According to reports from ESPN and NFL Network, the Steelers want to have a trade completed for Antonio Brown by Friday. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, three new potential trade partners have entered the mix and the Steelers want every team’s best offer within the next 48 hours.
Unlike previous reports the Steelers have strategically passed along to the media, the team was smart enough this time to not include any interested teams – opting instead to keep the supposed bidders anonymous. Why do it this way? Because anonymous teams can’t shoot down reports the way Arizona and Denver did earlier in the week. In fact, the Denver/Arizona report ended up calling into question whether anyone at all is bidding against the Raiders for Brown – or at least offering anything close to a high second-round pick.
So do the Raiders have real competition for Brown? Maybe a little, but this seems more like one final effort by the Steelers to get a first-round pick.
It’s a familiar tactic by Pittsburgh and one that the Raiders shouldn’t fall for. Based on reports in the last week that the Steelers have dropped their asking price to a first-round pick for Brown, it’s probably down to the Steelers getting either the Raiders 27th overall pick or their 35th overall pick for the disgruntled All Pro.
Just a guess… look for Brown to end up being traded to the Raiders by Friday.
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