It’s real this time. The Steelers (and Antonio Brown) agreed to a trade on Sunday sending Brown to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for both a third and a fifth in the upcoming draft. Along with the trade, the Raiders have also restructured Brown’s contract to make him the highest paid WR in the NFL. Brown received a three-year deal worth $50 million with incentives to exceed that amount. $30 million will be in guaranteed money after having $0 guaranteed prior to restructuring.
The bottom line is this: the Raiders have acquired arguably the best WR in the league. Brown can run any route and can put points on the board when needed most. He’s coming off of a season where he snagged 104 receptions, 1,297 yards, and 15 touchdowns in Pittsburgh. After a heavy pouring out of his feelings about the team and his relationship with fellow teammates, Brown wanted a change, and he got it. But, how will this affect the Raiders?
Another Piece to the Puzzle
The Raiders now have a star receiver to pair with their above-average QB Derek Carr. Brown described the relationship with Carr as “love at first sight,” so maybe these two studs already have some chemistry to build off of. “AB-DC” is now in full effect in Oakland.
On a serious note, Jon Gruden was seen as overpaid by many, but it’s clear here that he’s trying to build a Super Bowl-winning roster. Brown is only one piece to this very complicated Oakland puzzle. With the acquisition of Brown, the Raiders now have him, Jordy Nelson, Dwayne Harris, and Seth Roberts.
This is a solid group of receivers for both Gruden and Carr to work with. But, with free agency looming, the Raiders have to make more splashes to add weapons to this project. That leads us to the draft.
Building With The Draft
Last season, the Raiders traded away OLB Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears for their first-round pick in the upcoming draft. Oakland would then trade away WR Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for their first-round pick in the upcoming draft as well. That leaves Oakland with THREE first-round picks.
In total, the Raiders will have six picks in the upcoming draft, giving them an opportunity to get some fresh talent. Among these picks come the fourth-overall pick, which is either going to get them a really good defensive player or perhaps an opportunity to trade up for an even better player.
HC Jon Gruden is actually building something special, and this season could be the point where it all comes together for the Raiders.
The Antonio Brown Effect
It can’t be stressed enough how much of a star the Raiders are gaining at WR. Last season, TE Jared Cook was Oakland’s top receiver with only 896 yards. Brown (as alluded to before) had 1,297, almost twice as much. The Raiders have never had a receiver reach 1,500 yards in a single season. Luckily for them, A.B. has averaged 1,524 yards for the past six seasons. However, Brown hasn’t caught a touchdown pass from someone not named Ben Roethlisberger. But, that’s a stat that’s bound to be history come week one of the new season.
Yes, Antonio Brown is a good player, but it calls to question whether his attitude/ego will be too much to handle. A new team does mean a new slate, so it shouldn’t mean much. He seems to have a good relationship with his new quarterback. As for everyone else, it’s a chance to show the team he’s not the bad guy he’s painted out to be. It’s worth noting that Brown’s problem stemmed from his relationship with HC Mike Tomlin and Roethlisberger. Now, they’re gone.
Perhaps this new change in scenery is one that can benefit Antonio Brown greatly. Considering he’s in the prime of his career, the Raiders are bound to get the rest of the correct pieces to make sure both he and the team are successful. There have been many things said about Brown and his character, but at this point, none of that matters. Oakland just got a star and business is boomin’.