It appears Antonio Brown has officially requested a trade and that means some Buffalo Bills fans may want to see the receiver in Buffalo.
There is always some sort of drama during any NFL offseason. The good news for Buffalo Bills fans is that the Bills don’t have any to deal with in 2019.
The main drama right now is the fact Antonio Brown has reportedly asked for a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This has led to some truly dumb videos of people burning their Brown jerseys. Someone has to explain to me how burning a piece of clothing you paid for is wise. I guess people will do anything for retweets.
Anyway, Brown’s name will be a hot one on the trade market. I still don’t see any scenario in which he ends up in Buffalo. And that has nothing to do with the money he is owed.
Antonio Brown trade reminders:
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 12, 2019
* He's due a $2.5M roster bonus on March 17th
* If traded before 3/17, the Steelers would absorb a dead cap hit of $21.12M, $23.62M if after 3/17
* Brown is due $12.625M in 2019, $11.3M in 2020, $12.5M in 2021
* Brown turns 31 on July 10
The first reason I don’t see a trade happening is the fact Brandon Beane has made it clear he wants to build through the NFL Draft. He will make some moves in free agency, but allocating a major portion of the salary cap to a player turning 31, and one who may refuse to report to the Bills, is against the whole process in place.
The money owed to Brown is something the Bills can afford. Yet the potential distraction to the team is a problem.
Brown is requesting a trade from a perennial contender in the AFC. If he comes to Buffalo and the team struggles, and Josh Allen doesn’t get him the ball ten times a game, the Bills could be dealing with the same problem the Steelers have right now.
The Bills constantly preach the idea of culture. That doesn’t mean the team is filled with saints, but it does appear that Beane and Sean McDermott genuinely don’t want any distractions on the team, regardless of talent.
All the drama aside, it would be cool to see Brown suit up in a Bills uniform next year. That is obvious. But the possibility of him doing so wouldn’t exist without the drama, as that is why he wants to be traded in the first place.
The Bills need a top receiver and there is plenty of money to spend. I also haven’t mentioned the cost it would take to get Brown. The Steelers aren’t just going to send him anywhere without a great haul in return.
Beane isn’t going to trade multiple first-round picks for a 31-year-old receiver. He may never make such a move unless the team was a top contender in the AFC for several years. Until then, he will likely stick to the plan he has been open about since he came aboard.