The San Francisco 49ers were frequently listed among the potential suitors for both Antonio Brown and Odell Beckham Jr before the star receivers were traded earlier this month, but it appears they were only ever interested in one of the two.
In an appearance on KNBR Friday morning, 49ers general manager John Lynch confirmed that he had discussions with the New York Giants about Beckham. Ultimately, he felt the Niners having such a high pick in the first round was the biggest obstacle standing in the way of a deal.
John Lynch on @KNBR regarding Odell Beckham Jr.: "I think, ironically, the fact that we had the No. 2 pick made it more difficult because they wanted that badly. They wanted two No. 1s. And we weren't willing to part with that. It was too valuable of a pick."
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) March 29, 2019
The 49ers seem set on getting an immediate impact defensive player in the draft, and they know they will almost certainly be able to draft former Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa if they stay at No. 2. They probably would have entertained the idea of swapping their No. 2 pick with the Giants’ No. 6 pick, but New York wanted more than that. The Giants ended up getting the No. 17 overall pick from the Cleveland Browns, a third-round pick, and safety Jabrill Peppers.
As for Brown, Lynch said the 49ers took a look at him and decided he wasn’t a fit.
John Lynch on @KNBR regarding Antonio Brown: "We took a quick look and then we just said, 'Hey, we're not interested in that for our team.' That's where we are. I think we feel pretty good about our receiving corps. I know a lot of people don't share our sentiments."
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) March 29, 2019
Brown was traded to the Oakland Raiders for a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick, so he would have cost the 49ers a lot less than OBJ. There were also plenty of rumblings that Brown wanted to play in San Francisco, but Lynch’s comments indicate the feeling was not mutual.
While Brown is several years older than Beckham, the Niners’ interest in OBJ and not Brown could say a lot about the way they view the character of the two players. While Beckham has a reputation for causing some headaches, Brown may be seen as an even bigger diva with how he forced his way out of Pittsburgh.
