Steelers receiver Antonio Brown reportedly wants to be a 49er, but the cost is supposed to be high. Like first-round draft pick-type high.
Before San Francisco pays that price for the disgruntled All-Pro wideout, though, the team should (and likely will) consider what one longtime NFL personnel man told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last week.
As Niners Nation pointed out, that personnel exec said he’d send just a sixth-round pick, with player and team performance conditions making it as high as fourth-rounder, to the Steelers in exchange for Brown.
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Why such a low price?
Well, for starters, the Steelers don’t have much leverage, since Brown’s dissatisfaction with the team has been so known. Then there’s the Jan. 17 domestic incident that came to light last week, and the NFL said it will investigate the matter. Lastly, Brown will be 31 next season and might not have many productive seasons left in him, despite the fact he has posted six consecutive 1,200-yard campaigns.
If the cost to acquire Brown truly is that low, the 49ers have a fourth-round or a sixth-round pick to offer the Steelers -- San Francisco’s fifth-round selection now belongs to the New York Giants after a deal that netted guard Laken Tomlinson from the Detroit Lions. The 49ers have picks in the first three rounds, too, should those be needed.
But it now seems like they won’t.