The San Francisco 49ers have some big opportunities this offseason. They hold the second overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, possess a lot of cap space, and they hopefully will have a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo back at quarterback. They may also be a potential landing spot via trade for the services of wide receiver Antonio Brown.
Brown, a world-class pass catcher and world-class diva has also likely worked his way out of a pretty good gig with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and after some serious flirtation on social media, the Niners could be a potential landing spot.
But is that good for San Francisco?
Week 17 capped off a bizarre and drama-laden season for the Steelers, one that saw two of their best players serve as a wrecking ball to the organization. Between Le'Veon Bell and Brown, potential suitors should beware, especially a young team like the 49ers.
Brown is a compelling talent, especially for a San Francisco team who could use a significant upgrade at the receiver position. Kendrick Bourne was the lead pass catcher for the Niners in 2018, racking up 487 yards on 42 receptions. Contrast that with AB, who over the past five seasons had 115 catches for 1,529 yards and 12 touchdowns. That's serious production.
But does that warrant having one high profile player potentially placing your organization in his personal snow globe whenever his massive ego isn't catered to enough?
Here are three reasons the Niners should avoid the carnival that is Antonio Brown.
3. Antonio Brown is Toxic Baggage
In the National Football League, talent can lead a lot of fans, head coaches, general managers, and owners to overlook personal flaws. Antonio Brown is talented on the football field, as equally as he is toxic off of it. In a huddle, on the sideline, or in the locker room, Brown is the one player who demands attention and adoration. Without it, his wrath can destroy chemistry and a season, it's as simple as that.
The question for the San Francisco 49ers is whether the well-known baggage is worth the upside. That upside can't be ignored, especially in an NFC West where the Los Angeles Rams were scoring points by the bunches en route to sweeping the division.
A player like Brown gives the Niners a chance, especially if Garoppolo can return to the form fans saw the last five weeks of the 2017 season.
There is no denying that the 49ers are a good fit if for no other reason than that head coach Kyle Shanahan is the author of a pass-happy offensive scheme AB would likely flourish in. He'd have an opportunity to move San Francisco out of the cellar and compete with the Seattle Seahawks as a possible threat to the Rams' stranglehold on the West.
That aside, Brown has issues of the legal variety as well as his inability to get along with a locker room and teammates who could outshine him. At what cost could the potential outweigh the liability of a loose cannon in an organization still rebuilding?
AB is a lot for opposing teams to deal with, n argument you could make for the 49ers organization as a whole.
2. Will Brown be Patient With a Younger Team?
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and head coach Kyle Shanahan are part of a youthful group in San Francisco. Brown, who will be 31 when the NFL season rolls around, might be a player better suited for a veteran team who is closer to winning than the Niners currently are. Which is the diplomatic way of wondering if AB is capable of growing with a quarterback who has yet to play an entire season, and a young coach entering only his third season.
It's a fair question to ask. Brown has three years left on the deal the 49ers would inherit. How good he can remain in his mid 30s is a question hard for either side to answer.
The more pragmatic question is whether the San Francisco 49ers wants to settle in with a veteran receiver who has shown he doesn't always play well with others. Garoppolo will be coming off of a knee injury and how he responds is not yet known. The hope and the hype from his 5-0 run to close out the 2017 season simply never had an opportunity to materialize to something better in 2018.
It's anybody's guess what the Niners look like or just how close they may or may not be to a .500 team or better.
1. Niners Better Off Short Term Without Antonio Brown
Fans and analysts looking for the quick fix love the idea of Antonio Brown in a 49ers uniform. He'd also bring some legitimate credentials to a position San Francisco could stand to upgrade. He would sell tickets to fill an often empty Levi's Stadium and excite a fanbase long gone dormant.
Sounds good, right? Wrong.
The Niners are at a critical juncture as they remake, retool, and rebuild a franchise not that far removed from a Super Bowl appearance. They appear set at the quarterback position, have a young head coach who looks to be in line with what an offensive-centric league looks like, and play in a division where they can make a move.
Trading for Brown doesn't necessarily make them better, at least not in 2019.
The San Francisco 49ers are still a question mark. Because of the injury to Garoppolo in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Niners are more deserving of a grade of ’incomplete’ for 2018. If the Niners had a healthy QB and maybe finish at .500, they are a team trending up, making acquiring a playmaker like Brown logical.
It's just not logical right now.
The jury is out on what to expect from the 49ers come next season. Making a splash with Antonio Brown doesn't guarantee anything more than the potential for headache and regret, something fans in San Francisco have had enough of.
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