The Oakland Raiders certainly need help at the wide receiver spot, and some players want them to go out and get the biggest name of them all.
On Wednesday, news broke that Antonio Brown will not play in Pittsburgh, and although expected, it was officially confirmed when Art Rooney II and Antonio met at the Palm Beach Airport. Adam Schefter posted a picture on Instagram that Raiders safety Karl Joseph screen captured and re-posted, with some words across the image:
Karl Joseph has always been active social media, never holding back his thoughts. Most recently he posted saying, “@Raiders have plenty of cash, and no state taxes in Vegas and @derekcarrqb would love to have you”.
Last season, Amari Cooper was traded for a first round pick, and although some are speculating the Steelers want a first as well, it’s not something teams will give up. Amari Cooper is 24-years old and entering the prime of his career. Brown, on the other hand, will be 31 once the season begins.
If Brown would be willing to play under his current contract, which pays him $15 million next season and an average of $11 million after that for two years, then a team might be willing to trade a high second for his services. However, the big issue is paying a 31-year-old WR with character issues big money.
Although the production has been there, a lot could be said regarding the Steelers system and how it utilizes offensive talents to get the best out of them. If a team does give up some draft picks for Brown, it could, however, pay off big time.
Oakland has Jordy Nelson returning in 2019, and Marcell Ateman should be better in his second season after getting some extra playing time late in 2018. However, outside of those two, the Raiders have guys like Seth Roberts and Keon Hatcher, so they will be in the market when it comes to upgrading this position group this offseason.