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It seems that Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown won't be on the team when next season starts and if that's the case, Peter King on Football Morning in America thinks a team that makes a lot of sense is the Carolina Panthers.
The Steelers said that they only will do a deal that helps the team, but this feels like a Le'Veon Bell situation if the Steelers decide to hold onto him.
King points out that new Panthers owner David Tapper was actually part owner of the Steelers before buying the Panthers, so he knows what Brown is all about.
Article Continues Below“New owner David Tepper, a Pittsburgh guy, went to Pitt and then Carnegie Mellon, and donated $55 million to CMU, which now has a Tepper School of Business in his honor,” King writes. “He bought a 5 percent stake in the Steelers in 2009, preceding his purchase of the Panthers last year. So he’ll know the holes in Brown’s persona, but he’ll also know the difference Brown could make in a passing game that needs a downfield threat.”
King also points out that once Brown is traded he will be trying to earn a new contract, so it makes sense that Brown tries to lay low for a while. Brown will also be another big time weapon for Cam Newton and the rest of the Panthers offense.
“Brown has averaged 114 catches and 1,524 yards a year for the past six years with the deep-armed Ben Roethlisberger, and he’ll be motivated to keep the distractions to a minimum so he can earn a new deal. Tepper is motivated to inject new life into a 24-25 team since Carolina’s Super Bowl appearance three years ago. Though G.M. Marty Hurney is a conservative type by nature, I think he could be convinced to take a shot on this get-rich-quick scheme. It’d thrill Cam Newton too.”
It's unclear if the Panthers even have interest in Brown, but if they do, trying to get a trade done makes a ton of sense for both sides.
