Steelers Reportedly Not Expected to Get a First-Round Pick for Antonio Brown; Did the Steelers Botch This?

Rival general managers expect not to have to pay a first-round pick for Antonio Brown, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Brown’s market price is looking like two second-round picks or a second and a third.

While it is not completely apples-to-apples, Amari Cooper, who is excellent but not on Brown’s level, went for a first-round pick. I previously said that the only four teams that should look to bring in Brown, a generational receiver, were the Jets, Packers, Colts, and 49ers. But teams like the Lions, Raiders and the Broncos also make sense if this price tag proves correct. Rapoport has said to keep an eye on Denver as they could be plotting a run at the former Chippewa.

The other side of this story, and perhaps equally as impactful, is how bad this has turned out for the Steelers. At this point, they need to part ways. But they’ll lose one of the greatest wide receivers of the past 30 years for an embarrassingly small sum. What’s more, they are also going to lose their superstar running back in Le'Veon Bell during the offseason. With zero Super Bowl appearances during their tenure together, Ben Roethlisberger, Brown and Bell will forever be looked back upon as a massive disappointment.