Why 49ers benefit by missing out on acquiring wide receiver Antonio Brown

Perennial Pro Bowl wide receiver Antonio Brown is heading not to the San Francisco 49ers, but the Oakland Raiders in 2019. And here’s why that’s good news for the Niners.

The San Francisco 49ers should feel perfectly OK about not acquiring six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Antonio Brown.

Brown, of course, is now off to the Oakland Raiders. He announced the deal on his Twitter account, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport confirmed the news and reported the Raiders were sending a third- and a fifth-round NFL Draft pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange.

As part of the deal, Brown gets a new contract — the details of which Rapoport laid out below:

Brown now becomes the NFL’s highest-paid receiver on an average annual salary of $16.7 million.

The 49ers, of course, need wide receiver help. This, after no Niners wideout reached 500 receiving yards in 2018. And while there were plenty of connections between Brown and San Francisco during the offseason, at no point did it appear head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch were interested in making a move for the 30-year-old receiver.

Brown will turn 31 years old this summer, and there are still at least a few more quality years left in his career. The Raiders are banking on Brown being the kind of presence left open after trading wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys last year.

That said, it’s quite a gamble for a Raiders squad going through a massive overhaul on both sides of the ball. Brown, who hasn’t fallen below 1,280 receiving yards since 2012, is going to have a tough time replicating those numbers in a rebuilding offense.

True, Oakland didn’t give up a lot in return. But the Raiders are banking on Brown being a game changer and spending a lot of money to get those kinds of results.

So, why do the 49ers benefit?

One could make the argument Super Bowls aren’t won by top-tier wideouts any longer. No, having a quality quarterback and a top pass-rusher seem to be the key ingredients now.

NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco elaborated further:

"Let’s get one thing straight: The 49ers do not need a No. 1 wide receiver.Would they like to get one? Of course. Do they need one? No. After all, championship teams of late rarely are headlined by a All-Pro caliber wide receiver.But what the 49ers want to accomplish this offseason is to add a starting wide receiver to strengthen the overall depth chart."

There are still links between the Niners and New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who is 26 years old and has many more years left in his prime. It’s anyone’s guess whether or not that pans out. But if San Francisco does elect to make what would be a blockbuster investment, the team would be getting a much younger wideout. Not someone on the wrong side of 30 years old.

Plus, the 49ers avoid any concerns about Brown potentially being disgruntled with the change of scenery. While Pittsburgh has plenty of issues, Brown can at least be comfortable knowing he put up an astounding 11,207 receiving yards there. Would he feel the same way if his annual numbers take a massive hit in Oakland?

Who knows?

One thing is clear, though. The 49ers certainly didn’t follow the notion of Brown being a perfect offseason addition. And while their offense would have been aided by Brown’s presence, the Niners feel as if they can get enough production elsewhere, not getting bogged down in any of the financial and locker room issues Brown has become associated with, recently.