Steelers: 'All Options' on the Table for Antonio Brown
The Antonio Brown trade talks picked up a head of steam yesterday, as it now appears the star wide receiver may not be in the AFC North for much longer.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette released an interview with President Art Rooney II, in which the franchise's leader said the team will not release the disgruntled wide receiver, but "all other options are on the table." That's basically saying the Steelers are open to trade possibilities.
Rooney even said it would be "hard to envision" Brown being with the Steelers when they report to training camp in July.
The Steelers and Brown have reportedly not spoken since the wide receiver left Heinz Field shortly after their Week 17 finale against the Bengals, in which Mike Tomlin refused to let Brown play after he skipped out on practices all week following a practice blow-up.
Pittsburgh cannot do anything with Brown until March 13, which is the first day of the 2019 season. According to the Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac, Brown is due a $2.5 million roster bonus on March 17, so the Steelers are likely to decide whether to trade him by then.
On Thursday evening after the story's release, Brown posted this message across social media:
Bengals: Waiting to Hire Rams' Young QBs Coach Zac Taylor
As one of the final teams with head coaching openings, the Bengals have reportedly settled on the man who will replace Marvin Lewis.
After 16 seasons with the defensive-minded Lewis, the Bengals are shifting to a young offensive mind: Los Angeles Rams Quarterbacks Coach Zac Taylor. It's not a done deal yet, however.
After seeing the success that Sean McVay has had in L.A., the Bengals are hoping to find the first branch on his coaching tree. Taylor, 35, is three years older than McVay, but still quite young by traditional NFL head coaching standards.
Taylor joined McVay's L.A. staff in 2017 after one season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Cincinnati. In the NFL, Taylor been credited with helping to turn around Jared Goff and mold him into one of the league's best young signal-callers.
Cincinnati seems pretty happy with the decision …
Browns: Brian Billick Sees a Super Bowl Contender in Near Future
For the first time in a long time, excitement surrounds the Cleveland Browns immediately following a season. After finishing 7-8-1 and not far out of the playoff race, the Browns' future looks even brighter with quarterback Baker Mayfield and a host of other young, talented players.
Cleveland's head coach hiring is even getting strong reviews, as the Browns promoted interim Offensive Coordinator Freddie Kitchens to head coach after he helped to dramatically boost Mayfield's production in the second half of the season. It appears General Manager John Dorsey has righted the ship.
The Browns are so buzzworthy right now that former Ravens Head Coach Brian Billick believes they are positioned to be a Super Bowl contender in the next two years, per 92.3 The Fan.
