Earlier this season, there were a lot of discussions surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles and if they were going to try and acquire disgruntled Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell at the NFL trade deadline.
While the rumors continued to float about the two parties, nothing came from it as the Eagles decided to not trade for the talented running back and instead acquired veteran wide receiver Golden Tate III from the Detroit Lions.
However, there is now another player in the Steel City, who will more than likely be playing elsewhere next season.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday that All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown along with his agent Drew Rosenhaus met with the Steelers’ front office brass and agreed that a trade would be the best for everybody involved.
It does not come as a surprise to see both sides come to this decision, especially with the pressure Brown has applied to the Steelers publicly on social media.
Over the last month and a half, the 30-year-old wide receiver has spoken out about a variety of topics, including how Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has an “owner mentality” when it comes to calling out other players on the team.
And then there was also the debacle in Week 17 against the Cincinnati Bengals, where Brown did not play due to injury and reportedly left Heinz Field at halftime. With all of this coming to a head, it makes perfect sense for the Steelers to move on Brown.
However, when it comes to trading him, they will do what is best for the organization. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Pittsburgh will reportedly be patient with any deal and will want a high draft pick in return for the superstar wide receiver.
If this is the case, one team who could throw their proverbial hat into the ring is the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles have nine draft picks in the 2019 NFL Draft and could package a player or two to send to the Steelers in exchange for the talented Brown.
Should Philly do a deal for the All-Pro wide receiver considering that they might have pending holes at running back, linebacker, defensive line, and offensive line? And not to mention, having to deal with Brown’s personality, which has reportedly rubbed some teams the wrong way.
If they were to trade for Brown, the Eagles would definitely have to give up slot wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who is scheduled to make $9.4 million next season.
Many analysts believe that Agholor could be a potential cap casualty due to the Eagles only being a projected $1.9 million under the cap. However, Philly could try to sign him to a contract extension as well.
In addition to Agholor, the Eagles would also have to give up one of their second-round picks and possibly another player such as cornerback Rasul Douglas.
If you are Eagles GM Howie Roseman, are you willing to part ways with a younger wide receiver in Agholor (25), who is just coming into his own and a young defensive back for an older wide receiver that will not be an unrestricted free agent until 2022?
It is a tough question to answer, especially with what Brown has done over his illustrious NFL career. The 30-year-old wideout has had six consecutive seasons with 100 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards.
Last season, Brown had a career-high 15 touchdowns to go along with 1,297 yards on 104 receptions (168 targets). Could you imagine him playing opposite of Alshon Jeffery with Zach Ertz flanking him down the seam? It would make quarterback Carson Wentz’s life easier and the Eagles’ offense that much more explosive.
However, there should be some buyer beware when it comes to Brown because of his age and having cap hits over the next three seasons of $22 million, $18 million, and $19 million. That would be a lot of money tied up into an aging wide receiver while trying to pay your franchise quarterback and other guys on the 53-man roster.
With all that being said, it should be interesting to see how things play out with Brown and the Eagles this offseason. We know that Roseman is not scared to make big moves, but with other holes to fill on the roster, he should probably pass on Mr. Big Chest.
