Where will Antonio Brown play in 2019? It’s anyone’s guess
Brown is the type of athlete that could fit into any team’s offensive scheme and, if the WR accepts a restructured contract, into any team’s payroll as well, which makes predicting a possible trade a more than difficult task.
By ANDY BENOIT - February 21, 2019
Antonio Brown is
available for trade, and predicting where he will land (or what the Steelers will get in return) is like guessing where the pill will stop on a roulette wheel. Never has the destination for an NFL star on the trading block been so difficult to forecast.
Brown, who turns 31 years old in July, is a top-shelf No. 1 receiver on the field right now. He’s shown no marked sign of decline, but history and science suggest he could soon. His greatest strength is the speed and quickness he has getting in and out of his breaks, which is all predicated on balance—one of the first attributes an aging athlete loses. When Brown’s game does start going downhill, it could roll quickly.
However Brown is the NFL’s craftiest contested catch artist not named DeAndre Hopkins. Some teams might see Larry Fitzgerald-type longevity in store for him. It might not matter, though, because most likely whoever deals for Brown will see him as a two-year rental, with decisions about 2021 and future years to be made later.
Brown’s behavior off the field, especially last season, is another story. In recent years rumors and
gripes about his diva behavior have poured in. And it’s likely that those stories are just the tip of the iceberg, considering that is has always been, and is now especially, in the Steelers’ best interest to keep ugly Brown stories sealed. As an outsider looking in, here’s what we can see from afar:
And then there are the teams whose quarterbacks have unique sandlot playmaking abilities and would value Brown’s sense for uncovering late in the down—a skill he mastered playing with one of history’s greatest playmaking QBs, Ben Roethlisberger. Those teams:
Buffalo
Baltimore
Seattle
Green Bay
Don’t be surprised if Brown winds up somewhere that most people think was totally unexpected.