Steelers trade WR Martavis Bryant to Raiders for third-round pick

ByABC News
April 26, 2018, 10:34 PM

The Pittsburgh Steelers traded wide receiver Martavis Bryant to the Oakland Raiders on Thursday night for a third-round draft pick.

The talented but enigmatic Bryant had asked to be traded out of Pittsburgh last September, and Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said Thursday that Oakland had been "on this for a while" when asked about the deal.

The Steelers received the 79th overall pick, which the Raiders received earlier Thursday night when they traded down in the first round, allowing the Arizona Cardinals to select quarterback? Josh Rosen?at No. 10.

"It's like drafting a player," McKenzie said. "I feel like we drafted Martavis Bryant."

Bryant missed the entire 2016 season because of a suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy but returned to haul in 50 receptions for 603 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Bryant, 26, has one year left on his contract and joins a Raiders receiving corps headlined by Amari Cooper.

"He's ideal in what you're looking for in a receiver," McKenzie said. "He can play big, he plays fast, and he makes plays. And we think he can be a dynamic receiver for Derek [Carr]."

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said teams called the Steelers during the offseason but weren't offering enough to warrant a trade for a player of Bryant's caliber.

"When it got to the third round, we felt it was something very interesting to us," Colbert said. "We wish Martavis nothing but the best."

Bryant wanted out of Pittsburgh and believed there was a chance he'd get dealt sometime this offseason. He has been training in Las Vegas and hadn't reported to the team's voluntary workout program.

Bryant was the perfect deep threat for the Steelers' offense but fell out of favor last season when he requested a trade and publicly questioned the ability of teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster, who now becomes the team's clear-cut No. 2 receiver behind Antonio Brown.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Paul Gutierrez contributed to this report.