Mr. Big Chest is off to the Bay Area
Ok, NOW it’s over. Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport, and several other media outlets are reporting that Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown is off to the Bay Area, at least for one year, because he’s going to the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders have traded a third round pick and fifth round pick in exchange, per Schefter. The Raiders have also added money which could allow Brown to earn up to $54 million with incentives.
What happens after that year? Well Mr. Big Chest gets to go to Las Vegas.
Given that the compensation is being made apparent, it’s safe to assume that this trade is in fact going to be executed, but don’t be surprised if another wrinkle is thrown into the mix. The Steelers will be stuck with $21 million in dead money.
This concludes Antonio Brown Watch. The Raiders were a big destination for him and that hope was dashed when it looked like Brown was going to the Buffalo Bills. The problem with the Buffalo Bills was Brown himself didn’t want to go there. The trade was nixed and the Steelers were on the clock to get a deal done before Brown’s roster spot became official and a $2.5 million roster bonus counted against their salary cap.
The start of all of this was a tweet on New Year’s eve by George Kittle that suggested the San Francisco 49ers would be a possible destination for Brown. Brown’s activity on Instagram and the infamous video demanding we call him Mr. Big Chest pretty much steered any team far far away from him.
The Steelers went into this looking for a first round pick. After Brown’s antics, an NFL personnel guru said Brown was worth a fourth rounder at-best. A third and a fifth is a bit better than a fourth, but it’s still a far cry from the original asking price of a first rounder.
And so, it’s all over. In the span of one year, the Raiders have traded away a pass rusher entering his prime, a wide receiver a few years away from his, and now traded for a wide receiver entering the twilight of his career.
Mr. Big Chest, good luck. Now, let’s find something else to talk about.
Speaking of which, what do you guys want to do now?
About the Author: Insidethe49
