The Oakland Raiders seem to be in the running for wide receiver Antonio Brown, but is the Pittsburgh Steelers asking price too high.
The Oakland Raiders certainly need help at the wide receiver position, as they traded away Amari Cooper during the 2018 NFL season, leaving the team with a gaping hole atop their depth chart. They do have Jordy Nelson returning for another season in the Silver and Black in 2019, and Marcell Ateman should have an advanced role, but this position group needs at least a couple of fresh bodies added to it this offseason.
Oakland holds three first round picks, and five of the first 66 selections, so they can obviously go out and draft some of the elite wideouts in the draft class. However, they appear to be the front-runner to trade for the services of All-Pro Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, who currently has a first-round asking price on his head.
A first round pick may be too much to ask, but the Raiders have a major need at the position, and you have to think that Brown has a couple of years of elite football remaining in him. Carr needs an elite weapon at the position moving forward, and if it takes a first round pick to get one, Gruden just may pull the trigger.
Personally, I have no problem with the Raiders giving up their No. 35 pick in the second round to get AB, but how much do the Steelers really want to get rid of him. The rumor is that it is a one-team race to get his services, and the Raiders certainly have the draft capital if they want him, but that would essentially mean that they traded Amari Cooper for Brown.
Brown is 31-years old, and even in a season of turmoil, he was still able to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the sixth straight campaign. He would bring a dynamic this Raiders team has been missing for years, but a first round pick is a little too steep for my blood, even if the team does have three of them.