Antonio Brown - Pro Football Rumors

AFC North Notes: Brown, Steelers, Ravens, Tyrod Taylor, Bengals, Dalton, Browns

January 25th, 2019 at 5:10pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

As we await a resolution to the ongoing Antonio Brown saga with the Steelers, we have a new interesting piece today. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com conducted interviews with “nearly 20 former or current teammates of Brown”, to help figure out what went wrong between Brown and the team. While most that Fowler spoke with seem to acknowledge he’s unlikely to return to Pittsburgh, many spoke up in favor of Brown and said he’s being cast in an unfair light by the media.

Fowler writes that Brown “was — and in many ways still is — beloved in the Steelers’ locker room”, and that the situation is more complex and nuanced than it may appear. Many of Brown’s teammates have publicly lobbied for him to stay, and if the recent rumor is true that the Steelers aren’t getting the kind of trade offers they were hoping for, perhaps they do find a way to make it work after all. For what it’s worth, Steelers owner Art Rooney did adopt a slightly more conciliatory tone in his most recent statements to the press.

Here’s more from the AFC North:

Last week a reporter mentioned Tyrod Taylor as a possible target of the Ravens to be Lamar Jackson‘s backup next season, and Baltimore coach John Harbaugh added some fuel to that fire. Harbaugh said today that he’d like to add two quarterbacks behind Jackson this offseason, ideally with a similar playing style, and the recently extended coach brought up Robert Griffin III and Taylor on his own, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (Twitter link). Griffin served as the number three this past year, and said recently he loved his time in Baltimore, so it seems likely he’ll be re-signed.
The Bengals are riding with Andy Dalton, for now. Cincinnati’s director of player personnel Duke Tobin spoke recently to reporters and while he expressed some confidence in Dalton, he also left the door open for the team to draft a future replacement, according to Fletcher Page of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Dalton has been in that gray area second tier of quarterbacks for a while now, and it’s been speculated that the Bengals could look to move on this offseason with Marvin Lewis finally out the door. Presumptive coach Zac Taylor can’t even join the team until his Rams play in the Super Bowl, and he’ll obviously have a large say in determining Dalton’s fate. Dalton seems safe for 2019, but as Page notes, the team can get out from his contract with no dead money at any time.
If you haven’t already read Seth Wickersham of ESPN.com‘s piece on the Browns, you need to now. Wickersham details a shocking level of dysfunction within the organization over the past handful of years since Jimmy Haslam bought the team, and it includes some bombshell details. Among other things, Haslam overruled the entire front office who wanted to hire current Bills coach Sean McDermott in favor of hiring Hue Jackson, and insisted the team take Johnny Manziel over Teddy Bridgewater in the 2014 draft because he didn’t like Bridgewater’s handshake. The article does leave off on a hopeful note, as new GM John Dorsey has been able to ward off most of Haslam’s meddling and cut him out of things, but it will be very interesting to see if Haslam again inserts himself into the process in the crucial coming months.

Latest On Steelers, Antonio Brown

January 24th, 2019 at 9:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Steelers owner Art Rooney II hasn’t been shy while opining on the status of disgruntled wideout Antonio Brown, first noting it’s “hard to envision” Brown being with the team in training camp before admitting there are “not that many signs out there that” Brown is going to offer any sort of apology for his Week 17 meltdown. But Rooney used a slightly softer tone when discussing Brown this week, as Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune writes.

“There are a lot of factors we have to take into account on it,” Rooney said. “We’d have to sit down with Antonio and understand where he is and make sure he understands where we are. There is some work to do before we figure that out.”

If Brown is cut or traded before June 1, the Steelers will incur more than $21MM in dead money on their salary cap and gain just over $1MM in new space. If he’s designated as a post-June 1 cut or traded after that date, Pittsburgh will take on roughly $7MM in dead money in 2019 and ~$14MM in 2020.

As Rutter notes, Brown is due a $2.5MM roster bonus on March 17, so the Steelers would likely trade him before paying out that total. Trades can’t be officially processed until the new league year begins on March 13, but agreements can be in place before then.

Latest On Steelers WR Antonio Brown

January 16th, 2019 at 5:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Steelers owner Art Rooney II made news last week when he admitted it’s “hard to envision” wide receiver Antonio Brown being with the team in training camp following his late-season meltdown, and today Rooney elaborated on Brown and his status with Pittsburgh.

The Steelers have yet to engage in any trade discussions for Brown, Rooney said (Twitter link via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette). So far, both the Broncos and 49ers have been mentioned as possible contenders to acquire Brown, but no negotiations have taken place. Trade talks — if they do occur — are more likely to go down near the start of the new league year in March.

Brown isn’t necessarily a goner from the Steelers’ roster, as Rooney says he’s keeping all doors open, per Bouchette. However, there are “not that many signs out there that” Brown is going to offer any sort of apology. Rooney admitted he’s not exactly sure what caused Brown to sit out the Steelers’ final game of the season. “I’m very disappointed in where we are and what happened and don’t have a lot of good explanations for it,” said Rooney, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

If Brown is cut or traded before June 1, the Steelers will incur more than $21MM in dead money on their salary cap and gain just over $1MM in new space. If he’s designated as a post-June 1 cut or traded after that date, Pittsburgh will take on roughly $7MM in dead money in 2019 and ~$14MM in 2020.

49ers Interested In Antonio Brown?

January 15th, 2019 at 8:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers and Antonio Brown became connected recently after Jerry Rice said in a radio interview Brown wants a trade to San Francisco “really bad.”

Perhaps the team is interested as well. Some in league circles believe the 49ers have “real interest” in acquiring Brown, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, adding that the team will be inclined to explore what it will take to land the disgruntled Steelers wide receiver.

An NFL.com report over the weekend mentioned the Broncos as a possible Brown suitor and pegged the Steelers as ready to contact teams about moving the four-time All-Pro, noting it might not take a first-round pick to pry him from Pittsburgh.

The 49ers’ position behind the Rams and Seahawks in the NFC West, with John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan entering their third offseasons running this team, may point to the franchise being eager to do what it can to catch up quickly. San Francisco is expected to have Jimmy Garoppolo and Jerick McKinnon back in 2019 to pair with George Kittle. But the 49ers, employment of Marquise Goodwin and Dante Pettis notwithstanding, lack an impact wideout. They did not chase big-ticket free agent receivers in 2018, opting to let others pay Sammy Watkins and Allen Robinson, but Brown is obviously on another tier by comparison.

Brown has three years and $39MM remaining on his contract. As has been the case throughout the Lynch-Shanahan era, the 49ers among the league leaders in projected cap space. They are expected to hold more than $62MM. Art Rooney II pointed to a bleak future for the Steelers and Brown, indicating it was hard to envision the soon-to-be 31-year-old superstar in Pittsburgh next season after the way this past one ended.

Broncos An Antonio Brown Suitor?

January 12th, 2019 at 4:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Antonio Brown news cycle continues, with this week bringing an update from Art Rooney II. The Steelers owner pointing to the All-Pro wide receiver having potentially worn out his welcome has ignited trade rumors.

An interesting team has emerged on that front. The Broncos are a team to keep an eye on as a Brown suitor, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). While mentioning cap-rich teams like the Colts, Jets and 49ers as potential Brown buyers, Rapoport notes the Broncos may be “plotting a run” at the superstar wideout.

Teams eyeing Brown may not have to fork over an Amari Cooper price, either. Rival GMs expect a second-round pick and possibly some additional compensation being enough to get a deal done, RapSheet adds. Brown’s four-year, $68MM deal, and perhaps the way his 2018 season ended, may well give teams caution despite his obvious superiority to Cooper as a player. The Steelers may well approach teams in trade talks, per Rapoport.

By the end of the regular season, the Broncos were reeling at receiver. They traded Demaryius Thomas and saw Emmanuel Sanders go down with a season-ending Achilles injury. But they do have Sanders’ contract on their books for one more season.

Sanders and Brown were both 2010 Pittsburgh rookies and played together until 2013. Sanders has been an essential part of Denver’s past five passing attacks and was on pace for another 1,000-yard season prior to going down. Sanders, 32 in March, is a year older than Brown (31 in July). He does not expect his former teammate to be a Steeler next season (Twitter link). But with Sanders set to make a non-guaranteed $10.15MM in 2019 and Brown tethered to a wideout-record deal ($22MM-plus ’19 cap number), Brown-to-Denver is a curious fit. Unless the Broncos are planning to replace Sanders with Brown.

The Broncos do have rookie contracts comprising the rest of their receiving corps and stand to hold more than $45MM in cap space, with some possible cap-casualty contracts — like Brandon Marshall or Ronald Leary — on their books. But reuniting the former Steelers teammates would tag the Broncos’ payroll with a historic cost at this position, even if it would mean a far more potent passing attack than what recent Denver teams have possessed.

Latest On Antonio Brown, Steelers

January 11th, 2019 at 8:16pm CST by Micah Powell

On Friday, Antonio Brown, through his rep, declined to comment on prospective trade talks. However, the receiver is reportedly open to either being traded or returning to the Steelers in 2019, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets.

According to Fowler, the perennial Pro Bowl pick is “open/eager” to prove he can thrive in any offense, but is fine with returning to Pittsburgh “if things shake out that way.” This comes a day after Steelers president Art Rooney II said it would be “hard to envision” Brown with the team next season.

This has all spiraled out of control fast since Brown’s blowup leading up to Week 17, which led head coach Mike Tomlin to bench him for a pivotal game against Cincinnati. Shortly thereafter, it was reported the star receiver was requesting a trade.

Thanks to the $19MM signing bonus he received in his four-year, $68MM extension and the $12.96MM restructuring bonus he later secured, cutting or trading Brown would result in a $21.12MM cap charge in 2019.

While it could be difficult to deal the wideout financially, the Steelers seem willing to explore trading Brown. Despite the hefty price tag, Brown is sure to find suitors looking to get its hands on the most consistent receiver from the last five years.

Latest On Steelers, Antonio Brown

January 10th, 2019 at 3:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Antonio Brown is unhappy with Steelers brass and coach Mike Tomlin, but the assumption so far has been that the Steelers would not trade the wide receiver. Apparently, things have changed. In an interview with Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette, Steelers president Art Rooney II said it would be “hard to envision” Brown being with the Steelers in training camp this summer.

“There’s not much we can do right now; we have time to make a decision,” Rooney said. “We’ll look at all the options. We’re not going to release him, that’s not on the table. But I will say all other options are on the table.”

With that, it appears that one of the game’s most dangerous offensive weapons could be on the market. It’s likely that every team will have interest in adding Brown, but the cost figures to be sky high. Not only is Brown a superstar player, but trading him would also leave the Steelers saddled with an astronomical cap hit. Even though dissatisfied players are often traded for pennies on the dollar, a Brown trade could call for the forfeiture of two first-round picks, and possibly more.

Even though Rooney is leaving the door open to a possible trade, he’s not slamming the door on a potential reconciliation either.

“I’m not going to use those words. All options are on the table. We have two months to go before we can do anything. There’s no sense making the decision now,” Rooney said. “We’ll see how things play out. Maybe he decides to come talk to us some day and we learn more about where he is. We’ll see.”

Steelers Expected To Trade Antonio Brown By March?

January 6th, 2019 at 10:36am CST by Rory Parks

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.

Steelers Will Consider Trade Offers For WR Antonio Brown

January 5th, 2019 at 8:56am CST by Ben Levine

While there are some clear financial hurdles to overcome, the Steelers will be listening to offers for Antonio Brown this offseason. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports that the organization is “expected to consider trade requests” for their star wide receiver prior to the start of free agency.

As our own Zach Links previously detailed, the Steelers may be a bit wary of trading or cutting Brown due to the impending financial implications. Thanks in part to the $19MM signing bonus he received in his four-year, $68MM extension and the $12.96MM restructuring bonus he later secured, cutting or trading Brown would result in a $21.12MM cap charge for 2019.

However, as Rapoport points out, the Steelers could see some slight savings if they trade Brown prior to the third day of the league year. The receiver is due a $2.5MM roster bonus on that date, and trading Brown would save the team $1MM in cap savings. Furthermore, the team would also see around $15MM in “cash savings.”

Of course, the Steelers aren’t simply looking to give Brown away. Rapoport writes that several team executives believe the asking price is a first-round pick, while others believe it’d take “multiple high picks” in order to pry him away from Pittsburgh. On the flip side, other source told Rapoport that they wouldn’t be surprised if the organization somehow remedies the situation, leading to the receiver sticking with the Steelers in 2019.

Following his curious behavior leading up to a crucial Week 17, there have been conflicting reports about whether Brown requested a trade out of Pittsburgh. If the 30-year-old is indeed on his way out, the Steelers surely won’t be lacking for suitors. While it was a “down year” by his standards, Brown still finished the campaign with 104 receptions for 1,297 yards and a league-leading 15 touchdown receptions.

Latest On Antonio Brown, Steelers

January 4th, 2019 at 3:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Antonio Brown‘s Week 17 blowup at practice may have been triggered by JuJu Smith-Schuster being voted as the team MVP by Steelers players, Albert Breer of The MMQB hears. The ugly blowup has led to conflicting reports on whether Brown wants to be traded and has teammates questioning his commitment to the organization.

Whether Brown wants out or not may be immaterial. The Steelers, by all accounts, do not want to trade their star wide receiver, and moving on from him would be an expensive proposition.

Thanks to the $19MM signing bonus he received in his four-year, $68MM extension and the $12.96MM restructuring bonus he later secured, cutting or trading Brown would result in a $21.12MM cap charge in 2019. In theory, a rival club could blow the Steelers away with an offer, but it would set a bad precedent for the team and they would still be facing a future without one of the NFL’s most deadly weapons.

Brown’s 2018 stats were not as gaudy as they were in past years, but the attention paid to him clearly benefitted Smith-Schuster. The youngster took a huge step forward this past season as he averaged 89.1 yards per contest and reeled in 1,426 yards in total. His 1,400+ yards topped Brown’s total (1,297), making it the first time Brown has not led the Steelers in receiving since 2012.