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The Washington Redskins were recently listed as one of the most likely teams to land Antonio Brown. The wide receiver clearly wants out of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it's becoming almost impossible to see him with the team next season.
Due to that, it's time to get serious when considering who could get the All-Pro.
It's also time to start evaluating those potential teams and what exactly it would mean for them to get him.
For the Redskins, there are quite a few ways to look at how acquiring Antonio Brown could hurt or help them. What are the pros and cons?
Pro – Legitimate Target
The Redskins haven't had a legitimate passing weapon since Jordan Reed's breakout 2015 season.
Antonio Brown would be the Alpha dog and the elite receiver they haven't had in ages.
He would immediately legitimize an offense that has looked weak for the better part of the past few seasons.
Con – No Quarterback
The Redskins don't have a quarterback at the moment.
Antonio Brown isn't happy with the Steelers right now, and it's hard to envision him being all that jacked up about playing on a team with Colt McCoy set to lead the offense.
If Brown wants a legitimate quarterback, the Redskins shouldn't be going after him unless they have a real plan in place for someone to throw him the football.
Pro – Makes QB better
Here's the other side to that argument.
Brown will immediately make any quarterback he plays with better. An NFL quarterback can get you the ball if you're open. Not many can get open like Brown.
His presence would at the very least make any quarterback's job a little bit easier.
Con – Holes
The Washington Redskins have holes on their roster. Holes is absolutely plural. Getting an elite wide receiver would be amazing and would fix one of those holes immediately.
However, the price tag for Brown won't be cheap. The Steelers will likely be asking for a few draft picks, or at least a high one.
Those picks could be used to fill multiple holes for the Redskins. If they all go to fixing just one position, you're stuck worrying with a lot.
Now who will throw him the football? Or protect the quarterback? What about the secondary, who's stopping opposing offenses?
Pro – Makes Washington a better destination
It's easy to see why a quarterback might not want to come to the Washington Redskins. He wouldn't have many weapons and they haven't shown anything to suggest they'd get weapons for a quarterback after he arrived.
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Antonio Brown would resolve that issue. They'd have someone to show off to potential quarterback's in free agency and the draft.
Having an elite receiver like that would definitely raise the likelihood of keeping a quarterback happy.
Con – Situation
No one knows exactly what's going on in Pittsburgh. Only the people directly involved know the whole story. Therefore, it's dangerous and irresponsible to speculate about much.
That being said, let's not pretend like Antonio Brown is 100% the victim here. Everyone involved probably should have at least a little bit of blame put on them.
So how long until something happens in Washington that makes him lash out? When does he decide he doesn't want to be there? Or simply when does another player have a problem with him?
Will it be a repeat of the ugly divorce he's having with the Steelers right now? Does a team so susceptible to drama like the Redskins really want more of it?
Pro – Control
Brown is locked down through 2021, meaning the Redskins would have control of him for three full seasons.
That would allow them to build around him for the foreseeable future.
Con – Age/contract
While the Redskins would have Antonio Brown for three years, he's 30. That's not old by any stretch of the imagination, but it means they wouldn't be getting a full career out of him. It's likely that by the end of the three years, he wouldn't be expected to play many more years in the league.
For reference, Larry Fitzgerald is 35, and people have been expecting a retirement announcement from him for the past two seasons now.
Then there's the contract. Although he's deserved the money, Brown is eating a large chunk of change. His current contract is 4-year/$68-million.
Again, this brings up the holes of the team. How will Washington fix all their problems if Brown is taking that much money?
At the end of the day, however, this is Antonio Brown – one of the greatest receivers in NFL history.
It's something the Washington Redskins will have to think long and hard about as he has the skills to help change a team.
