Unser Chat » Steeler Nation is upset because the real Antonio Brown

was not what we thought. That is what killed his value."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Latest NewsSteelers Film Room2018 NFL Draft AnalysisLatest NewsLatest NewsCommentaryThe Steelers got “Fair Compensation” for Antonio Brown...barelyNew Mike Hilton Jersey ,180commentsSteeler Nation is upset because the real Antonio Brown was not what we thought. That is what killed his value.EDTShareTweetShareShareThe Steelers got “Fair Compensation” for Antonio Brown...barelyRobert Hanashiro-USA TODAYFirst, let’s translate the picks that Pittsburgh received into a single number. I have been saying for months that Pittsburgh should walk away from any deal with an average value less than a 2nd Round pick, with questions about whether even that much would be on offer. More on that later. First, did the team get that much value?In exchange for the rights to Antonio Brown Oakland forked over the pics at 3:02 and 5:03. The NFL draft trade chart sets the value of those picks at 260 and 35 points, for a combined value of 295 points. The K.C. pick at 2:29 is valued at 292 points and the Chargers’ 2:28 pick at 300 points, so the answer is pretty easy. Pittsburgh received value equal to a very late 2nd round pick.Next question: How in the world can I argue that a HOF Wide Receiver is worth no more than the 29th pick of the 2nd Round? It comes down to this: the Antonio Brown of 2019 is not what people thought he was in 2018. Imagine if he’d been in a car crash and had some hideous injury with doubts about his ability to recover in full. No one would challenge an argument that his post-crash value is far less than it would have been beforehand. Why should we treat his development of Locker Room Cancer all that differently?The following description summarizes what most of Steeler Nation (including me) thought about this young man going in to 2018:Sound about right? That was certainly my opinion a year ago. We all knew that was a carefully crafted public image. We aren’t morons. Still, I live in the Burgh, one hears the rumors, and in AB’s case they all came down to real life IQ deficits and some charmingly childish emotional outbursts. I never once heard him accused of being a foul human being, and I can promise you that hasn’t been the case for several of his teammates over the years.But let’s compare the above to the new picture we have of Antonio Brown after experiencing the past several months:That’s a very different picture! Player #1 is worth a Top 10 draft pick, or at least a Top 15. Maybe a 1st and a player, or a 1st and a package of other picks. It’s hard to even come up with a number because there is no market.Player #2 is a case of addition by subtraction. He will produce on the field but his ultimate value to the team may be less than what that production costs in other areas. Being a nice guy to hang out with or to interview has nothing to do with it. Terrell Owens, Ochocinco and Keyshawn left friends behind wherever they played as well. They also left shattered locker rooms and no trophies whatsoever. Speaking of which, Pittsburgh hasn’t brought home a trophy in quite some time. Coincidence?Ryan Shazier is Player ,1# with an injury that may never heal. Antonio Brown turns out to be Player #2. which one is likelier to help the Pittsburgh Steelers win a Super Bowl?Who is to blame for this fiasco? I hope the above makes my personal opinion clear to all. I believe in quaint Joe Haden Jersey , old fashioned things like honor, honesty, sportsmanship, being a good teammate, and living up to your contracts. I believe that those who don’t are scum. I won’t vote for them, and I certainly don’t want them on my team. But maybe that’s why I still have to worry about my retirement. There’s no denying it’s a tactic that works if you pick the right moment to slide your knife in the erstwhile partner’s kidney. As the Steelers have now discovered.This is why I put 99.3% of the blame on one side of this equation. The Steeler coaches and the F.O. are guilty of nothing more than this: they knew they were dealing with a narcissist; they knew things could go terribly bad if his ego ran amok; they knew that money would feed that ego and age give it some urgency; and knowing all that, they failed to adequately protect the team against someone who might be willing to smile, sign on the dotted line, and then slide in the shiv when the time was right. But I can’t honestly say that I would have done much better. It is, I’m afraid, the basic risk that comes to all men who care about honor and believe in right versus wrong. They are taken for suckers by those who lack those limitations.Final question: Why add the word “barely” to the title of this piece if I am so happy to see the team-destroying ego headed out the door? Simple. It’s a matter of drawing the line as a business matter. Remember that I have said for months that I would prefer the Steelers to keep Antonio Brown if they were offered any value less than a 2nd round pick. I said that because there’s value to drawing the line and sending this message loud and clear: “scr#w with us and we will break you even if it hurts us just as bad in the short term. Treat us with honor, and we will reciprocate. That is the Steeler Way; the path of honor.”Yes, the legal warfare would utterly destroy Antonio Brown’s career. Yes, the blowback in the locker room would probably destroy the 2019 season. Yes, it might cost the 2020 run as well. But at some point you have to punch the bully back or you can only expect to see copycats until the end of time! All of those costs would have been worth the price - to me - if there wasn’t some sweetener to justify leaving the bully alone. For me the value equated to a Round 2 pick. Oakland forked over the value of a Round 2 pick - barely. And that is why I call this deal “fair” even though I hate every atom of how it went down Vance McDonald Jersey , and why.Give me another would-be bully who won’t bring in that value and we’ll revisit the situation. In spades. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ season is over, but if you think the news surrounding the black-and-gold is over — think again. For the drama-filled Steelers, things are just heating up, and this is where the daily links article comes in. You might have missed some key news, and we fill you in and give you the latest, and sometimes greatest, news surrounding the Steelers.Today in the Black-and-gold links article we take a look at whether or not Le’Veon Bell’s stock is actually trending up...this after deciding to sit out the entire 2018 season rather than suit up under the franchise tag for a second straight season.Believe it or not, but there are some out there who believe this is exactly the case with the All-Pro running back...Let’s get to the news:RB stock watch: Derrick Henry up, LeSean McCoy downBy: Maurice Jones-Drew, NFL.comBefore the offseason really gets going, I want to look back at the 2018 season once more and identify some running backs who exceeded or fell short of expectations. Below are five running backs whose stock rose after strong seasons and four backs whose stock fell after disappointing performances.STOCK UPLe’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers: After sitting out the entire 2018 season, Bell should be quite the hot commodity if he does indeed hit the market in March. He was the best running back coming into the 2018 season, and a year off, in which he was able to rest and get 100 percent healthy Tyson Alualu Jersey , only makes him more dangerous for 2019. Plus, the Pittsburgh Steelers failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2013, further supporting Bell’s worth.Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans: Over the last three seasons, Henry has shown that he’ll be productive if he gets the opportunity. Like a fine wine, he is getting better with each passing year and put an exclamation point on his most recent campaign by averaging 146.2 rushing yards per game in the final quarter of the 2018 season. Henry went from averaging 10.7 carries per game through 12 games and losing his starting spot to Dion Lewis midway through the year to averaging 21.8 carries per game and establishing himself as one of the biggest threats down the stretch. As I mentioned in this space a month ago, Henry, who will enter his fourth NFL season next fall, is deserving of a new deal.Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts: Mack saw a huge increase in production from Year 1 to Year 2. After rushing for 358 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games (zero starts) as a rookie, he put up 908 yards and nine TDs on the ground in just 12 games (10 starts) in 2018. Behind a stout offensive line, Mack proved he is capable of being the future in the Colts’ backfield.(To read more, click the link in the headline...)Pittsburgh Steelers Strike Gold in Exchange for Antonio BrownBy: Brad Gagnon, Bleacher ReportThe Pittsburgh Steelers have left the door open for a trade involving Brown, who also hasn’t shied away from voicing his displeasure with the team. A divorce could be coming. In fact Justin Hunter Jersey , the odds via BookMaker now favor that. At this point, a team that typically operates conservatively in February and March might simply have to hope that it’ll get a home run offer for Brown. After all, the 30-year-old makes big money, he’s probably on the verge of a decline and the Steelers are in good shape in the receiving corps with JuJu Smith-Schuster ready to move into the No. 1 role.What would a home run look like? Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported last month that the Steelers want a first-round pick for Brown, and it’s possible they’ll get something close to that from a cap-rich team in a bidding war. So let’s go with that. Potential trade: Steelers trade Brown to San Francisco 49ers in exchange for the No. 36 overall pick in the 2019 draft.(To read more, click the link in the headline...)Tim Benz, Jeff Erickson discuss fantasy fallout of Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown sagasBy: Tim Benz, Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewIt’s our weekly fantasy sports podcast with Jeff Erickson of Rotowire.We talk about the potential fantasy fallout of the crazy offseasons surrounding Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown.Then there is the late season slump by Todd Gurley. How will that impact his draft stock next year?Are fantasy baseball owners staying away from Bryce Harper and Manny Machado as MLB drafts approach?We also kick around how NHL and NBA owners are reacting to recent trades, including Derick Brassard.Listen: Tim Benz, Jeff Erickson discuss fantasy fallout of Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown sagas