The Oakland Raiders pulled off a steal of a deal for wide receiver Antonio Brown, and it has been rated as one of the best in the entire league this offseason.
After a 2018 season that saw the Oakland Raiders trade away wide receiver Amari Cooper, and finish the year with Jordy Nelson atop their depth chart at the position, it was no big secret that the team needed to revamp the position group. New general manager Mike Mayock attacked this need early in the new league year, trading for one of the best wide receivers the NFL has ever seen.
Oakland’s new general manager swung a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers for Antonio Brown, who has been an automatic 100-catch, and 1,000-yard receiver for the Steelers over the last six seasons. In Brown, the Raiders have that legitimate No. 1 option in the passing game that Derek Carr has been missing, as he brings an elite skill set to the Silver and Black.
Originally, the Steelers wanted two first round picks for Brown, and then only one, but Mayock was able to get them down to a third and fifth round selection. That was a veteran move by the first-year general manager, who has not seem overwhelmed in his new role at all.
Bleacher Report recently released a piece showing the top-25 moves in the entire NFL this offseason, and it was no surprise that the Brown trade was on there. In fact, the Raiders move for AB came in at No. 2 overall, second to only the Cleveland Browns trading with the New York Giants for another star wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr.
Both players will no doubt have a significant impact on their new teams, but for Brown and the Raiders, this seems like a match made in Heaven. Brown and Carr have already developed an incredible relationship, and unlike Cooper, he appears ecstatic to be a member of Raider Nation.
Of course, this move only works if Carr can get some time in the pocket, as he was sacked a career-high 51 times last season, the fourth-most in the NFL. The Raiders have made a concerted effort to surround Carr with more talent this offseason, and bringing in AB was certainly the biggest of all the moves.