SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- There has been nothing subtle about the flirtation between Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown and the San Francisco 49ers. Or, better put, between various players on the Niners' roster and Brown. Before we dive into the pros and cons of a potential union between the 49ers and Brown, let's recap the very public evidence indicating that Brown would like to be a Niner and that potential Niners teammates would like to remove the potential qualifier from the equation. Soon after rumors of a potential divorce between Brown and the Steelers began to spread in January, 49ers tight end George Kittle tweeted at Brown, a move that Kittle told Jim Rome during Super Bowl week was the result of a dare from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Brown responded positively to Kittle's tweet and his response spurred a retweet from Garoppolo himself. Brown then followed various 49ers-related accounts. All the emojis and tweets were one thing, but Brown's apparent interest in the 49ers seemed far more real when 49ers legend Jerry Rice joined the fray, telling 95.7 The Game, a radio station in San Francisco, that Brown wants to come to San Francisco "really bad." That was after Brown posted an image on his Instagram of a FaceTime conversation he'd had with Rice. Brown even went so far as to post a doctored photo of himself in a Niners uniform embracing Rice. In the end, even after Brown officially requested a trade Tuesday and thanked Steelers fans via Twitter, none of that stuff matters much because it doesn't account for the only variables that truly count: whether the Steelers will actually trade Brown, what the price would be if they do, whether the 49ers decision-makers are truly interested, what they'd be willing to give up and how that would compare to other offers the Steelers could get. At this point, the Steelers haven't been in a hurry to move Brown, though owner Art Rooney II has acknowledged that it's "hard to envision" Brown still with the team come training camp while also keeping the door open for a reconciliation. For their part, the Niners have not and will not publicly comment on potential interest in Brown out of deference to the NFL's tampering guidelines. But coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have long maintained they will always at least explore any option that could make the team better. With that in mind, here's a look at what Shanahan, Lynch & Co. must weigh when it comes to Brown. The case for acquiring Brown First, the easy part: Brown is one of the best receivers in the NFL and the 49ers have a pressing need at the position. Kendrick Bourne led San Francisco receivers last year with 42 catches for 487 yards. Over the past 15 seasons, the 49ers have not had a receiver post more than the 85 catches and 1,179 yards they got from Anquan Boldin in 2013. Since Brown became a full-time starter in 2011, he has averaged 103 receptions, 1,380 yards and nine touchdowns. In the past five seasons, Brown has averaged 115 catches, 1,529 yards and 12 touchdowns. He'd instantly be the best 49ers wideout since Terrell Owens, an easy fit in Shanahan's receiver-friendly scheme and the ideal complement to Kittle. He could be a bargain. If Pittsburgh trades Brown, it will accelerate the rest of his $19 million signing bonus to this year, eating $21.12 million in dead money on the salary cap. If the Niners traded for Brown before the fifth day of the league year, they'd be on the hook for cap numbers of $15.125 million in 2019, $11.3 million in 2020 and $12.5 million in 2021. For one of the league's best wideouts, that would be excellent value, especially since the Niners project to have between $60 million and $70 million in cap space. There is no A.J. Green or Julio Jones to be found in this year's draft class, meaning the Niners are unlikely to take one with the No. 2 overall pick or even after a trade down to a spot lower in the top 10. They could still find needed help at the position later on, but none would have the quick and significant impact of someone like Brown. Likewise, the free-agent market is barren when it comes to top-end wideouts. Antonio Brown would fill a glaring need for the 49ers, but there's plenty to weigh when it comes to acquiring the Steelers' talented receiver. Don Wright/AP The case against acquiring Brown<doc-sep>PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 02: Antonio Brown #84 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts after a 46 yard reception in the first quarter during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Heinz Field on December 2, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) After months of speculation, wide receiver Antonio Brown has officially requested to be traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Niner Noise looks at Brown’s value and how much the San Francisco 49ers should offer, if they do at all. 2019 was off to a great start for San Francisco 49ers fans, as wide receiver Antonio Brown, signifying his dissatisfaction with the Pittsburgh Steelers, tweeted at Niners tight end George Kittle with a simple emoji to let the world know his new preferred destination — San Francisco. Bringing in Brown would be huge for the 49ers. If he isn’t the best receiver in the NFL, he’s top three. His exceptional route running and ability to get open, that I’m sure head coach Kyle Shanahan salivates over, combined with his sure hands and overall remarkable playstyle, has culminated into gargantuan production for the bona fide star. However, like many celebrities, Brown’s fame has seemed to get into his head. He sat out a crucial playoff-determining Week 17 game for the Steelers and quit on his team, which is a huge red flag. If one player puts himself above the rest of his team, that’s going to lead to a lot of problems in terms of locker room culture. Besides quitting on his team, Brown has recently gotten into a string of legal trouble. Last month, he was involved in an alleged domestic dispute, but no arrests were made. And Brown’s lawyer claims that the accuser’s allegations are completely false. If the 49ers do trade for him, it will be a situation to monitor. Brown was also just found guilty of going over 100 miles per hour in a 45-mph zone, which is a very small offense in comparison to domestic issues, but still puts the receiver’s recent behavior in question. Here’s the thing — Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have made it clear that they want the locker room to be filled with good guys to establish a good locker-room culture. It’s worked so far, because you can see all the players giving their all and playing for each other deep into lost seasons. It’s a fine testament to how well these players gel together, emotionally, and bringing in one “diva” in Brown can derail the entire thing. And we all saw how much drama former 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster brought into the locker room. Fortunately, the team stuck together admirably through it. I honestly have no idea if the 49ers will trade for Brown or not. He has expressed his desire to play for San Francisco through social media, and he would take this team’s offense to the next level. However, his off-the-field baggage is risky, and perhaps the most discouraging thing about him is that he will turn 31 years old before the beginning of the 2019 season. This team is almost done with the rebuilding process, but it’s not out of the woods yet. It seems like Brown would be a better fit for a team that is in a position to win now. However, if the 49ers do decide to pull the trigger and trade for one of the top receivers in the game, the most they should give up is a third-round pick. Since Brown has publicly expressed his unhappiness with Pittsburgh like no other for the past couple of months, the Steelers essentially have no leverage. Brown’s age and recent legal troubles will also drag his trade value down, so a third rounder should be the most the 49ers give up. A second rounder would be too much since San Francisco has an early second-round pick. I’ve said a lot of negative things about Brown in this piece. But to be honest, I would be ecstatic if the 49ers decided to trade for him. Who wouldn’t? Brown is a big-name special talent that would provide a ton of help to this team that has recently struggled. Lynch just needs to get him at the right price.<doc-sep>Ben Margot/Associated Press The San Francisco 49ers will reportedly not pick up veteran wide receiver Pierre Garcon's team option for 2019, making him a free agent. Mike Garafolo of Good Morning Football reported the decision Thursday: Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the 49ers attempted to trade Garcon during the 2018 season. This latest news comes after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported this week that wideout Antonio Brown requested a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to Bovada, the 49ers are the favorites to acquire Brown if Pittsburgh trades him at +250 (5-2). In his two seasons with the Niners, Garcon struggled to stay healthy, playing just 16 games. Last season, he was limited to eight contests and finished with 24 receptions for 286 yards and one touchdown. That marked by far his worst production since his rookie year with the Indianapolis Colts in 2008. The 32-year-old seemed to fall out of favor last season, as tight end George Kittle and receivers Marquise Goodwin, Dante Pettis and Kendrick Bourne were all more consistent. Prior to joining the 49ers, Garcon spent four seasons with the Colts and five with the Washington Redskins. His most productive seasons came in Washington, as he topped 1,000 yards twice, including a 2013 campaign that saw him record 113 catches for 1,346 yards and five scores. Video Play Button Videos you might like The Niners suffered a big hit in 2018 when starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a season-ending knee injury in the team's third game. Nick Mullens did perform well down the stretch as his replacement, however. Regardless of who is under center in 2019, head coach Kyle Shanahan needs to upgrade at wideout. Parting with Garcon is a step toward accomplishing that since it opens the door for a bigger move, such as trading for Brown.<doc-sep>
Antonio Brown was courted by several members of the San Francisco 49ers via social media last month with regard to joining their team next season. Apparently, 49ers' quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was behind the recruitment of Brown, who has formally requested a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers. "Soon after rumors of a potential divorce between Brown and the Steelers began to spread in January, 49ers tight end George Kittle tweeted at Brown, a move that Kittle told Jim Rome during Super Bowl week was the result of a dare from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo," ESPN's Nick Wagoner wrote this week. "Brown responded positively to Kittle's tweet and his response spurred a retweet from Garoppolo himself. Brown then followed various 49ers-related accounts." The buzz behind Brown possibly joining the 49ers grew after Brown following the team on Instagram, then posted a photo on Instagram of himself donning a 49ers' jersey while being embraced by former San Francisco receiver, Jerry Rice, who holds just about every major career NFL receiving record. Rice has publicly supported Brown joining his former team. “To be honest, I had been communicating back and forth with Antonio Brown, and we were just talking in general, and all of the sudden, this big whole thing came up, saying that I was trying to get him to San Francisco,” Rice told 247Sports during Super Bowl week. “He pretty much reached out and said, ‘You know, I think I would love to come to San Francisco and play.’ So I took that to [49ers general manager] John Lynch, and John Lynch probably took it to [head coach] Kyle Shanahan. I don’t even know if [the 49ers] are gonna have an opportunity to get him, but he was very interested.” After serving as Tom Brady's backup in New England during the first three seasons of his career, Garoppolo was traded from the Patriots to the 49ers during the 2017 season. Garoppolo, who signed an extremely lucrative deal with the 49ers, won each of his five starts in San Francisco in 2017 while building optimism for 2018. That optimism, however, was crushed after Garoppolo went down with a season-ending injury in Week 3. The 49ers, a popular pick to emerge as a playoff team in 2018, finished with a 4-12 record with their franchise quarterback spending most of the season on the bench. Brown, 30, is coming off a season that saw him lead the NFL with 15 touchdown receptions. He also caught 104 passes for 1,297 yards in 15 games while becoming the first player in NFL history to catch at least 100 passes in six consecutive seasons. The 49ers may have to be willing to give up either the No. 2 overall pick in the draft or their second round pick to acquire Brown while giving Garoppolo the NFL's most productive receiver since the start of the 2013 season.