The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting closer to trading All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown.
BREAKING: Steelers are close to a deal to trade Antonio Brown, per source.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) March 8, 2019
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, three teams are still in the running to acquire Brown.
The receiver will be paid a $2.5 million roster bonus on March 17, which is why the Steelers are eager move him as soon as possible.
It is being speculated that the three teams in the hunt are the Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Redskins.
The Raiders currently own three first-round picks in the 2019 draft and need talent at the receiver position, after trading Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys last season. They have plenty of draft picks to get the Steelers to send Brown to Oakland.
At the conclusion of the 2018 season, 49ers tight end George Kittle tried to recruit Brown to gauge his interest in San Francisco. The 49ers have some weapons in place with Kittle, Marquise Goodwin, and 2018 second-round pick Dante Pettis. With their tight end expected to be double covered after having a career year (88 catches 1,377 yards), the Niners will need more talent to help Kittle. Brown would instantly improve a receiver corps that is in need of high-end playmaking.
The Washington Redskins don't have many resources at wide receiver. Jamison Crowder is relegated to slot duties. Former first-round pick Josh Doctson has struggled to stay healthy and is trending toward bust territory. Paul Richardson was signed to a lucrative deal last season (five years, $40 million) but had only 20 receptions for 262 yards. Don't be surprised if the Redskins offer a second-round pick to acquire Brown. This team is in desperate need of offensive firepower as it attempts to rebound from a disappointing 2018 season.
Initially it seemed that the Steelers struck a deal to send Brown to the Buffalo Bills, but Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane turned away from the proposal.
We already know that the New York Jets and the Arizona Cardinals are out of the running, reported earlier in the week by Ian Rapoport.
If a deal does not come to fruition and Antonio Brown is released, the Steelers would eat $21.12 million in dead money and would save only a little over $1 million in cap space.
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