Steelers Still Looking For First-Round Pick In Antonio Brown Trade Talks

Ian Rapoport reports that the Steelers are still looking for a first-round pick in a trade for WR Antonio Brown.

Rapoport mentions that this is likely why the Raiders keep coming up as the team to watch in trade talks for Brown, given that they have three first-round picks to work with this offseason.

Reports from earlier in the day mentioned that Pittsburgh would like to have a trade in place for Brown by Friday, but it’s possible an agreement could be done sooner, depending on the kind of offers they receive for Brown. 

The Cardinals, Broncos and Jets are no longer in the picture while the Titans and Redskins have also been tossed out as teams to watch. 

Adam Schefter previously mentioned that the Steelers’ asking price started out as a first-round pick and other compensation, but has since been reduced to a first-round pick. However, Schefter says that it doesn’t mean the Steelers will a first-round pick for Brown, but it’s considered more realistic.

Pittsburgh would incur a $21 million cap hit by trading Brown, which is typically too prohibitive for a team to take on. However, reports have said Pittsburgh believes they can easily offset the cap hit.

Brown is owed a $2.5 million roster bonus on the third day of the league year, which could work as a deadline of sorts for the Steelers to trade him.

Brown, 30, is a former sixth-round pick of the Steelers back in 2010. He’s currently in the third year of his five-year, $72.71 million contract that included a $19 million signing bonus and stands to make base salaries of $12.625 million and $11.3 million over the next two years of the agreement.

Trading Brown would be really tough for the Steelers, considering that they would take a $21.12 million cap hit by moving him before June 1. After that, the dead money hit drops to $7.04 million with the remainder being carried on their 2020 salary cap.

In 2018, Brown appeared in 15 games for the Steelers and caught 104 passes for 1,297 yards and 15 touchdowns.

We’ll have more regarding Brown and the Steelers as the news is available.