If you tucked into bed at a reasonable hour Thursday night, you slept through a whole lotta trade drama in Pittsburgh.
Reports started at around 11:30 p.m. ET, when NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport practically broke Football Twitter by tweeting that the Steelers were “closing in on a deal” to send Antonio Brown to the Buffalo Bills, and picked up again in the wee hours of the morning when it became apparent that Brown was not willing to cooperate with his suitor. A statement from Bills general manager Billy Beane officially laid the reports to rest: Brown-to-Buffalo wasn’t happening after all.
Aren’t you glad you slept through it all?
So who’s next in line to vie for Brown’s services? Anyone…? We’ll explore that more below. Plus, we’ll take a look around the league at some other story lines starting to sprout ahead of NFL free agency (which officially opens up March 13 at 4 p.m. ET).
Where will Antonio Brown land?
Honestly? No idea. It’s bleak – for both the player and the team trying to trade him. Teams who are still interested are reportedly waiting for the Steelers to reduce their asking price (up until now, it’s involved a first-round pick), leaving GM Kevin Colbert with a tricky task of either lowering his rate or risk paying Brown’s $2.5-million signing bonus on March 17.
On paper, Brown doesn’t have a say in his destination. But the threat of holding out for a new deal, not reporting to his new team or just straight-up playing the retirement card is deterrent enough for teams who were interested but now fear being (very publicly) turned down by the best receiver in the league.
In an effort to simplify a very complicated situation, here’s a look at which other teams are reportedly not in the running for Brown:
The Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders had emerged as the teams that were showing the most interest in Brown last week but the latest reports from ESPN’s Dianna Russini have Washington and Tennessee no longer in the running. Per Russini, the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos are also out, and any interest from the Green Bay Packers looks like it’s in the past.
Also out are the Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets.
Colbert has previously indicated he’d rather not send his top receiver to a division rival, so that crosses the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns off the list, and there’s also a report that they won’t send him to the New England Patriots. (I mean, let’s be honest… that would just be unfair, yes?)
That leaves us with…? The Raiders still seem like a possibility here, and the rebuilding club’s three (!) first-round draft picks give them some flexibility to make waves on the trade market.
There are plenty of teams who have yet to be placed in either camp, and anything can happen. But one thing is clear: The market is shrinking, the Steelers’ (unofficial) deadline is fast approaching, and Brown isn’t going anywhere quietly. In other words, stay tuned! This should be fun.
Adam Thielen ready for a new deal?
Let’s talk about another star wide receiver for a minute: Adam Thielen.
According to Vikings beat writer Chris Tomasson, Minnesota wants to re-sign Thielen — whose current cap hit of $8.1 million for the next two years makes him quite the bargain — but it’s not as easy as handing him a raise.
Nothing urgent, but certainly worth monitoring this off-season.
Eagles ready to move on from Michael Bennett
UPDATE: The Eagles have moved on from Michael Bennett, trading him to New England.
Philadelphia Inquirer writer Jeff McLane reported earlier Friday that the Eagles were ready to move on from Bennett via a trade or by releasing him altogether.
Bennett himself spoke up later Friday morning, telling the Good Morning Football crew that he understands the Eagles’ current salary cap situation, but is “not willing to take a pay cut.”
“I actually want a pay raise at this point,” he continued, “and so whatever happens just to know that whatever team I go to I want to get paid more than I get paid right now.”
The 33-year-old defensive end is set to earn $7.2 million in 2019, and considering his production last season (nine sacks, two forced fumbles and 34 tackles) and the strong market for pass-rushers right now, a raise could certainly happen.
Jaguars clear cap space… for Nick Foles?
Jacksonville cut ties with several players on Friday, including running back Carlos Hyde (acquired via trade with the Cleveland Browns last year).
Cutting five veterans gives the Jaguars some cap flexibility — for, say, a certain Super Bowl MVP quarterback named Nick Foles who’s been widely reported to be heading down to Florida in free agency.
T.J. Lang contemplating retirement?
The Detroit Lions released veteran guard T.J. Lang on Friday after two seasons with the team, sending him on his way with a message of gratitude.
There are clearly no hard feelings between the player and club. Lang in fact had a bit of fun on Twitter himself.
According to Detroit Free Press writer Dave Birkett, Lang is now facing a big decision about whether or not he’s ready to retire from the NFL or take a few more snaps with another team.
It was a pretty huge deal when Detroit signed the hometown offensive lineman (he’s from nearby Royal Oak, Michigan) in 2017 after eight productive seasons in Green Bay, but injuries and a hefty price tag ultimately cut his time with the Lions short. The move saves the team almost $9 million in cap space.
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