A year ago, the Pittsburgh
Steelers had the game's best tailback-receiver tandem.
Arguably, quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger's best supporting cast was expected to elevate
Pittsburgh to its first Super Bowl appearance since 2010.
But a concoction of failed NFL business, broken trust and player
conviction have forced the Steelers to rebuild both positions on the fly.
After 837 catches, 11,207 yards and 74 touchdowns together
over nine seasons, Antonio Brown and
the Steelers are initiating their split.
After nearly 130 yards per game over five seasons, Le'Veon
Bell and the Steelers are well into divorce proceedings thanks to Bell's
year-long holdout.
Replacing one of those players is bad. Replacing both is a
talent drain. But with prudent front office work, the Steelers can craft the
blueprint to preserve roster strength.
TRADE PLAN: The Steelers send Brown and a 2020
sixth-round pick to the San Francisco
49ers in exchange for a 2019 second-round pick and a 2020
fifth-round pick.
The Steelers maximize Brown's value with a trade partner
that needs a playmaker for quarterback Jimmy
Garoppolo. The Steelers wanted a first-round pick, but Brown's age
(31 in July) and off-field issues might thwart that plan. Shipping Brown to the
NFC gets him out of their backyard, though they would have to play him next
season. But no way the Steelers will trade Brown to the New England
Patriots or an AFC North rival. Despite his issues, Brown is
simply too good not to net a Day 2 draft pick in return.
ANTONIO BROWN SAGA
The Steelers should be in no rush despite a $2.5 million
roster bonus due March 17. They can wait for the best deal. And if they wanted
to be really petty, they could cut him after the draft when teams have spent
their cash and selected their draft picks. They would save $15.1 million in
space with a post-June 1 designation. They won't do that. But if things get
really ugly.
WITH THE 36TH OVERALL PICK ...: The Steelers use the
49ers' second-round pick on inside linebacker help, selecting Alabama's Mack
Wilson. Day 2 seems to be a sweet spot for inside backers, giving the Steelers
plenty of options with San Francisco's selection while focusing on premier
positions in the first round. Wilson isn't a blazer but was known for good
instincts in the passing game and has ideal size at 6-foot-2, 238 pounds. After
not trading up for Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans last
year, the Steelers get a Crimson Tide star in the mold of Ravens linebacker
C.J. Mosley. And if Michigan's Devin Bush is available in the second, the
Steelers might pounce.
IN FREE AGENCY, THE STEELERS ... Add receiver
help somewhere in the first- or second-tier market with Washington
Redskins playmaker Jamison
Crowder, who is Golden Tate Lite
and might be affordable because of injuries. The Steelers are projected to have
$19.398 million in salary-cap space, according to OverTheCap.com. Though
Pittsburgh will never be free agency's biggest spender, this might be time to
eschew conservative ways after missing the playoffs for the first time since
2013. Crowder's height (5-9) is a concern, but size is not a strength with this
class, and Crowder is tough. He can do a little bit of everything.
ROSENHAUS ON AB,
STEELERS: 'WE WANT EVERYBODY TO WIN'
Antonio Brown's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, provides details on
the meeting that Brown had with the Steelers, as well as the wide receiver's
future.
OTHER OPTIONS: John Brown is
a vertical threat at an affordable cost; Tate would be a nice fit depending on
price.
ALTERNATIVE TRADE PROPOSAL: Locating pass-rush help
from underachieving first-round picks, the Steelers acquire defensive end Charles
Harris and a third-round pick from the Miami
Dolphins for Antonio Brown. If the Steelers can't get a
first-rounder for Brown, why not secure a former first to accompany a Day 2
selection? Harris has underachieved with three sacks in 27 games, but a new
scheme might help him rediscover his pass-rush moves. Only problem: The
Dolphins are on the schedule next year.
LE'VEON BELL
The options: Pulling off a sign-and-trade with the
transition tag is possible but presents many hurdles. The Steelers can’t trade
him straight up unless he signs the tag (unlikely), and if they decide to match
an offer sheet and then deal him, finding a partner willing to give up draft
capital and meet the hefty contract structure for a running back is a
challenge. Plus, the NFLPA would almost certainly argue the Steelers were
violating the spirit of a tag process designed for teams to keep players in
good faith.
That leaves them with two primary options: Let him enter
unrestricted free agency and snag as high as a third-round compensatory pick in
2020, or tag him and hope for the best deal.
Then there’s this wild card: The team can rescind the
transition tag and still score a compensatory pick, according to a little known
nugget in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. They could tag him and, assuming
the sign-and-trade looks bleak after a few days of feeling teams out, pull the
tag in time for Bell to secure a good deal.
THE SENSIBLE MOVE -- MAKE IT ABOUT 2020: The cleanest
path is to let Bell walk, which isn’t as fun because they don’t get draft picks
now. Bell will most likely sign a massive contract, triggering a
late-third-round compensatory pick in 2020. The Steelers would be armed with
three Day 2 picks in next year's draft. They probably won't do better than that
in a sign-and-trade unless one team out there is absolutely desperate for Bell.
AS A FALLBACK: Sign a veteran to a DeAngelo
Williams-type deal (two years, $4 million). Frank Gore comes
to mind. He's remained productive despite turning 35 in May. He could play a
mentor/depth role with James Conner and Jaylen
Samuels handling much of the workload.
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