5 reasons the Raiders trade for Antonio Brown was terrible

Antonio Brown will help the Raiders on the field in 2019, but Jon Gruden and company made a massive mistake in trading a first round pick for his services.

Jon Gruden upset a lot of Raiders fans by trading high-priced veterans for draft compensation last year. Now he’s reversed field and done just the opposite by shipping a first round pick to the Steelers to acquire Antonio Brown. Gruden’s managed to hurt his franchise’s long-term health with both philosophies.

Some members of Raiders Nation will undoubtedly applaud Gruden for taking a concrete step towards making his team more competitive in 2019. Adding a receiver with Brown’s talent and experience might help the Raiders win an extra game or two next year. Of course, that’s not how this deal should be evaluated.

Instead, the Brown trade must be judged on how it will help the Raiders in the long run. Unfortunately for fans in Oakland, it’s only going to put the team further away from amassing the talent required to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders. In this piece we’ll walk you through the top five reasons why this trade is setting the Raiders back.

5. The price is too expensive

In a vacuum, the idea of trading a third and fifth-round picks for a future Hall of Fame wide receiver at the tail end of his prime is great. However, giving him $30 million guaranteed when he’s about to be 31 years old and one a bad roster? Not great.

The unfortunate truth is that Gruden’s roster has more holes than a block of swiss cheese. The Raiders need every draft pick possible to acquire cheap talent capable of playing right away. Giving up selections and major cap space doesn’t make sense for a team that’s roster can be strengthened in so many different areas.