As soon as Antonio Brown hit the trade market, we knew there would be plenty of interest from clubs looking to bring major star power to their offence. Now, as the picture begins to get a little clearer as to where the wide receiver will suit up next season, three teams have reportedly emerged as the front-runners for his services.
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, the Oakland Raiders, Washington Redskins and Tennessee Titans have “shown the most interest” in trading for Brown. Per Schefter, other teams have also spoken with the Steelers.
Brown, 30, is undoubtedly one of the best receivers in the league today. He’s coming off his sixth straight 100-reception season — an NFL record — and led the league in receiving yards just one season ago.
The relationship between Brown and the Steelers has quickly soured, however. The long saga between him and the team — one that began to unravel with a season finale benching followed by social media rants amidst rumours of a trade request — reached its pinnacle with a meeting between the player and team owner Art Rooney II, after which Brown said it was determined that a trade would be best for all involved.
It’s unclear what the Steelers will be able to get in exchange for Brown, but Schefter indicated that the team’s ask is a first-round pick — downgraded from the initial price of a first-rounder plus further compensation.
General manager Kevin Colbert told reporters earlier this week that he’d prefer not to trade Brown within the division.
“Ideally, you’d want to trade him to somebody you’ll never play but that can’t happen because if you’re good enough to get to the Super Bowl you’ll have to play him anyway,” Colbert said, via The Associated Press. “The less you would play him the better. But if a team you play twice a year comes through with the best compensation, you have to weigh that into the discussions. We haven’t ruled out anybody.”
[relatedlinks]
