The trade for Antonio Brown is more than just an improvement for the offense. It is a sign that Jon Gruden and the front office comprehend value.
Business is boomin for the Oakland Raiders!
The trade that had been rumored for weeks becomes official in the thick of night. The Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to send All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a third and fifth round pick when the new league year begins next week.
To go along with the trade, Brown gets the contract that he has been advocating for. A three-year deal worth $50.125 million with the potential to max out at $54.125 million per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The value for acquiring the services of Brown comes as a complete shock. It felt almost certain that the Raiders would give up one of their late first round picks considering the disastrous trades Jon Gruden made last year value wise.
However, this trade for Antonio Brown speaks volumes about the current state of the Raiders. It shows that Jon Gruden is beginning to understand the concept of value in the NFL in his second go-around with the team. The team was never going to succeed so long as Gruden didn’t understand the business side.
Raiders didn’t have to give up high picks. Paid @AB84 30 million guaranteed, which is what one of the baddest WR in the game is worth. Think what you want but Brown is going to be focused and a big time player for Oakland and @derekcarrqb. Big upgrade for a team that needs a lot.
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) March 10, 2019
So what has changed since Gruden made a bunch of rational transactions last offseason? The hiring of general manager Mike Mayock.
Gruden needed someone in the personnel department that could challenge him on ideas. They desperately needed a check and balances system, someone that could tell Gruden to cool his jets. Mayock could very well have been the reason the Raiders were steadfast with their initial offer. I’d bet that he was the main factor to the trade because a trade like this looks nothing like the trades made last season.
Of course there still is the possibility that Gruden has matured in a business sense. It possibly is a combination of both Mayock and maturity from Gruden.
Whatever the case may be, they both were able to bring the best receiver the Raiders have traded for since Randy Moss, although that did not turn out so well. It’s not just the draft capital given up that the Raiders front office deserves credit for, it’s the contract that they signed Antonio Brown to as well.
The money isn’t so much a factor because he signed on for three years. Remember, Brown will be turning 31 years old when the season kicks off.
He’ll be 34 at the end of the deal, so the Raiders put themselves in a prime position. If they see that Brown is declining, then they can let him walk once his deal is up. If he shows that he is still a capable receiver, then they are in a prime position to re-sign him.
The trade for Antonio Brown brings a lot of optimism for the future of the franchise. Not because of the production they’ll get from Brown, but because the front office is demonstrating that they will not overextend themselves.
Once again, this is a great sign that Jon Gruden understands value and that Mike Mayock may in fact be a great hire. There is still a lot to see when it comes to personnel moves from these two, but if this foreshadows anything it’s that the state of the Raiders is strong.