The Steelers traded WR Antonio Brown to the Raiders for an underwhelming pair of mid-round 2019 NFL draft picks.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders completed a trade for All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown early Sunday morning that will send a third- and fifth-round pick from Oakland to Pittsburgh for Brown.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news overnight.
Raiders are trading a third- and a fifth-round pick to the Steelers for WR Antonio Brown, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2019
Brown, 30, joins a Raiders team desperate for playmakers. He’ll immediately become the focal point of their offense, and will get paid like it.
Contract details for new #Steelers WR Antonio Brown: 3 years, $50.125M, source said. Max value is 54.125M. He gets $30.125M guaranteed, more than the $0 he preciously had. The contract was he biggest hurdle.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2019
The relationship between the Steelers and Brown fractured late last season and was deemed irreparable as the offseason marched on. Brown demanded a trade and not only got one, but he was able to — at least to some degree — control where he went.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that the Bills and Steelers had agreed to a trade for Brown, but it ultimately fell apart. There’s been speculation that Brown threatened to retire if a trade to Buffalo occurred, a threat that ultimately blew the whole thing up.
Now, Brown is a Raider, and with QB Derek Carr under center, his production should be pretty close to what he’s managed in Pittsburgh.
☠️☠️☠️ #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/ul6lIVk9dE
— AB (@AB84) March 10, 2019
How the Antonio Brown trade impacts the NFL Draft
With Brown in the fold, the Raiders don’t have to force a wide receiver with one of their three first-round picks. Instead, they can focus on building the defense (edge rusher, cornerback) and offensive line. That said, if a receiver they have graded highly slips to their second or third first-round pick, they can choose to select him to pair with Brown to give Carr the best chance to succeed.
The Steelers now have a massive void to fill on offense. The additional third- and fifth-round picks are nice, but it doesn’t feel like nearly enough draft capital to make up for the lost production; Brown’s had 2,830 yards and 24 touchdowns over the last two seasons alone.
JuJu Smith-Schuster will take over as the alpha receiver and second-year man James Washington will be given a chance to emerge. But expect the Steelers to add a veteran in free agency and target receiver early in the 2019 NFL draft.