Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown may have played his last snap in a purple and black uniform. The stalwart receiver has been in the headlines after going AWOL on his team in Week 17, followed by a trade request. Whether the Steelers will actually execute this trade by sending their best player away is a toss up. However, Brown may have already found a desired trade destination.
Brown unfollowed the Steelers on social media and followed many San Francisco 49ers players like George Kittle. There have even been cryptic messages, like on his Instagram story of “45 + 4 = 49.” All of this potentially indicating his desire to be a 49er. It begs the question to be asked; should the San Francisco 49ers trade their second overall NFL Draft pick for Antonio Brown?
Absolutely. The 2019 season cannot be another wash for Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers. It’s playoffs or bust for this team. Plain and simple with no excuses. The same can be said for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo who will have to deliver an elite season follow a torn ACL.
There's a lot of pressure on this San Francisco 49er team to produce next season. That is exactly why they need to acquire Antonio Brown. He instantly elevates the team by so many levels. The 49ers offense would instantly become one of the most feared offenses in the league. They will have one of the best tight ends and receivers at their disposal, along with a strong running attack.
No defense will want to face that much weaponry given how great of a play designer Kyle Shanahan is. It would be too much of a struggle to scheme around a dangerous tight end and receiver. Now I know giving up the second overall pick for a receiver seems insane. That type of value should only be given up if it’s for a pass rusher or a quarterback. .
However, we’re not talking about some good receiver. We’re talking about a player who up until this season was an All-Pro for four straight seasons. For a team that has playoff aspirations, the 49ers are better off sending their pick for an elite receiver than using for a player who’s a mystery.
Let’s say the 49ers do use their second pick. Would whoever they pick have an immediate and effective impact in 2019? Over Brown? I’m going to say no on that one. Brown would be too lethal in Shanahan’s system. His fit with the 49ers makes too much sense. It’s not just on the field, but his contract as well. They have a ton of available cap space, $62 million to be specific, and even with an Antonio Brown addition, they would still have plenty of room for a few more pieces.
This trade would be labeled as a reach to a lot of people, but if the 49ers were to make the playoffs in 2019, then they got their bang for their buck. In this day in age of the NFL it’s all about scoring. Adding Antonio Brown is essentially scoring another touchdown per game, and the 49ers only scored 21.4 points per game in 2018. That ranked 21st overall in the league, which isn't sufficient.
If Brown were added to the 2019 draft, then he 100% would be a top 10 pick without a doubt. No team would let him slip past 10 because he's a bonified elite receiver. We all know what team's will get when they add Brown. If you think of it that way, then it’s pretty obvious what the 49ers should do. Trade the 2nd overall pick for Antonio Brown.
Contending teams make gambles and pushes like this every year. Just look at the Chicago Bears or Los Angeles Rams last season. How did that work out? 2019 needs to be playoff or bust and by adding Brown, the 49ers will be that much closer to reaching it.
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