Realistically....what can we get for AB?

[steeler_george]

just think... we could have drafted Kittle with a 5th.. the year he came out of college

Don't remind me, I wanted a TE bad last year. We gave our 5th this year for McDonald right? And wasn't Kittle the first 49er to try to recruit AB... now that would be a full circle.

[Ernie]

So is SF the front runner? I will take Kittle and a 5th for AB.

just think... we could have drafted Kittle with a 5th.. the year he came out of college

[steeler_george]

So is SF the front runner? I will take Kittle and a 5th for AB.

[steeler_george]

All Pro Shawne Merriman weighed in on the AB situation today on Fox radio.

"Great teams are lead by the locker room, not the head coach". "This isn't on Tomlin, this is on the players to control their locker room". Team leaders need to pull the player aside and tell them directly "this ain't happening here. This isn't what we do around here".

The only player with the status to control AB is Roethlisberger. Maybe he has attempted to deal with AB and this is the source of friction between the two? IMO, it's Roethlisberger that needs/will win out..... and maybe AB realized that and now this is his way to get out?

Great points there...

There is no other explaination on why AB and his corner keep blaming Ben, who started it, by talking about AB on his radio show... Maybe AB just wouldn't listen and need the press as a medium to shut AB up.

[Ernie]

that's why I've continued to say that our best players need to be "our best people"

[NorthCoast]

All Pro Shawne Merriman weighed in on the AB situation today on Fox radio.

"Great teams are lead by the locker room, not the head coach". "This isn't on Tomlin, this is on the players to control their locker room". Team leaders need to pull the player aside and tell them directly "this ain't happening here. This isn't what we do around here".

The only player with the status to control AB is Roethlisberger. Maybe he has attempted to deal with AB and this is the source of friction between the two? IMO, it's Roethlisberger that needs/will win out..... and maybe AB realized that and now this is his way to get out?

[RuthlessBurgher]

if teams feel we will release him, they will super low ball us and play the "I wait till they release him" game.

Rooney first statement on the matter were that all options were on the table for AB, except for a release. They are not going to let him go for nothing.

[Ernie]

AB is not "high-priced" relative to his production. WR-needy teams aren't wary because of the money, but because of the diva attitude/potential drama.

there it is

[Buzz]

AB is not "high-priced" relative to his production. WR-needy teams aren't wary because of the money, but because of the diva attitude/potential drama.

[Steel Maniac]

You keep using "high priced" as one of the major reasons why teams may not be willing to trade top notch assets for AB.

But, remember...if we trade him, the remainder of his bonuses all end up on our cap this year, so the new team would only be responsible for his base salaries for the next 3 seasons, which are $12.625M for 2019, $11.3M for 2020, and $12.5M for 2021. Considering his production, and looking at what other top WR's are being paid, teams should be viewing those cap hits for AB over the next 3 seasons as a bargain.

I hear you Ruth but you also have to remember he's over 30 too. 12.6mil, 11.3mil & 12.5mil for a guy over 30, perceived malcontent.

Is he worth it? To a lot of teams, no. But to a Green Bay, a Indianapolis, yeah. But also, it is perceived that they can just wait us out; because all this talk about possibly keeping him could be to just keep the price tag/trade tag for him high. Because if teams feel we will release him, they will super low ball us and play the "I wait till they release him" game.

[RuthlessBurgher]

You keep using "high priced" as one of the major reasons why teams may not be willing to trade top notch assets for AB.

But, remember...if we trade him, the remainder of his bonuses all end up on our cap this year, so the new team would only be responsible for his base salaries for the next 3 seasons, which are $12.625M for 2019, $11.3M for 2020, and $12.5M for 2021. Considering his production, and looking at what other top WR's are being paid, teams should be viewing those cap hits for AB over the next 3 seasons as a bargain.

[Steel Maniac]

GM’s talk at the combine. We’ll have a better feel about teams interest afterwards. But right now there’s no great buzz to bring a guy who from the outside looks like a malcontent. A high priced malcontent. A different picture needs to be created about Brown or teams interested won’t be like what we think.

[Northern_Blitz]

It may just be the fact that you can't actually execute a trade until March, you have no idea who has even made offers or how many have been made.

This makes sense.

[Steel Maniac]

Espn is reporting no offers have been made. Meaning teams are Leary of bringing in a guy who could bring T. O. type of drama to their team.

Factoring in all that plus his big contract, I’d now be happy with a second round & another conditional pick or player.

[Mr.wizard]

I knew we couldn’t do it because of him being a malcontent with a high price tag. Not a good combination. I’m glad nobody else wants him. Maybe that will show him that he’s not all that to a lot of teams.

It may just be the fact that you can't actually execute a trade until March, you have no idea who has even made offers or how many have been made.