Pittsburgh Steelers: Kevin Colbert let Antonio Brown win
The Pittsburgh Steelers just gave up their best player for a trade Jon Gruden would’ve laughed at.
Antonio Brown won, plain and simple. Somehow, the rumors of swapping first-round picks with the Buffalo Bills, a move that would’ve landed Pittsburgh in the top ten, ended up sending AB to Oakland and leaving Steelers fans questioning the decision making of their General Manager.
Most of the issues this offseason were Antonio Brown’s fault. It’s not hard to see that the constant talking decreased his trade value. But Brown wasn’t a low-end first-round pick that fell to a third-round – Brown was a top ten pick that should’ve fallen to the bottom of the first-round.
Many began to question Kevin Colbert’s role when he started making comments about Ben Roethlisberger’s leadership. Whether you were on the side of Brown or Ben, most agreed both had some role in the downfall of the Steelers chemistry, and wanted to see both of them addressed.
Instead, Colbert put Brown on the trading block and told the media that Ben can basically do what he pleases.
People weren’t happy. It’s understood that quarterbacks win Super Bowls, wide receivers don’t. So, if one of the two had to go, Brown was packing his bags. But it also meant there was much more trade value for AB, which should’ve led to a move that helped the Steelers get better.
It didn’t.
The Pittsburgh Steelers traded Antonio Brown to the Oakland Raiders for a third and fifth-round pick. When the Twitter notifications started flowing in around 2am, almost everyone had the same reaction – are you kidding me?
At this point, it feels as if faith is being lost in Kevin Colbert. After the worst season in recent memory, the best players the Steelers have had since Troy Polamalu was moved for two-times less than what his value was. Brown certainly didn’t help his situation, but a General Manager’s job isn’t to trade the best wide receiver in football for a third-round pick.
Steelers could look draft to replace AB. dark. Next
It’s in the past now. Brown is gone, the drama is hopefully gone and at this point the Steelers should be moving forward. Colbert’s job should be evaluated, though. It’s about time his seat starts to warm up, and if 2019 doesn’t go as planned, next offseason could be the year Pittsburgh is looking for a new GM.