NEWSLETTER
It didn’t take long for things to warm up in the potential Antonio Brown sweepstakes:
#Steelers GM Kevin Colbert says three teams have reached out so far on a potential Antonio Brown trade. Won’t say what a team would need to offer for Brown, but emphasizes: “If it doesn’t benefit us, we won’t do it.” Full interview airing now on @nflnetwork
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 22, 2019
In an interview that aired on NFL Network, Pittsburgh Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said three teams have touched base with the team showing interest in star receiver Antonio Brown. It’s no surprise that multiple teams have expressed early interested in Brown, who is coming off a 104-catch and 1,297-yard season in which he led the NFL with 15 receiving touchdowns. Game-changing receivers don’t hit the market often, so striking while the iron is hot makes sense. And even though Colbert wouldn’t dive into which teams were interested or what the Steelers were looking for in return in a Brown trade, you can imagine the early asking price is significant.
Earlier in the week, Brown met with Steelers ownership and front office representatives, which agreed to try and trade the stud receiver. And while things are tight on the cap front, the Bears have been viewed as one of the teams who could be a landing spot for Brown. With that in mind, we’ll continue keep a close eye on relevant Brown-related rumors.
But only three teams have shown interest? Does that mean 28 other teams are going to pass on even considering trading for Brown? Come on, now. That seems a bit off. Shouldn’t 31 teams conceivably be dialing up Pittsburgh’s GM and inquiring about the asking price for a star receiver? Maybe teams don’t think Brown (who turns 31 on July 10) will age well or believe he won’t be as productive in his 30s without Ben Roethlisberger throwing him passes as he was in his 20s while playing in a potent offense. Perhaps there are teams that are worried about why Brown has been made available in the first place. No matter the reason, that only three teams are on the horn is reason enough to be skeptical about wanting to acquire Brown via trade.
