As Antonio Brown's rift with the Pittsburgh Steelers becomes increasingly public, three teams have emerged as favorites to land the disgruntled wide receiver, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
While more than three franchises have "had conversations" with Pittsburgh regarding a trade for the perennial Pro Bowler, Schefter said Friday that the Oakland Raiders, Washington Redskins and Tennessee Titans have "shown the most interest" in a deal and "are the most likely landing spots" ahead of free agency's March 13 kickoff.
Oakland possesses three first-round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft and dealt receiver Amari Cooper during the 2018 season. Tennessee could be eyeing a No. 1 target for Marcus Mariota. And Washington, despite serious questions at quarterback and bottom-15 salary-cap room, could lose starting receiver Jamison Crowder to free agency.
Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said just over a week ago that three teams had already called about a potential trade for Brown. Colbert has been open about Pittsburgh's attempts to find a trade partner since Brown went public with his own desire to move on from the Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger -- a recent and frequent target of Brown's criticism. He has also emphasized, whether out of sincerity or as a negotiation tactic, that the Steelers won't trade their star receiver if they aren't fairly compensated.
The team's initial asking price, according to Schefter, was a first-round draft pick plus other compensation. It's since been reduced to just a first-round pick, per Schefter.
Aside from the Raiders, Redskins and Titans reportedly showing interest, no other teams have expressed a desire to deal for Brown -- and they cannot, technically, seeing as though the wideout is under contract. Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey, however, joked at the NFL combine that he wanted Brown to have his phone number.
