Getty Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown
The Pittsburgh Steelers are leaving the phone lines open when it comes to a potential Antonio Brown trade. But whoever calls should be prepared to make a lucrative offer for the All-Pro wide receiver. Although it seems to be a foregone conclusion that Brown will be traded prior to the 2019 NFL season, the Steelers have put their foot down about any potential deal.
At the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert made it known that the team will not move their star unless the compensation is fair. And as The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly reported, he doesn’t care if people believe it or not, because the team is seeking “significant compensation.”
Kevin Colbert doubled and tripled down on not trading Antonio Brown unless there is fair compensation. Then I asked if teams believe that considering the situation: “People can or cannot believe us but that is our stance. We need significant compensation for this to happen.”
Beyond that, Colbert expanded to explain that there are now more potential suitors than the original number which came to light.
Steelers Willing to Trade Antonio Brown Within Division?
It’s apparent that Pittsburgh had little interest in a deal which would leave the talented wideout in the AFC North, but it seems the door may now be open for that. Colbert didn’t specifically state that they’d move him in the division, but as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport detailed, he made it known that the Steelers will weigh all offers.
“Interest has grown.” — #Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, on a possible Antonio Brown trade. “Ideally you’ll like to trade him to someone you’d never play. But if a team comes through with the best compensation you have to weigh that.”
Colbert’s comments on the interest growing around a trade stem from what he stated this past week. As NFL.com’s Adam Maya reported, there were three teams originally who had asked about Brown. That number was rumored to have moved up to five shortly after, and it seems that it’s increased even more at this point.
“We’ve had, I’d say, three teams that have touched base with us and we’ll see how that grows,” Colbert said Friday on Up To the Minute Live. “I think that’ll unfold over these next few weeks as teams get better perspective of what else there is available to them.”
Potential Trade Destinations for Antonio Brown
This is the million-dollar question right now, but with the market expanding, there seems to be a number of options. The San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals both immediately come to mind, along with the Oakland Raiders. All three teams have a major need at wide receiver and should have little issue affording the talented pass-catcher.
Beyond that, the Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins and New York Jets can’t be ignored as options due to a lack of clear-cut No. 1 wideouts at this point. One interesting topic will be whether the New England Patriots jump into the mix, and if so, how strong their offer would have to be for Pittsburgh to consider it.
At this point, it still seems very unlikely that the Steelers consider moving Brown to the rival Patriots, but I guess anything can’t be completely taken off the table yet.
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