Longtime Pittsburgh Steeler Antonio Brown has been frustrated with the team, and the two have agreed that it is time to part ways. Brown requested a trade and the organization obliged. Pittsburgh Steelers GM Kevin Colbert recently stated that three teams have contacted him about the veteran receiver. The teams were never mentioned by name, so we can only guess at this time as to who they were.
It would make sense that the Steelers would not want Brown to go anywhere near AFC and would likely prefer that he go to the NFC. Recently Peter King named five teams that he believes would be the most likely landing-place for Antonio Brown. King believes that the NFC South has two teams that would be ideal spots for Brown play.
First, he believes that the Carolina Panthers would be and ideal destination for Brown due to the organization’s dire need of a major turnaround.
He states:
“New owner David Tepper, a Pittsburgh guy, went to Pitt and then Carnegie Mellon, and donated $55 million to CMU, which now has a Tepper School of Business in his honor. He bought a 5 percent stake in the Steelers in 2009, preceding his purchase of the Panthers last year. So he’ll know the holes in Brown’s persona, but he’ll also know the difference Brown could make in a passing game that needs a downfield threat. Brown has averaged 114 catches and 1,524 yards a year for the past six years with the deep-armed Ben Roethlisberger, and he’ll be motivated to keep the distractions to a minimum so he can earn a new deal. Tepper is motivated to inject new life into a 24-25 team since Carolina’s Super Bowl appearance three years ago. Though GM Marty Hurney is a conservative type by nature, I think he could be convinced to take a shot on this get-rich-quick scheme. It’d thrill Cam Newton too.”
Second, on king’s list is the Washington Redskins. Although the Skins do not have a QB currently who can get the ball to Antonio Brown, King believes that the team is desperate and could take a shot at landing Brown.
“What team is more desperate than Washington, which is hemorrhaging fans, has no idea who the 2019 quarterback will be, has no idea who the 2020 coach will be, hasn’t won a playoff game in 14 years, and has an embattled owner searching for anything that will get his team out of the muck and mire of mediocrity? “
Then he moves on to Tampa Bay. King believes that Brown in Tampa makes sense. Avoiding Brown’s Tweets about Arians’ “diva remark,” King cites Arians’ connection to Pittsburgh and how DeSean Jackson had been wanting out of Tampa. Believing that Arians will want to throw the ball deep and more often than most it would make sense that the Bucs could seek a deep threat like Antonio Brown. I just do not think this is going to happen. We simply cannot afford to pay someone who will only work for guaranteed money.
“Dot-connecting. DeSean Jackson wants a new start out of Tampa. The new coach of the Bucs, Bruce Arians, was the Steelers’ play-caller in 2011 when Brown had his breakout NFL season. Arians wants to throw the ball deep more than any head coach in football. Makes sense to me.”
The other two teams that King states are the Jets and the Raiders. In my opinion with all of the draft picks Gruden has and how he oh so loves a veteran deep threat, the Raiders would be the team I believe Antonio Brown ended up playing for in 2019. I would not mind seeing Brown in Tampa, I just know that there is virtually no way it could happen, but could you imagine the deep threat of that kind of offense?
