The NFL has long been a copycat league and the model for 2018, 2019 and beyond looks to be the following: elite defensive talent, and elite, young offensive talent. Last season, three of the four conference finalists (the Eagles, Jaguars and Vikings) had a top ranked defense due to elite talent on the defensive end. In other words, the tired old adage of “defense wins championships” still actually has some clout. Here we look at Antonio Brown Panthers Cowboys Seahawks NFL trade rumors and more.
The Steelers do have elite offensive talent – no question – in Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and (usually) LeVeon Bell. But that talent is far from young. For a level fantasy football playing field go to FantasyDraft now!
Looking at the NFL right now, there are two teams that are killing it with elite and young talent on the offensive side of the ball. The Rams are 4-0, being led by young-ins Jared Goff, Todd Gurley and Cooper Kupp. The Chiefs are 3-0, being led by second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Steelers GM Kevin Colbert is no doubt taking notice of these trends and you have to wonder if the window has closed on this particular era of Pittsburgh football. Brown is now 30-years-old and for as great as he’s been has never been a part of a Super Bowl winning Steelers team. Bell is only 26 but as has been well-publicized, the chances of him coming back to the Steelers now are slim. Roethlisberger is 36.
These next three weeks are crucial for the Steelers franchise and will go a long way in determining their immediate and longterm future. They host the Ravens this Sunday, host the Falcons a week from Sunday, and are at the Bengals on Oct. 14. A 3-0 or 2-1 record will go a long in showing Colbert that this group is still a contender. A 1-2 or 0-3 record may cause Colbert to push the reset button on the whole operation.
Imagine the assets that the Steelers could get in return if they were to trade both Bell and Brown?
Brown flirted with the idea of joining another team on social media earlier this month, but most chalked it up to be posturing, and a fleeting thought. Brown has been prone to these bigger picture thoughts in the past.
“Am I really free? What am I really playing this game for?,” Brown asked earlier this summer. “To acquire records for who? When I’m done playing, no one will remember what my stats were in 2016 or 2015. Those are things I have to clear my mind of, getting away from the game.”
Colbert has not blinked when it comes to Bell, and he also may be starting to get fed up with Brown and his noncommittal nature towards football.
Brown signed a four-year contract extension with the Steelers last year worth $68 million. Below are more Antonio Brown Panthers Cowboys Seahawks NFL trade rumors.
If the Steelers do go in the tank in the next month, expect Colbert to sniff around a Brown trade near the NFL trade deadline. Teams that could be interested at that time (assuming they themselves are still in contention in 2018) are the Cowboys, Seahawks and Panthers.
Jerry Jones desperately wants to make a splash considering the lack of stars on the Dallas roster right now. But with Tony Romo’s contract still counting against the cap, the Cowboys are still in salary cap hell. It would take some major cap maneuvering to bring in Brown, and it likely isn’t worth it for Dallas which is more than just a top-line receiver away from true contention.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks would like to use the Eagles model of surrounding their quarterback with as much top level talent on offense as possible. Russell Wilson has never played with a wide receiver anywhere close to as good as Brown, and the Seahawks right now are in the bottom half of the league in points per game. In Seattle’s glory days earlier this decade, they always factored into the top 10. Brown would certainly get them there.
Of course, the Seahawks too have salary cap issues and would need to unload salary to make room for Brown.
Finally, the Panthers could kick the tires on Brown given their need at the wide receiver position. Brown and Cam Newton have long been buds and the duo spent a good amount of time working out with one another this past summer.
Another major reason why the Cowboys, Seahawks and Panthers would be at the top of the line if Brown truly becomes available is that they all reside in the NFC. The Steelers would prefer to send any of their top talent away from the AFC. Above is a glance at Antonio Brown Panthers Cowboys Seahawks NFL trade rumors as frustration may be building in Pittsburgh.
