham Jr. signed his record-breaking deal last year, Brown “took note of the new money hitting the receiver market” and wanted to get in on it, writes Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.

While Brown has apparently been plotting on how to get a new contract for a while, Fowler does caution that the “notion that Brown sought a trade and publicly criticized his team solely over a new deal is misguided.” In his article, which is worth a full read, Fowler breaks down how Brown is “working the system” to get a huge new deal while he still has three years left on his current one with the Steelers.

Here’s more from around the AFC with the start of free agency right around the corner:

Speaking of Brown’s contract, we have more clarity on what exactly he’s seeking. Yesterday we heard he was looking to become the highest paid receiver in the NFL, and now we have more on his demands. Brown wants between $18 and $20MM per year on any new deal, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports hears (Twitter link). That explains why things have been taking so long. Beckham got $18MM per year on his deal, and Brown will have a hard time getting more than that. Beckham was 25 when he signed his deal, and Brown is 30. If any team is going to pay him quarterback money, they’re not going to want to give the Steelers any compensation for the right to do it. If that’s really what Brown is holding out for, it might be a while before this is resolved.
Denzel Perryman and the Chargers agreed on a new two-year deal yesterday, and now we have the details. The inside linebacker will earn $12MM over the course of the two years, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Perryman, who was set to be an unrestricted free agent, has been a good run-stuffer for the Chargers when he’s been able to stay healthy. The 2015 second round pick out of Miami has missed 16 games over the past two years. If he can stay on the field next year, it’ll be a huge boost to Los Angeles’ talented defense.
In case you missed it, tight end Martellus Bennett could come out of retirement to join his brother with the Patriots.

Extra Points: Brown, Steelers, CBA, Draft, AAF

March 9th, 2019 at 6:15pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We heard yesterday that an Antonio Brown trade was “close” and that three teams were “still alive”, but over 24 hours later we still don’t have a deal. While we await an end to the saga, it’s worth examining why the Steelers are so willing to meet Brown’s demands and trade him, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Florio questions why the Steelers are seemingly “letting Brown dictate the terms of his employment,” and came up with a hypothesis based on his relationship with Ben Roethlisberger.

Brown has publicly gone after Roethlisberger in recent weeks, which could’ve solidified the Steelers’ resolve to ship him out. Florio theorizes that the feud between Brown and Roethlisberger isn’t just one-sided, and that Roethlisberger may be pushing for Brown to be gone behind the scenes. Florio thinks Roethlisberger may have given Pittsburgh’s management an ultimatum, and that could be why the team hasn’t tried to reconcile with Brown at all. It makes some sense, and if nothing else it’s an interesting theory.

Here’s more from around the league:

There’s been a lot of talk about a potential work stoppage when it comes time to negotiate the next CBA between the owners and the players’ union. There will be intense battles over things like contract guarantees, but one area the league plans to cede ground is on the substance abuse policy. The NFL is poised “to make major concessions regarding the substance-abuse policy, especially as it relates to marijuana,” according to Florio. Florio cautions that the details haven’t been ironed out yet, but the new CBA could completely get rid of any mention of Marijuana, making it permissible for everyone in the league.
There was a lot of talk about whether or not Kyler Murray made a bad impression in his combine interviews, but one player certainly did. Florida edge rusher Jachai Polite interviewed terrible, and his draft stock “is taking a massive tumble” as a result, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Polite had been projected by many as a first round pick, but that now appears to be in serious jeopardy. Polite also performed poorly in the athletic testing portion of the combine, and later claimed an injury was responsible.
The new startup football league, the AAF, has had a tumultuous start. There was a good amount of drama surrounding their finances after the first week, but things appear to have stabilized since then with a huge $250MM investment coming from NHL owner Tom Dundon. Now Bill Polian, the Hall of Fame former Colts GM and one of the founders of the AAF, is hopeful about a potential partnership with the NFL. Polian said in a recent conference call with reporters that talk about a formal partnership with the league “is ramping up” behind the scenes, according to Tom Krasovic of The San Diego Union Tribune. “Our hope would be that that would happen as quickly as it possibly can,” Polian added.

NFC East Notes: Giants, Cowboys, Brown

March 9th, 2019 at 2:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Landon Collins and Olivier Vernon out of the picture, the Giants‘ defense has plenty of needs. Second-year GM Dave Gettleman has also jettisoned Jason Pierre-Paul, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Eli Apple and Damon Harrison from the team since taking over. Collins’ reputation as a box safety, albeit one of the best in the NFL, looks to have played into the Giants’ reasoning for refusing to use an $11MM-plus franchise tag on him, with Ralph Vacchiano of SNY noting the team did not always believe the All-Pro defender was an adequate cover man. Gettleman considered the contracts handed out to both Pierre-Paul and Harrison as onerous, and Vacchiano adds neither Pro Bowl player was viewed as a plus locker room presence. That said, the Giants have one of the least talented defenses in the NFL, boasting deficiencies at nearly every spot going into free agency. It would seem that would be where Gettleman looks to improve in the next two months.

Here is more out of the Big Apple and the latest from the NFC East:

While the Giants already have two monster contracts on their offensive line now, having acquired Kevin Zeitler‘s $12MM-AAV deal, they are going to pursue a right tackle in free agency. Big Blue will “almost certainly” add a right tackle on the market, per Vacchiano, who adds former Gettleman draftee Daryl Williams may be a top target. Williams was a fourth-round Gettleman pick in 2015 but is coming off an injury-nullified season. The Giants tried to sign former Gettleman find Andrew Norwell last year, so Williams will be a name to monitor in the coming days.
Sean Lee‘s Cowboys restructure will slash his 2019 salary from $7MM to $3.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Although Lee has seen younger linebackers replace him as Dallas’ go-to second-level defenders, the Cowboys will keep the veteran around. One season remains on Lee’s contract.
If the Raiders are now the team to beat regarding Antonio Brown, the Eagles should not be completely discounted. Philadelphia is the other destination CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora is hearing in the Brown sweepstakes as of Saturday (Twitter link). The Eagles have been hard at work clearing cap space; they are north of $24MM now — before Michael Bennett‘s $6.2MM salary comes off their books. It would be interesting to see the team clear so much off its roster to add a player who has produced so much drama, but the Eagles have not been averse to splash moves in recent years.
Connected to a safety upgrade for many months, the Cowboys may opt to seek second-tier options at this position. Extensions for their homegrown standouts may price the Cowboys out of the high-end safeties on this year’s market, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. The Cowboys remain connected to Earl Thomas, and Richard Sherman said recently his former teammate would choose Dallas if the offers were equal. Another report confirmed no discount was coming. But they may well not end up being equal, complicating this long-rumored partnership. But plenty of safety help will be available next week.

Antonio Brown Would Welcome Raiders Trade

March 9th, 2019 at 8:41am CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders have continually been mentioned as a main suitor for Steelers wideout Antonio Brown, and it sounds like that interest may be mutual. Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes that Brown would “welcome the Raiders as a trade destination.”

Specifically, the wideout is intrigued by the team’s impending 2020 move to Las Vegas. Playing in an untapped market is one allure, and Brown would also avoid state income taxes in Nevada. The Raiders were previously mentioned as one of the three teams that have shown the most interest in the All-Pro wideout.

The one sticking point between the two sides regards a long-term deal; while Brown desires a new contract, the Raiders are wary of handing out big bucks to a 30-year-old wideout. As Gehlken writes, the team may decide to go with cheaper options at receiver, with the writer mentioning Tyrell Williams as a potential option.

On the flip side, the Raiders have the assets to trade for Brown (including three first-round picks), so they wouldn’t be taking a giant hit when it comes to draft capital. Plus, Brown would be a massive upgrade in an offense that lacks a dynamic playmaker. Brown finished last season with 104 receptions for 1,297 yards and 15 touchdowns. The Raiders’ leading receivers, tight end Jared Cook and wideout Jordy Nelson, combined for 131 receptions, 1,635 yards, and nine touchdowns.

We heard earlier this week that the Steelers were focused on completing a Brown trade by Friday, and it sounds like they were close to pulling off a deal. Early Friday morning, the Bills appeared to be on the cusp of acquiring Brown from the Steelers, but the deal was ultimately scuttled.

Extra Points: Brown, Bills, Steelers, Redskins, 49ers, Broncos

March 8th, 2019 at 8:33pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Antonio Brown era with the Bills didn’t last long. Shortly after it was reported that Brown was headed to Buffalo, the report turned out not to be true. It was acknowledged by all parties that there were talks between the Steelers and Bills but we didn’t know many details of what exactly happened, until now. Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News came out with a story that delved into what happened, and talks apparently broke down because of Brown’s contract. Bills brass was going back and forth with Brown’s agent Drew Rosenhaus, and “discussed a potential renegotiation of the receiver’s contract,” according to Carucci.

Carucci noted that the more new money the Bills gave Brown, the less compensation they were willing to give the Steelers in a trade and vice versa. Carucci shot down reports that Brown was mortally opposed to playing in Buffalo, writing that the Bills were confident that “if they met his financial demand and were able to make the trade, Brown would have happily joined them.” In the end, renegotiating Brown’s contract proved too difficult and is what ultimately led to the breakdown in talks.

Here’s more from around the league:

Speaking of Brown, the Bills weren’t the only team to withdraw over Brown’s contract. Another team pursuing Brown walked away because “it was communicated to them” that Brown wanted a new contract that would make him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL with any new team, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. It was previously thought that the Steelers’ demands for a first round pick might’ve been delaying this process, but it sounds like Brown’s contract is the biggest hurdle at the moment.
While Brown still hasn’t been traded, Case Keenum has. Keenum was dealt to the Redskins yesterday in a surprising trade, and fans weren’t the only ones caught off guard by the move. Keenum apparently didn’t know it was coming either, and neither he nor his camp were involved in finding Washington as a landing spot, according to Ryan O’Halloran of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Alex Smith is very likely to miss at least the entire 2019 season, and as of right now Keenum is likely to be the team’s starting quarterback next season.
49ers punter Bradley Pinion “has been telling those around him that he does not expect to be back” next year, Matt Barrows of The Athletic hears. Barrows points out that Pinion ranked 24th in net average and had 22 punts inside of the 20-yard line, putting him somewhere in the middle of the pack. He also handled kickoffs, so the Niners will have to find someone new to cover both roles assuming they move on. Pinion was a fifth round pick of San Francisco back in 2015, and is about to enter unrestricted free agency.
Broncos offensive tackle Billy Turner had been discussing an extension with the team, but those talks have “broken off”, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport writes that Turner will now hit the open market, and that the Broncos will now be a “prime” candidate to sign a right tackle in free agency. Turner started 11 games for the Broncos last season, earning average marks from Pro Football Focus.

Steelers Close On A Deal To Trade Antonio Brown, Three Teams ‘Still Alive’

March 8th, 2019 at 5:08pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Antonio Brown saga might be coming to an end soon, this time for real. The Steelers are “close to a deal to trade Antonio Brown,” a source told Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Unfortunately, Dulac doesn’t speculate the team that Brown will be heading to, so we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out the details. In fact, Dulac says three teams are “still alive” in the process. Dulac doesn’t specify which three teams are still in the running. Brown was reported to be on his way to the Bills late last night, but that turned out not to be true.

Reports first indicated the Steelers were viewing today as a deadline to trade Brown by, but that was then walked back. All of the recent reporting has been that the Steelers continue to demand a first round pick in trade talks, and it’ll be very interesting to see what they end up getting back.

The Raiders have been one of the teams consistently mentioned as being interested, and they have plenty of draft assets to make it happen. Many teams have publicly removed themselves from the running, and the Steelers have seemingly been left without many options.

Latest On Potential Antonio Brown Trade

March 8th, 2019 at 10:09am CST by Zachary Links

We know that Antonio Brown is not Buffalo-bound, but, beyond that, his situation remains murky. The Steelers still want a first-round pick for the wide receiver and “several teams” are waiting for the club to reduce its asking price before making an aggressive pursuit, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

The Steelers’ leverage was already weakened by Brown’s outspoken criticism of the team and his refusal to join the Bills further complicates matters. It’s hard to imagine clubs offering significant draft capital for the star player when they can’t be certain that he’ll show up for work.

Teams such as the Redskins, Raiders, and Titans were in on Brown earlier this month, but no longer appear to be in the chase. We can add the Packers to that list, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Demovsky hears the Packers have not had any conversations with the Steelers – despite their glaring need for receiver help – and won’t jump in now.

Bills, Steelers Won’t Complete Antonio Brown Trade

March 8th, 2019 at 8:27am CST by Zachary Links

Early Friday morning, the Bills appeared to be on the cusp of acquiring Antonio Brown from the Steelers. But, for one reason or another, the deal was scuttled.

“We inquired on Antonio Brown on Tuesday, and kept talks open with the Steelers. We had positive discussions, but ultimately it didn’t make sense for either side,” GM Brandon Beane said in a statement. “As great a player as Antonio Brown is, we have moved on and our focus is on free agency.”

Ultimately, the deal was 86’d because Brown made it clear that he did not want to go to Buffalo, Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter) hears. Now, there are “very few options left” for the Steelers/Brown, according to a source who spoke with Breer.

The Steelers hoped to move Brown by the end of the business day, but they may have to extend their timeline. At varying points, the Redskins, Raiders, and Titans were thought to be on the leaderboard, but their level of interest is unclear. Meanwhile, it’s a bit of a time sensitive matter for the Steelers – Brown is due a $2.5MM roster bonus on March 17, so they’re hoping to unload him before that date hits. They’d also probably like to trade Brown before the start of free agency in order to have a clearer picture of their own needs and finances.

The Brown sweepstakes will roll on for at least a little while longer and it could drag for months if Brown is intent on hand-picking his destination.

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