Can’t live with him, can’t live without him.
That’s where the Steelers apparently find themselves with Antonio Brown, their brilliant yet unmanageable wide receiver. But there is a way to trade him that won’t kill their salary cap.
All those “little annoyances” from the past turned into one big migraine for the Steelers when Brown abandoned them last week. He basically quit the team.
When others did that in the past — James Harrison and LeGarrette Blount, for example — the Steelers were quick to release them. That, of course, won’t happen with Brown.
Mike Tomlin had three choices last week. He could have played Brown when he showed up for the game. He could have suspended him for the week when he did not show up for practices or the Steelers’ Saturday walk-through and meetings, which would have cost him 1/17th of his salary.
He chose instead to make him inactive for the finale against Cincinnati, a strong move nevertheless because of the possible bearing on their playoff chances.
But what should happen now or in the coming weeks and months?
Let’s look at the trade option. Contrary to popular belief, the Steelers would not necessarily take a huge hit on their salary cap if they traded Brown.
If he plays in 2019, his salary cap figure will be $22,165,000. If they trade him, his salary cap figure will be $21,120,000.
But there’s more than that. What isn’t being taken into account is his 2019 salary of $12,625,000 that won’t be paid and will be wiped from their cap, even though Brown’s individual cap figure will technically remain the same. Also, Brown is due a $2.5 million roster bonus five days after the new league season begins March 13.
That’s a real AND cap savings of more than $15 million in salary and bonus that won’t be paid or count if they trade him before March 18. (No trades are permitted before March 13, so they would have a five-day window to do so.)
That brings his realistic salary cap hit down to $6 million if they trade him by then, although technically on the books it will be that $21 million-plus in “dead money.” Plus, it would eliminate him from the books forever after 2019.
Of course, they will have to use some of that $15 million to replace Brown with another wide receiver, whether that’s via trade, free agency or the draft. They could do plenty with that amount.
It’s what they should have done with Le’Veon Bell a year ago rather than commit $14.5 million of their cap to him, preventing them from using that money elsewhere to find another back and shore up their defense.
They have that Bell money and cap space back because he skipped the 2018 season, but they really are not awash in cap space. Despite the Bell situation and an increase in the NFL’s salary cap by at least $10 million, the Steelers are projected to have $28.6 million in space by Overthecap.com. But that number counts just 38 players under contract.
Still, there is plenty of room to work. Their cap space won’t be reduced if they trade Brown. They want to work out a new contract for Ben Roethlisberger, but any new deal for him would actually save them more cap space in 2019. He has a $12 million salary and $5 million roster bonus due this year and all of that can be reduced through a signing bonus in a new contract with a reduced 2019 salary.
Surely, they can get at least a first-round draft choice this year for what may be the best receiver in the NFL, despite his recalcitrance. Maybe more. The Dallas Cowboys traded a first-round pick to Oakland for wide receiver Amari Cooper, who can’t carry Brown’s luggage. In 2017, Cooper caught 48 passes for 680 yards. He flourished with the Cowboys this year but still had 75 receptions for 1,005 yards and seven touchdowns, pale by Brown’s standards and his production this season — 104 catches; 1,297 yards; and a league-high 15 touchdowns despite missing the final game.
But would the Steelers really trade such a receiver, and where would that leave them at the position? One NFL personnel man said he does not see how the Steelers can keep Brown after what he did last week.
First, forget about trading him after June 1 to save more cap room this year by pushing two-thirds off into 2020. They would need the draft choice now and would be out the $2.5 million signing bonus they must pay him March 18. Plus, his salary would count on their cap until June, preventing them from making other moves.
No, if they are going to trade him it must be during that five-day window beginning March 13, when trades are first allowed — to save the roster bonus, salary and to get the draft pick(s) this year.
They’ve done it before. They traded Martavis Bryant last year. They traded Santonio Holmes one year after he was Super Bowl MVP.
Ben Roethlisberger and Co. won two Super Bowls without Brown. In 2005, they had Hines Ward, Antwaan Randle-El and Cedric Wilson. In 2008, they had Ward, Holmes and Nate Washington.
Antonio Brown has become a poison in the Steelers locker room. They missed the playoffs this season with him; at the very least, they can miss the playoffs without him.
Ed Bouchette: ebouchette@post-gazette.com and Twitter @EdBouchette
First Published: January 2, 2019, 5:07 p.m.
