Antonio Brown to the Ravens?
On the surface, making a move like this should have Ravens fans more excited than anything they could possibly do this off-season. Adding Antonio Brown, arguably the best wide receiver in the league, to a talented roster while also crippling an in-division rival? What’s better than that?
Well, there are all sorts of holes with this idea. For starters, why on earth would the Steelers elect to trade arguably their greatest receiver in franchise history to arguably their biggest rivals in franchise history? It doesn’t make a lot of sense, no matter what the Ravens are willing to offer up.
Next is the salary cap situation. Brown is set to have a ~$22 million cap hit in 2019, and his contract is almost impossible to move until after 2020. Obviously, this isn’t a huge deal if he gives you the production we’ve become acquainted to since his breakout in 2013. Nonetheless, $22 million is quarterback money being paid to a soon-to-be 31-year old wide receiver. It doesn’t matter who that receiver is, it’s incredibly difficult to justify that kind of investment.
And even if Baltimore could make a trade for Brown or pick up his contract via Waiver Wire, the biggest problem left is the reason Pittsburgh is moving on from him: he’s a diva. Brown is no stranger to the limelight, and when the spotlight isn’t on him there’s a problem. The touchdown dances and celebrations are all fun and games until he starts fighting with teammates in the locker room and destroying and chemistry and relationships he had with his teammates.
The Ravens, who have a healthy mix of veterans and youngsters, have a good thing going in their locker room right now. Adding a personality like Brown could throw off the rhythm and cause a rift. Honestly, there’s no telling if the Ravens players would even be interested in Brown joining their team. Who could blame them after everything we’ve seen come out?
At the end of the day, talents like Antonio Brown are hard to come by, and when opportunity presents itself, it’s often best to strike while the iron is hot. However, Antonio Brown has proven to be a very cancerous teammate and isn’t shy from starting fights within his own locker room and front office. The idea of weakening Pittsburgh and strengthening Baltimore’s offense significantly is awesome in theory, but it’s a move that’s better off to be avoided. The Ravens would be best to sit this story out, and simply watch the Steelers deal with this drama all off-season.