It appears that the Bills will not be trading for Steelers WR Antonio Brown after all.
Bills GM Brandon Beane issued a statement this morning as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter saying,
“We inquired about Antonio Brown on Tuesday, and kept talks open with the Steelers. We had positive discussions, but ultimately it didn’t make sense for either side. As great a player as Antonio Brown is, we have moved on and our focus is on free agency.”
NFL’s Network’s Ian Rapoport reported late last night that the Bills were close to acquiring Antonio Brown.
ESPN’s Schefter reported conversely later in the wee hours of the morning that a Brown to Bills trade was,
‘Unlikely’
according to his sources.
The back and forth continued as earlier this morning, as Rapoport spoke with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio via text and was not backing off the report saying,
“This deal is going through. Just confirmed again. My gut says AB doesn’t want to show.”
Ultimately, Rapoport conceded confirming the statement that Schefter reported this morning from the Bills saying the team is
‘Out’
and,
“…the Steelers now must find another suitor.”
Where will Brown go?
We now know it won’t be Buffalo, so stay tuned.
Flip the pages to see Rapoport and Schefter’s back and forth.
Update from the Antonio Brown saga: The #Bills and #Steelers have been in aggressive talks about a trade and are close on compensation, sources say. It is not final. The main question is, one that has kept the trade from crossing the final hurdle, Does Antonio Brown show up?
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 8, 2019