Antonio Brown won’t be playing for the Steelers next year and while the Raiders have been the team most frequently linked to a trade for Brown, ESPN’s Adam Schefter doesn’t see Oakland as the team to beat.
I think [the Raiders] are in, but I don’t view them as the favorite,” Schefter told Adam Schein on Thursday’s Mad Dog Sports Radio. “I think we’ve learned in situations like this that [the Raiders] are a little bit unpredictable, and I think oftentimes we hear that there is a favorite that sometimes those things don’t materialize. I’m not telling you that Oakland is out because I think they have been in the thick of these discussions all along, but I am saying I don’t view them as the favorite right now.”
Schefter added that he expects Brown to ultimately be traded for a second-round pick, but that the pick may end up being at the bottom of the second round. With the use of a little deductive reasoning, that would mean that the Raiders, so far at least, haven’t offered a second-round pick for Brown.
So if not the Raiders, who is the favorite to trade for Brown? The Saints, Titans, Redskins, Cardinals, and Broncos have all been linked to a trade with Pittsburgh, but the combination of Brown’s antics and the money tied to his contract seem to be scaring teams away from making a significant investment in the disgruntled wide receiver.
As for the Raiders, will they eventually raise their offer to a second-round pick? Based on Schefter’s comments, the 35th overall pick would probably be enough to get the Steelers to bite on a deal. If not, maybe they can still reach a deal using their third-round pick and another pick later in the draft?
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If the Raiders really wanted Brown, they would already have him, nobody has the capital the Raiders currently have.