Wide receiver Antonio Brown will be 31 years old when the 2019 NFL season kicks off. He has been a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, a four-time first-team All-Pro, and among the best receivers in the game during his nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brown has eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving in all but two of his NFL seasons.
Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s resume isn't quite as impressive yet, but there is no denying that he too is among the best receivers in the game. Beckham is a three-time Pro Bowl selection and has eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving during all but one of his five NFL seasons, all of which were with the New York Giants.
Beckham is just 26 years old, and that will not change until November.
Both players are under contract with their respective teams. If any receiver-hungry NFL team, like the San Francisco 49ers, wants to acquire either, it will need to give up something.
Beckham's younger age may make him more valuable. It will likely cost more to pry him away from the Giants. The Steelers are prepared to part ways with Brown but have said they will only do so if the benefits the organization.
NFL analyst John Clayton joined KNBR on Friday and was asked what the asking price might be for each player and if either is a good fit in Santa Clara. He believes that if the Steelers are holding onto the idea of fetching a first-round pick for Brown, then nothing will happen.
"I think Antonio has talked his way out of the first round," Clayton said on the "Garry and Larry" show. "He may have talked his way out of a second-round (pick) and may be available for a third. But I think that's probably where they draw the line. [It's] like, 'OK, if we can get a second-round pick, then we'll take it. If it's a third-round pick, we'll keep him.' Because again, he's still such a good player.
"Over the last six years, he's been one of the best receivers in football, and you could make somewhat of a case that he's a borderline Hall-of-Fame candidate after he gets out of football with the number of catches that he had for such a long period of time."
Clayton believes the baggage that comes with Brown has hurt his value and NFL teams will consider that. He has also indicated that he might want a new contract, which also factors into any decision. That's a lofty expectation for a player who is already the second-highest paid receiver in the game, averaging $17 million per season.
Clayton believes Brown is a good fit for the 49ers despite the reservations.
"I think it's a good fit in San Francisco because he'd be a perfect receiver to work on the other side of Marquise Goodwin," he added.
The highest-paid NFL receiver is Beckham, who averages $18 million per season.
"I think ideally you'd want the younger guy because there's more upside," Clayton said of Beckham. "Because once you start to get to 31 (years old), which is where Antonio Brown is, there's a decline in the game. Again, you watch it with even Larry Fitzgerald, who is arguably a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Once he got to 31, he had to move more inside to the slot. He did great. He's still playing.
"He got his $11 million to continue with the Cardinals but there's a drop off because you're not as good on the outside catching passes. So that's where you have a little bit of concern where Beckham, he's still hitting his stride. He's still getting better.
"Again, the price tag is going to be significantly more because I don't know if the Giants, for example, would only accept a first-round pick. They may want a one and a three, something like that, or a one and a four. And that might be too pricey for the 49ers to do."
Clayton says that in the end, he can't envision the Giants parting ways with Beckham.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Clayton below.
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