Indianapolis Colts won’t trade for Antonio Brown, but should

One of the NFL’s best receivers is available, and the Indianapolis Colts have a need opposite T.Y. Hilton. Indy likely won’t make the deal, but it should.

So much has been made of the “culture” surrounding Antonio Brown and the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason. Has he usurped Mike Tomlin’s power in the locker room? Is he a cancer? Honestly, it’s all a little overrated. Culture is one of the most overused terms in all of sports — you’d think there was never a successful team that had a minutia of drama within its walls.

You know what team had great culture? The 2011 Indianapolis Colts — they finished 2-14. For those Colts, culture could not overcome the gross lack of talent that was exposed by an injured Peyton Manning. It’s true, culture matters. But talent matters more.

All of this is to say, basically, if the Colts do not at least kick the tires on a trade for the disgruntled Steelers wide receiver, if they do not at least consider the idea of adding perhaps the best pass-catcher in the game of football to their roster, they are doing a disservice to a team that is in prime position to make its mark as one of the league’s elite.

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What would it hurt? Recently, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert has said that three teams had called about Brown. At the NFL Combine, Colbert said that number had grown, but he has opted not to give specifics to the media. He did say the following, however, per NFL.com:

"“Antonio Brown is one of the best players in the National Football League,” Colbert said. “We’d like to have him on our team, so if you lose a player like that, if you decide to take a player like that off your team, you best have the compensation that will justify removing that player. And that would be significant compensation either in the form of a draft pick or picks, or a player and picks just so you can try to balance off the great loss that will happen if you lose a player like that.”"

Brown has had his issues, dating back several years. His feud with Ben Roethlisberger at the end of this past season resulted in a benching during the season finale. He has had his share of social media missteps as well. He has some diva in him, we know this. We also know what we watched on the field when Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton was injured.

Indy lacks a true threat at the receiver position outside of Hilton. In fact, Colts receivers showed an aversion to, well, receiving, during that span, which coincided with the team’s 1-5 start.

The combination of Zach Pascal, Deon Cain and Chester Rogers showed little amid their myriad of drops to warrant consideration as the team’s No. 2 receiver. Dontrelle Inman was a nice midseason pickup, but he is also not a guy the Colts should bank on being the No. 2 this upcoming season.

Further proof lies in the Colts’ playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Hilton played on one good leg, and the Colts were done when he failed to produce. No one else could make a play or get separation against a not-so-good Chiefs secondary.

In his last four regular seasons, Brown has totaled 447 catches, 5,948 yards along with 46 touchdowns and has showed no signs — none at all — of slowing down, despite eclipsing 30 years of age. In fact, with his production coupled with the rules in today’s NFL, Brown appears to have at least two — maybe three or more — elite-level years left in him.

Might Brown upset the balance of the Colts’ locker room? Sure, its a possibility. The Colts are one of the youngest teams in the league, with an elite core of up-and-coming players, and there’s always a chance that Brown comes in and unsettles all of that. But greatness is never achieved without taking risks.

All this aside, Colts coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard have spoken before on the fact that their locker room is not just open to anybody. It’s a sacred space for the team that they feel needs protection. I would be shocked if the Colts were one of the teams that called Colbert about a trade for Brown.

But few teams are in a better position to make a play for Brown, too. The team has financial flexibility and draft assets to spare. But Ballard likes his draft assets. And he should, for good reason. In last year’s draft, he selected two All-Pros in Quenton Nelson and Darius Leonard. That happens every year, right? Is there any wonder why Ballard has spoken often about his reluctance to trade draft picks?

It’s all but assured that Brown will not be a Colt when the NFL kicks off the new season come September. But, hey, a guy can dream, right?