Getty Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown
If Oakland Raiders fans are hoping to see their team add a new weapon for quarterback Derek Carr and head coach Jon Gruden, the chatter is ramping up. When the talks of the Pittsburgh Steelers potentially trading Antonio Brown ramped up after his request, the Raiders made a lot of sense. And ahead of the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine, it seems the belief they’ll be involved is fairly widespread.
In the most recent post-combine writeup, DraftAnalyst.com’s Tony Pauline reported that there’s “strong speculation” that the Raiders will be in the mix as trade talks for Brown take shape.
Strong speculation is that the Oakland Raiders will be in the mix for Antonio Brown when talks on trading the receiver are narrowed down. The Raiders need a receiver — we had the team selecting D.K. Metcalf in our most recent mock draft — and they have a boatload of picks in April’s draft to use as ammunition.
The Raiders could be a great option for Brown, and as Pauline points out, they have the draft capital to be able to create an enticing offer for the Steelers. Even beyond that, Oakland has plenty of cap space to work with and have a major need at wide receiver after trading Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys during the 2018 season.
Raiders’ Salary Cap Situation Fits With Antonio Brown
Brown’s current contract has three years remaining and comes with cap hits of $22.165 million (2019), $18.34 million (2020) and $19.54 million (2021), per Spotrac. There’s chatter that the All-Pro wideout will want to add guaranteed money to his deal, and that could make for an interesting situation with any team who attempts to acquire him.
As far as the Raiders go, they have the No. 6 most salary cap space according to Spotrac, currently projected with just over $70.259 million. Considering wide receiver is arguably one of the biggest needs on the roster (among a few others), and the fact we know Gruden is more than willing to make a splash, this is a situation to monitor.
Teams Rumor in Mix for Antonio Brown Trade
In mid-February, Albert Breer of The MMQB spoke about the potential trade and cited a few teams who have been linked as potential trade candidates, per Sports Illustrated. Not surprisingly, the Raiders were listed, but two other teams were also believed to be options.
“Where he would potentially go, the teams I’ve heard – San Francisco [49ers], Washington [Redskins]. One I would just sort of keep an eye on here in the periphery would be the Oakland Raiders. Just because there’s a need for a number one receiver there, Jon Gruden has actually stated that we need a number one receiver.” Breer stated.
The coming months will be interesting, and trade talks will surely ramp up as the 2019 NFL Draft approaches. It would make sense for a deal to happen prior to the draft, especially if it’s with the Raiders and involves picks.