With owner Art Rooney II declaring he was set up to move disappointed recipient Antonio Brown, the Steelers front office is starting introductory planning into a potential blockbuster trade, sources stated, one that team authorities anticipate incorporates a first-round pick.

With the Cowboys managing a first-round pick for Amari Cooper in-season, and with Brown’s salary a bargain the final three years of his agreement ($39M aggregate in that span at a time when top receivers are pushing $18M per season), it is a simple contract to deal and, as previously reported, the Steelers trust they can without much of a stretch balance the $21M salary cap hit connected to any trade of the perpetual All Pro.

While Brown is more established than different choices (he’ll turn 31 this mid year), he stays one of the NFL’s true game-changers. He puts up 100 catches a season, he scored 15 touchdown this season in what was a change year for the Steelers offense with no Le’Veon Bell, and however he is prone to personality conflicts and outlandish behavior, there is intense interest in his services in other front offices, with trade talks expected to begin at the NFL combine.

The Steelers expect a hearty market should shape, and hope to get notification from teams like the Seahawks, Colts, Saints, 49ers, Packers, and Eagles. teams sources said that while they expect the Ravens, Browns and Patriots to have noteworthy interest for Brown too, there is for all intents and purposes no possibility they would give him to such an opponent.

There is still some possibility the Steelers and Browns reverse course, anyway remote, yet it would need in any case the player taking a contrite attitude and being willing to mend fences with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and mentor Mike Tomlin; his relationship with both is shattered, team sources said. Brown’s decision to go AWOL in Week 17 and afterward ask for a trade unmistakably irritated Rooney, however it is Brown’s activities from that heightened the situation, team sources said. Brown has repelled different phone calls from the proprietor and repeated attempts to get in touch with him by Tomlin and individuals from the front office, too.

It unquestionably resembles the Steelers will be without both Bell and Brown in 2019. The Steelers are still truly considering a franchise or transition tag for Bell – regardless of whether just to facilitate a trade – and they remain to have considerable payroll flexibility if both are gone. team will attempt to negotiate a contract extension with Roethlisberger this offseason.