Update: Raiders acquire WR Antonio Brown from PIT

[wab]

Ummmmm...

NFL Network analysts David Carr, Reggie Wayne make the case for Bears to trade for Antonio Brown
By Lorin Cox February 20, 2019 9:24 AM


Ryan Pace isn’t afraid to go out and make a splash to add elite talent to the Bears.

He shocked the football world when he traded for Khalil Mack in September, and a pair of former players on the NFL Network could see the general manager making another big trade.

David Carr and Reggie Wayne listed the four teams they thought were trade options for disgruntled Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown.

The Bears were at the top of the list.

“I think they’re a big, explosive player away on offense — they’ve got a great defense — from being a really good football team,” Carr said in the segment.

Brown met with the Steelers Tuesday and said the two sides agreed to work toward parting ways, officially laying the stage for the trade rumors.

The idea of trading for Brown might be nice for the Bears, but the logistics of the deal make it extremely unlikely.

His back-loaded contract will cost at least $18 million per year over the next three seasons, although the Steelers would have to offset some of the guaranteed money in the trade.

The Bears also don’t have many draft picks left for trade compensation, and they invested a lot in the wide receiver position just last offseason.

A trade for Brown would take a lot of maneuvering from Pace, but after September’s blockbuster, never say never.

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[Otis Day]

Hell NO!! Can't see it happening for a few reasons.

1) Bears have nothing to give. Pace has limited picks this year and he is not giving them away for a guy that is a headcase

2) The guy is a headcase, me, me, me player

3) Can't see George getting behind it.

[UOK]

The Bears have already heavily invested in receivers - Robinson, Miller, Gabriel, and Burton. There's a lot of things to be addressed and the kind of money that Brown wants isn't exactly realistic to give one guy when your window is open.

Plus in Nagy's system the ball is spread around like crazy. AB would interpret any balls going to anyone but him as disrespect, and before you know it he's talking to the McCaskeys about releasing him.

Not saying it won't or shouldn't happen, but I don't see the sense in it.

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

They could probably trade Miller and Howard, and get Brown, but it would be a HORRIBLE trade. Right now, I would rather have Miller.

Don't want him though. No thank you.

[IotaNet]

Agreed with both of you guys. A big part of what the Bears are building is CULTURE. A culture of winning but a culture of TEAM and a culture of "getting there together." Remember what Nagy said about the Cody Parkey interview on the Today show?

"Well um, you know I found out, I don't even know the exact time that it was. But you know for me you understand that we always talk about a we and not a me thing, and we always talk as a team, we win as a team, we lose as a team. You know, I just, I didn't necessarily think that that was too much of a we thing."

AB is a phenomenal talent but he has demonstrated time and time again that he is all about himself. We don't need that anywhere near the Bears.

As an aside, leaving the Steelers shows how stupid he really is. He was working for a "players' coach" and for a franchise that was willing to give him a lot of leeway.

Just. No.

[dplank]

I'd like to see a Venn Diagram of folks who said "Hell no" to the Khalil Mack trade vs. those who are saying Hell No now with A. Brown.

Adding the best WR in football makes us immediately the top contender for the SB next year. There will be some salary offset by the Steelers, and I'm assuming a player or two involved since we don't have major draft capital (so the current player salary leaving can offset cost). i.e. ,what if we sent ARob or Gabriel as part of the package? That cost offset with the Steelers having to do some salary offset makes this achievable.

Count me in.

[Mikefive]

I said yes to Mack, because Mack, a generational player at a high priority position, is also a high quality PERSON.
Brown OTOH, is an excellent--but not generational--player at a low priority position. And an exceptional NARCISSISTIC DIPSH*T.

Don't just say no. Run away screaming.

(I can't even find a worthy gif that expresses my feelings on this idea. So icon vomit will have to do.)

[wab]

I'd like to see a Venn Diagram of folks who said "Hell no" to the Khalil Mack trade vs. those who are saying Hell No now with A. Brown.

Adding the best WR in football makes us immediately the top contender for the SB next year. There will be some salary offset by the Steelers, and I'm assuming a player or two involved since we don't have major draft capital (so the current player salary leaving can offset cost). i.e. ,what if we sent ARob or Gabriel as part of the package? That cost offset with the Steelers having to do some salary offset makes this achievable.

Count me in.

AB and Mack are apples and oranges man.

[IotaNet]

I'd like to see a Venn Diagram of folks who said "Hell no" to the Khalil Mack trade vs. those who are saying Hell No now with A. Brown.

These situations are so different until there isn't space enough to detail it.

Lets just start and end with this:

Khalil Mack is universally known as a leader, a high-class, high character, high maturity guy who makes everyone around him better. There has never been a whiff of trouble, discord, hassle, muss or fuss about this guy. The universal narrative is that him being on the Bears actually lifted the level of play, practice, and accountability of the entire defense (some even say the entire team.)

Can't say these things about Brown.

[LacertineForest]

Mack was also 27. AB is 31.

[dplank]

He's been the best WR in football for like 6 straight years now. Every year over 100 catches and a 1000 yards. If he was a POS like you guys claim, he wouldn't be producing like this. he works, he plays.

Most great WR are primadonnas outside of Jerry Rice.

His age scares me a little, I didn't know he was 31 (he's 30, turns 31 in July). So his window is short and that should drive down his price for acquisition.

Sorry guys but I want a fucking super bowl already, been waiting since 85. At some point you go for it, IMO this is the year to do so as we're poised to win it all with our D.

[wab]

At some point you go for it, IMO this is the year to do so as we're poised to win it all with our D.

And if you go for it too hard, you become the mid 2000's Redskins.

The Bears don't really have a #1 WR. That's really by design because of how the Bears offense functions. Robinson is it by default, but collectively the Bears receiving core is as effective as just Brown would be.

[dplank]

Situation and players are different, but this sounds an awful lot like the back and forth before the Mack trade. Same type of reasoning, always playing a future hand, clutching on to mid tier players and risky draft picks vs a sure thing super star.

The 2000 Redskins we are not.

Agree to disagree I suppose.

[wab]

Situation and players are different, but this sounds an awful lot like the back and forth before the Mack trade. Same type of reasoning, always playing a future hand, clutching on to mid tier players and risky draft picks vs a sure thing super star.

The 2000 Redskins we are not.

Agree to disagree I suppose.

I'll respectfully disagree that Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, Anthony Miller, and Trey Burton are "mid-tier" players.

There are future considerations to bringing on AB. Say the Bears win it all...then what. They have put themselves in a bad financial position by giving a lot of money to an aging WR. They win a super bowl in 2019 and have to dismantle the team shortly after.

I don't want the Bears to be good enough to win the super bowl for one year. I want them to be good enough to win the super bowl for a long time.

[southdakbearfan]

Just based on him being a very me me me player I would be willing to bet that pace hasn’t and won’t consider it for a second.

[The Marshall Plan]

They could probably trade Miller and Howard, and get Brown, but it would be a HORRIBLE trade. Right now, I would rather have Miller.

Don't want him though. No thank you.

Agreed.

Don't need to trade for AB. Give my man AM17, He Plays All The Hits All The Time On AM17 baby, 2-3 years and he could very well be Antonio Brown.

This isn't an offense that needs an elite WR to be successful. We need receivers that can get open and catch the ball when it is thrown to them. I would also rather have the receiving group we have with several above average receivers (AR15, AM17 and Gabriel), than a group with AB and then a bunch of whatever because we can't afford better talent.

We need a dual threat three down RB much much more than we need an elite receiver.

[southdakbearfan]

I can already hear brown bitching about not getting the ball enough after a 7-0 start to the season.

[IotaNet]

Just based on him being a very me me me player I would be willing to bet that pace hasn’t and won’t consider it for a second.

This

[Bearfacts]

Nice article for those with all kinds of time on their hands. The reality of it is on par with Kate Upton dumping Verlander for me.

[VA_Mountain_Bear]

For all of ya'll discussing how AB has been the best WR for 6 years, your missing one thing. That was with a single QB who had developed chemistry with him from his first TC on. There is no guarantee that he would instantly have that rapport and chemistry with Mitch right away, it is reasonable to assume it would take a year to get it down. That would be a year missing on developing what he has started building with Robinson, Miller, and Gabriel as AB would demand being the focus or else his tendencies to be a prima dona headcase would emerge. It is not a good idea for the Bears.

[Mikefive]

He's been the best WR in football for like 6 straight years now. Every year over 100 catches and a 1000 yards. If he was a POS like you guys claim, he wouldn't be producing like this. he works, he plays.

Most great WR are primadonnas outside of Jerry Rice.

How well did he "work" and "play" in week 17 this year, with a playoff spot on the line? He didn't. Why? Because he behaved like a petulant child and the coach sat him. Now maybe you think Mike Tomlin should've played him anyway, despite that he no-showed for practice. I don't know. But this is how he responded because the team recognized that his receiving partner was pretty darned good. Now put him on the Bears with Allen Robinson on the other side, who already has a relationship with Biscuit. If you don't think the team would side with AR12 by default, you're fooling yourself. And that's the exact same situation that he couldn't tolerate in Pittsburgh.

Why on earth would be Bears spend buttloads of $$$ on a 31-year old WR who may have already peaked to put themselves in the same situation that Pittsburgh found themselves in? And when the coach preaches "we, not me" what message would that send to the team to go after a guy who is so undeniably a me guy, it's ridiculous?

I believe you're really not thinking this through.

[GSH]

i dont want him on the bears but i sure as hell dont want him going to another team in the nfc north. could see the packers and lions making a play for him.

[MoFugger]

There's probably 27 teams this guy should be rumored to go to.
I have no idea why the Bears would be one of them.

[Boris13c]

I would be very disappointed if the Bears choose to upset the positive chemistry they are establishing with the team to add a selfish ingrate ... yes, Brown is a very talented WR but him adopting the Randi Moss "I play when I wanna play" mantra makes him a toxic addition

he quit on the Steelers last year because he wanted to pout and call attention to himself ... well, congrats ... he got attention ... the fact the blowback from that is mostly negative is his own doing

[KhalilSackDaddy]

I'd be stunned if they got A Brown. They got 4 guys last year they aren't going to be getting rid of and Brown wants to be the WR target, he won't take sharing.

[UOK]

Officially done. AB to Buffalo.

[UOK]

I lied. Bills just dropped out.

[Otis Day]

Bills came to their senses and realized they don't need that big distraction with their young QB.

[southdakbearfan]

It’s going to be interesting how the Steelers handle this if AB keeps killing trades. Do you keep him, try to make him play and when he goes psycho suspend? Do you go after him either legally or with the league for demanding a trade but then killing it if there is any recourse. Do you offer him up for a much later pick and tell the next team it’s your problem?

Buffalo would have been far to fitting for AB as it seems he is an even bigger clown than previously thought.

AB has a lot of the cards in his hand but he is playing this like he has the full deck. I think he is gonna get burned.

[Boris13c]

as talented as Brown is, he is nowhere near as important to a team, any team, as he thinks he is

and his diva factor accelerating by the hour is of no help to his seeking greener pastures :

Buffalo Bills no longer in Antonio Brown trade talks

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports that after intense talks that went into last night, and almost agreeing on trade compensation, the Bills say they are out on a Brown trade, per a source informed of the situation.

The about-face comes hours after the Steelers appeared close to a deal to ship the disgruntled wide receiver to Buffalo.

"We inquired about Antonio Brown on Tuesday, and kept talks open with the Steelers," Bills GM Brandon Beane said in a statement. "We had positive discussions, but ultimately it didn't make sense for either side. As great a player as Antonio Brown is, we have moved on and our focus is on free agency."

Rapoport noted that Brown would not commit to showing up in Buffalo and the Bills decided a trade was not worth the drama of wondering if the receiver would accept the deal.

so he tells the Steelers "TRADE ME!" and goes on a twitter fest to say farewell to Pittsburgh ... so the Steelers accommodate him and find a trade partner, and he kills the deal by being a douche?