Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown is widely considered the greatest receiver in the NFL today. The six-time Pro Bowler may be looking for a different home this offseason, after having multiple heated instances with the players and staff. Brown has had 1,000 yards in each of his last six seasons, including 2017, when he only played fourteen games. The Steelers have not let teams know if they will trade Brown, but there are speculations that they are leaning that direction. Here are the five teams that will most likely be on the other side of those phone calls, and what they could offer for the 30-year-old.
New York Jets
The Jets have not made the playoffs since 2010. The fan base is in desperate need of some success soon, and this deal could be on that gets it done. Not having a playmaker on the offensive side of the ball over the past decade has been exhausting for fans to watch. If the Jets are able to bring in Brown, it would take a lot off the shoulders of young quarterback Sam Darnold. They have not had a 1,000 yard receiver since 2015, when Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker both did it. Both left the team that offseason. Brown would be the go to guy for the Jets offense, and pairing him with the young duo of Robby Anderson and Quincy Enunwa would benefit all three receivers.
Trade: Jets: 2019 1st Round Pick, 2020 2nd Round Pick, and Cornerback Buster Skrine; Steelers: Wide Receiver Antonio Brown, 2020 2nd Round Pick.
Why this trade? The Jets will have a huge amount of money to play with this offseason. With Leonard Williams expected to get a favorable raise from the 12.5 million he got last year, they will still have close to 100 million dollars to work with. The Jets showed us last season that they would make big time trades to get the guy they want on the team. Pittsburgh had a top ten pass defense last year, but only managed to grab eight interceptions on the year. Buster Skrine performed well in 2018, starting eleven games with the Jets. He could have a breakout season in Mike Tomlin’s zone blitz defense, and is only due 6.5 million dollars in 2019.
Las Vegas Raiders
Jon Gruden made headlines all year in 2018 by trading Amari Cooper to the Cowboys, and All-Pro linebacker Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears. He has three picks in this years first round, including the fourth overall pick. Gruden will have to show the fan base that he was not crazy letting go of Mack and Cooper in the same season. Derek Carr had a down year last season and could very well be traded. I get the feeling that he does not believe in Gruden’s process and will want to find a new home in 2019. The fan base does not seem to think Gruden knows what he is doing. Little can be said about how well the Raiders finished last season. With the move to Las Vegas in 2019, they will look for a new start.
Trade: Raiders: Quarterback Derek Carr, 2019 1st round pick (27th); Steelers: Wide Receiver Antonio Brown
Why this trade? This could be a franchise-saving trade for the Steelers. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has toyed with the idea of retirement the past two off seasons, but preferred to stay in the league. With him leaving town soon, the Steelers will need to grab a good quarterback for Roethlisberger to pass the torch to. Derek Carr could very well be that guy. The Steelers had a great offensive line last season, and it would help Carr knowing that he will not be on his back several times a game. The Raiders are looking for a game changer on the offensive side of the ball. If the trade does happen, Oakland could use the fourth overall pick in the draft to try to find the next franchise quarterback.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals will have the first overall pick in the NFL Draft after a disappointing 3-13 season. Larry Fitzgerald could retire in the offseason. The offensive line is absolutely awful and inexperienced. Josh Rosen was not able to live up to his full potential last season. The offense ranked last in practically every statistical category last season, and they will try to find a playmaker on the offensive side of the ball. While running back David Johnson has looked impressive at times, he was out all last season with a dislocated wrist. He has had injuries to his wrist, knee, and hamstring while in the NFL.
Trade: Cardinals: 2019 1st round pick (1st overall), Running Back David Johnson, 2019 4th round pick (97th overall); Steelers: Wide Receiver Antonio Brown, 2019 1st round pick (20th overall)
Why this trade? The Cardinals made headlines by hiring Kliff Kingsbury as the new head coach a few days ago. Kingsbury coached at Texas Tech, where he loved to throw the football more than anyone else. He will have to get a standout receiver to make the passing system work with Josh Rosen. Since Kingsbury has shown that he does not have much interest in running the ball, it would make sense to get rid of a stud running back, and use it to bring in a great receiver. The Steelers could have a lot of interest in Johnson, as James Conner missed some time last season with an ankle injury. The Steelers could use both running backs to their full potential next season if they play together.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills became the laughingstock of the NFL early last season, but proved to be a decent team. Josh Allen showed flashes of success last season, and will look to have an even better 2019 season. After throwing twenty-three interceptions last season, Allen will need some playmakers on the offensive side of the ball to help. Especially receivers. Wide receiver Zay Jones led all Bills receivers with 53 catches last season. Brown has had at least sixty-nine receptions in every year, aside from his rookie season. The Bills will also look to replace running back LeSean McCoy. The veteran has been in the league for ten years, and only rushed for over one hundred yards once last season.
Trade: Bills; Safety Jordan Pryor, 2020 1st Round Pick; Steelers: Antonio Brown
Why this trade? The Bills desperately need something going on the offensive side of the ball. They will most likely move on from Lesean McCoy this offseason, meaning that they will need to throw the ball more. Allen needs a go to guy when he is under pressure, and Antonio Brown can get open better than anyone in the league. The Steelers will need to try to pick up a defensive playmaker this offseason, as turnovers were a big problem for the defense last season. Pryor had four interceptions last season, and racked up a hundred tackles. He did well at avoiding big plays, something that the Steelers also lacked last season. To save Allens career, Buffalo will need to pick up a stud receiver, and Antonio Brown just could be that guy.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have been unpredictable over the past three seasons. They look like they could be the best team in the NFL at times. Other times they look like a varsity high football team. They have seen star after star leave town, and the fan base wants a new face of the franchise. The Dolphins fired head coach Adam Gase after the season, and has not replaced him yet. There have been names thrown around, but nothing is official yet. Whoever it may be, they would be making a huge move by acquiring Brown. The receiving core in Miami was plagued by injuries last season, with Kenny Stills underperforming and DeVante Parker missing significant time. Brown could be exactly what the offense needs to start the 2019 season hopeful.
Trade: Dolphins: Quarterback Ryan Tannehill, 2019 2nd Round Pick (48th overall) ; Steelers: Antonio Brown
Why this trade? The Dolphins staff and fan base seem to be ready to move on from Ryan Tannehill. While he started his career looking sharp, he has been plagued with injuries. He is a high risk high reward player. Tannehill could flourish in Pittsburgh with the receiving core they have. As mentioned before in the article, Ben Roethlisberger could retire this offseason, meaning that Pittsburgh will need to get a quarterback. Steelers backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs has not looked ready to take over the starting job after Roethlisberger leaves. 11 million a year for Ryan Tannehill might be an expensive backup, but the Steelers will take a major fall if they do not address their quarterback problem soon.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.