If Antonio Brown truly is traded by tomorrow, as the latest reports indicate, it doesn’t sound like he’ll be going to Washington or Tennessee. According to ESPN’s Dianna Russini, both organizations are no longer interested in the Steelers’ wide receiver.
It appears their focus has been on finding a quarterback to compete with Colt McCoy. Washington will acquire Case Keenum from the Broncos when the new league year begins.
Earlier Thursday, Russini also reported Tennessee is bowing out of a potential deal.
It makes it unclear who exactly is still in the running to trade for Brown. The Oakland Raiders have been a name consistently thrown out as a “leader,” whatever that means, but a report from their local beat writer seemed to put the brakes on the idea.
Who’s left? Is San Francisco really out? How about go a little north and try Seattle? Maybe the New York Jets could be a Wild Card? At this point, it’s been all smoke, no fire.
One of the biggest issues in trying to work out a deal is Brown’s desire for guaranteed money and a new contract. The Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill closing in on a new deal probably doesn’t help either. Trading Brown means finding the perfect fit or the Steelers lowering what they want in return.
Should Brown not be dealt by Friday, remember that’s just an arbitrary deadline that doesn’t have any meaning, the next legitimate deadline will come on March 17th, when Brown is owed a $2.5 million roster bonus. If that time comes and goes, perhaps teams will have a renewed interest.
UPDATE (6:17 PM): Add the Saints to the “out” list, though I’m not sure they really were ever considered “in.”
