Buffalo Bills dodge a bullet on nixed trade for Antonio Brown
The Buffalo Bills were reportedly close to swinging a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers for Antonio Brown but the trade fell apart.
Make no mistake, acquiring Antonio Brown would have been a big addition for the Buffalo Bills but when Ian Rappoport made the initial report suggested a deal was close, it caught the NFL world by surprise.
Would the disgruntled receiver report to the Bills if the deal went through? According to reports, it was the main reason why talks broke down according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
The Bills even released a statement saying they did show interest in acquiring the All-Pro receiver but in the end, the deal didn’t make sense.
"“We inquired about Antonio Brown on Tuesday, and kept talks open with the Steelers,” Bills GM Brandon Beane said in a statement. “We had positive discussions, but ultimately it didn’t make sense for either side. As great a player as Antonio Brown is, we have moved on and our focus is on free agency.”"
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Should this be seen as a big loss for the Bills? Given how the situation played out and how it could have played out the Bills saved themselves from major embarrassment.
While Brown does not have a no-trade clause in his deal, NFL players have shown that they are willing to hold out in order to get what they want. Now, the Bills could have played hardball with Brown and made him sit out as the Steelers did with Leveon Bell but why should they deal with that headache.
Now he remains the Steelers problem and maybe potential teams who were looking to acquire Brown will think twice about it and won’t be willing to pay the price Pittsburgh is looking for.
Obviously, the Bills still have to find a way to improve their offence which was a disaster last season. They can draft a wide receiver with prospects like D.K. Metcalf, Mecole Hardman, and Miles Boykin as options.
One receiver isn’t going to be enough to turn things around for Buffalo so they should be looking for low-cost but high potential options like Tyrell Williams, Adam Humphries, Devin Funchess, and John Brown in free agency.
Bills fans can be mad with how the Brown situation fell apart but they should be glad they aren’t getting caught up in the circus that has been a nightmare for Pittsburgh. At least the terms of the trade weren’t released which could’ve looked bad on management.
Next. Bills should look into Jesse James. dark
What do you think about the potential deal that fell through on Brown? Who should the team prioritize as an addition in the off-season? Let us know in the comments below.