Trade for Antonio Brown?

[OnTheBlack]

Just tossing this out there. The guy has obviously agitated the Steelers to the point where they're willing to trade a WR'er who's started his career like few have in the history of the game and take a 21 million dollar cap hit this year to do so.

 

That being said, he's also a complete game changer and would be the most dynamic WR'er we've had in the modern era.

 

Assuming he doesn't demand a new deal since he already got his guaranteed money from the Steelers, the only risk we'd be taking on is his year to year salary and...of course the potential for him to clash with the young HC. I would THINK Rodgers would be a big enough personality and getting dumped from one of the leagues other cornerstone franchises, but you also think he'd be happy enough getting 20 million a year and passes from Aaron Rodgers?

 

And while we certainly have other needs, we're talking about a guy who's AVERAGED 114 receptions, 1,524 yards, and 11 TD's the last 6 seasons. That's just ridiculous. Maybe the Saints 1st and the Washington 4th? You'd be trotting out the leagues best WR'er duo in Adams and Brown, you have Jones and Williams at RB, and you still have young talent you can develop in Scantling and St. Brown, both of whom showed a ton of upside this past year.

 

You still need to address the tackle position in some way. As a protection against a Bahktari injury or Bulaga, both of whom are elite when healthy, though the latter has struggled to stay healthy. But that's an explosive offense that I think could be the best in the league. He will turn 31 next year, but our window is obviously not infinite. You need to do something while you have Rodgers at QB.

 

 

Thoughts?

[adambr2]

I'm totally on board. Well, price tag pending. I'd probably do our Saints 1st round pick + a mid rounder if needed, but not the #12 pick.

 

Brown is a generational talent, and the ceiling of making a move like this is that suddenly this is a ridiculous top 3 offense again with Rodgers having two elite WR1s to target.

 

It could blow up in our faces, yes. But when your franchise QB is 35 and you've got a window of about 3-5 years, this is the kind of move you have to make.

 

And the money we would owe is essentially 3 years, 39M, which is a bargain for that caliber of a WR.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I don't know if Brown will be the guy, but this is exactly the type of move I expect the Packers to be looking at this offseason. They've been hamstrung by Ted Thompson's inactivity for too long, and it has probably cost them at least one Super Bowl, multiple playoff wins, and a good coach his job (part of that was McCarthy's message getting stale too). You've already seen that Gute is going to be more aggressive, and knowing that Rodgers likely has 5 years max, they aren't going to continue to sit on the sidelines while the teams around them improve. The Vikings and Bears proved that the NFC North is there for the taking, as neither of those teams are or are even close to elite.

 

WR isn't near the need that other spots on the roster are, but acquiring him is the type of move that a team that views itself as a Super Bowl contender would make. I think that Rodgers can still be a top-flight QB, but his days of carrying an offense with middling talent on his shoulders may be over. It's time to surround him with top-flight talent and see where it goes.

[BillScottCanRake]

I guess the big question is just how willing are the Steelers to take that cap hit? That is a lot of dead money to absorb to lose a generational talent and they will need a good enough return to make those two things palatable.

 

Andrew Brandt thinks his cap hit makes him virtually untradeable, and while his is just one opinion and it only takes one really big offer for Pittsburgh to jump on it, I tend to think he is less likely to be traded than most. I wouldn't be stunned if he gets moved, but if he does I think the price is going to be steep, and I think if the Steelers dont get their price they try to kiss and make up for a least one year. I think that would make a post 2019 trade much easier to make.

 

Of course, this post means he will probably be traded for a 3rd and 5th on the first day allowable....

 

EDIT: I will say this. Acquiring Brown or someone like him would go a long way towards making Aaron Rodgers a key player instead of the key player, which I would like very much. It is going to be hard, but it is necessary if the Packers are going to compete for championships.

[adambr2]

I guess the big question is just how willing are the Steelers to take that cap hit? That is a lot of dead money to absorb to lose a generational talent and they will need a good enough return to make those two things palatable.

 

Andrew Brandt thinks his cap hit makes him virtually untradeable, and while his is just one opinion and it only takes one really big offer for Pittsburgh to jump on it, I tend to think he is less likely to be traded than most. I wouldn't be stunned if he gets moved, but if he does I think the price is going to be steep, and I think if the Steelers dont get their price they try to kiss and make up for a least one year. I think that would make a post 2019 trade much easier to make.

 

Of course, this post means he will probably be traded for a 3rd and 5th on the first day allowable....

 

EDIT: I will say this. Acquiring Brown or someone like him would go a long way towards making Aaron Rodgers a key player instead of the key player, which I would like very much. It is going to be hard, but it is necessary if the Packers are going to compete for championships.

 

Well, they do have a huge cap credit coming from the Le'Veon Bell holdout. I don't think it's a foregone conclusion but it does sound like the relationship there with Brown is so broken that the Steelers would rather just bite the bullet and deal him.

[PeaveyFury]

Yeah, that $14.5 mil cap credit is the thing that makes this potentially real. Eating 21 million vs. essentially 7 million while gaining a 1st or whatever makes the latter seem more easy to stomach.

[FVBrewerFan]

I don't know if Brown will be the guy, but this is exactly the type of move I expect the Packers to be looking at this offseason.

 

This is how I feel. Mack was available, now potentially Brown. Not sure if they should get him, but this is the TYPE of move I'm looking for. However they do it, need to bring in a couple true impact players this year.

 

I always worry about the prima donna WR, but truth is none of us knows any of these players beyond what we see in the media. Packers would need to do their due diligence to see if he would be a problem. That would start with "Are you ok not catching 150 passes every year?" Because they do have Adams, who would have to be on the same page with this move as well.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Hard pass. Fans fall in love with guys like this any time they hit the open market. The type of turmoil GB just went through this past season does not lend itself to a guy like this. All the youth and development does not need this guy around. The "Don't touch me, I'm the franchise" story is everything I needed to hear to pass on Antonio Brown.

 

He will end up in Washington or some other crap hole and fade into nothingness, oblivious to how good he had things in Pitt.

[FVBrewerFan]

Hard pass. Fans fall in love with guys like this any time they hit the open market. The type of turmoil GB just went through this past season does not lend itself to a guy like this. All the youth and development does not need this guy around. The "Don't touch me, I'm the franchise" story is everything I needed to hear to pass on Antonio Brown.

 

He will end up in Washington or some other crap hole and fade into nothingness, oblivious to how good he had things in Pitt.

 

Same was said about Andre Rison, he had even more issues. That worked out alright. In fact, Favre was a problem child before he came to GB. Every player, every situation is different. I share your concerns, but I'll trust the Packers to do their homework. And if they feel uncomfortable at all, I agree with you- stay away.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Andre Rison has sort of been overstated by Packers fans over the years. He was a desperate late-season acquisition after injuries to Brooks, Freeman and Chmura and I believe Jackson as well. He caught 13 passes that year. He did have the signature play in the Super Bowl, but nostalgia has made that a bigger move than it really was. By the time they got most of their bodies back he was basically a role player and he walked that offseason.

 

This isn't that at all, you'd be bringing Brown in to be a cornerstone. If they did not have Adams, I'd be more inclined, but at a position where you already have a rising star who IMO is top 5 at his position, you don't get the same incremental value adding Brown.

 

If you want a name that intrigues me, Golden Tate. I can't stand him, but I think he would fit with them well and fill a void.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Hard pass. Fans fall in love with guys like this any time they hit the open market. The type of turmoil GB just went through this past season does not lend itself to a guy like this. All the youth and development does not need this guy around. The "Don't touch me, I'm the franchise" story is everything I needed to hear to pass on Antonio Brown.

 

He will end up in Washington or some other crap hole and fade into nothingness, oblivious to how good he had things in Pitt.

 

Same was said about Andre Rison, he had even more issues. That worked out alright. In fact, Favre was a problem child before he came to GB. Every player, every situation is different. I share your concerns, but I'll trust the Packers to do their homework. And if they feel uncomfortable at all, I agree with you- stay away.

 

Apples and oranges situations. That 1996 team lost its superstar receiver, Robert Brooks, to a devastating ACL tear, and while Antonio Freeman and Derrick Mayes were promising, they were both very young and somewhat unproven. Don Beebe was that team's wily vet, but he wasn't the type of starting WR that a Super Bowl team should have been counting on. Desmond Howard had proven by that time that he was never going to be the type game-changing WR he was in college.

 

Rison was a superstar-level talent available at a supremely discounted price. He was the perfect fit for that team. But it was telling that the Packers didn't try to overly hard to resign him following the SB win.

[FVBrewerFan]

Hard pass. Fans fall in love with guys like this any time they hit the open market. The type of turmoil GB just went through this past season does not lend itself to a guy like this. All the youth and development does not need this guy around. The "Don't touch me, I'm the franchise" story is everything I needed to hear to pass on Antonio Brown.

 

He will end up in Washington or some other crap hole and fade into nothingness, oblivious to how good he had things in Pitt.

 

Same was said about Andre Rison, he had even more issues. That worked out alright. In fact, Favre was a problem child before he came to GB. Every player, every situation is different. I share your concerns, but I'll trust the Packers to do their homework. And if they feel uncomfortable at all, I agree with you- stay away.

 

Apples and oranges situations. That 1996 team lost its superstar receiver, Robert Brooks, to a devastating ACL tear, and while Antonio Freeman and Derrick Mayes were promising, they were both very young and somewhat unproven. Don Beebe was that team's wily vet, but he wasn't the type of starting WR that a Super Bowl team should have been counting on. Desmond Howard had proven by that time that he was never going to be the type game-changing WR he was in college.

 

Rison was a superstar-level talent available at a supremely discounted price. He was the perfect fit for that team. But it was telling that the Packers didn't try to overly hard to resign him following the SB win.

 

Yea, but that wasn't my point. I'm not talking about production or what quality a player he was. I'm saying he was perceived as a problem child, and didn't cause any issues when he came to GB. Point being, same could be true for Brown. Just because a player said or did something in the past doesn't automatically mean he's a jerk. (Usually does, but not always.)

[OldSchoolSnapper]

That 1996 Packers team had checks and balances in place. It was absolutely loaded with guys that would have put a malcontent squarely in his place. Sean Jones, Reggie White, LeRoy Butler...this team has absolutely nothing like that right now.

[MrTPlush]

They need guys who can connect with Rodger's playing style...I don't think burning money and high picks on Brown is the best investment. James Jones is a great example. The dude just knew where to go and how to get open when Rodgers scrambled. They lacked that this year.

 

I am not sure if bringing in a vet is the answer or just giving the current guys more time to get used to Rodgers playing style and the playbook. I think we got a little spoiled watching Rodgers toss to the same guys constantly because mental errors by receivers and not being where they should be was not very often.

[pacopete4]

That 1996 Packers team had checks and balances in place. It was absolutely loaded with guys that would have put a malcontent squarely in his place. Sean Jones, Reggie White, LeRoy Butler...this team has absolutely nothing like that right now.

 

Yep. It takes a strong foundation to withstand some personalities such as a guy like Brown. I don't believe now is the time. And with a young, first time, rookie head coach? Hard, hard pass.

[BillScottCanRake]

I know Pittsburgh can use the Bell credit to offset the cap hit from trading Brown. But that would be using a credit from losing one All Pro player to pay for getting rid of another. Maybe that is what it will come to, but that seems pretty disastrous and worth avoiding if possible.

[MrTPlush]

I know Pittsburgh can use the Bell credit to offset the cap hit from trading Brown. But that would be using a credit from losing one All Pro player to pay for getting rid of another. Maybe that is what it will come to, but that seems pretty disastrous and worth avoiding if possible.

 

Even worse would be another All-Pro drama queen two years in a row. After missing out on the playoffs after years of excellence cutting off baggage is common.

[homer]

I am of the mindset that GB signs a guy like Tate rather than give up assets for Brown. Then your top three would be Adams, Allison, Tate...that's a really good starting group not to mention the rookies and Kumerow.

[adambr2]

I understand all the ways that this could go wrong.

 

I am just at the point where I'm willing to take a big chance. Brown is so much better than Tate and it's not even close. You can tell me all about his personality, the rookie head coach, all that, yes I understand that. This could backfire.

 

But the ceiling of such a move is a championship caliber offense again. If we were coming close with the status quo, I'd say stick with it. But we haven't been. The status quo has been failing us for 2 years now and with the clock ticking on Rodgers' career, it would be tough to see it continue.

[PeaveyFury]

As with anything, it depends on the cost. For the Saints' 1st? I'm completely on board. For a 1 & a 2? Nope.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Of course Brown is better than Tate, but these moves aren't apples to oranges, they're always about incremental value. The case being that Adams + Tate is good, and is Adams + Brown that much better to justify the cost? I'm inclined to think that it isn't.

 

Jennings + old Driver + developing Jordy was also a championship offense. You really don't need two guys on that elite level.

[pacopete4]

Can't think of a team that has had two elite WR's and won an SB in recent history. I mean, even the top WR's in the game never seems to be in the winner's circle at the end of the day. Maybe there is something to that.

[Point Beer Is Best]

Assuming he doesn't demand a new deal since he already got his guaranteed money from the Steelers, the only risk we'd be taking on is his year to year salary and...of course the potential for him to clash with the young HC.

 

Yeah we can safely assume the exact opposite of that. He for sure will be looking for a new deal because he's already collected all of the guaranteed money. It's all about security, and none of his remaining contract is guaranteed. He's owed just under $39M over the next 3 years (for a $12.975M AAV). Whereas Odell Beckham just signed a 5 year, $95M deal ($19M AAV). Brown will absolutely, in his mind, think he is worth that and demand a new deal. I could be wrong, but I just don't see Brown as a guy who will be content on making $13M a year (will actually collect just over $15M in cash in 2019) with zero dollars guaranteed.

 

Yes, there will be significant trade interest for sure. It's just a question if PIT can stomach the huge cap hit. Based on what I can see, a trade of Brown would accelerate his bonus amortization and result in a dead cap hit of $21.12M in 2019 (if they got weird and released him, they could spread that out over two years with the post-June 1st designation). If he remained on their roster, his cap hit is $22.165M. So a trade only relieves them of just over $1M in cap space.

[homer]

I guess my opinion is that there are too many holes to fill to justify giving up early round picks for Brown.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

That's how I feel homer. I've always basically agree with TT that you aquire BPAs wherever you can, but the Packers simply don't need an electric franchise WR. They already have one. Rodgers is too good to need to load him up with a Madden team. I do feel they need a player of that level, but I'm inclined to think they need either an absolute shut down player in the secondary or a stud rushing off the edge. WR just isn't at that level.