SAN DIEGO _ Great wide receivers are the stars who make movie cameos.
They may be sexy, look amazing and provide spice and drama, but awards can come without them.
Matinee idols aren't needed to win championships. In fact, recent NFL history informs us teams are better off spending elsewhere.
I'm a fan of the best wide receivers. They are remarkably athletic, amazing performers. But necessary for a title? Hardly.
They are not leading men, but supporting actors who often have problems following the script.
Many are divas who complain when the ball isn't thrown their way and drop passes wearing Gorilla Glue gloves. All too often they are the me in team, at times locker room rat poison.
Keeping this in our thoughts, in case you haven't spent the last week with the radio off trying to avoid potholes, you know the Steelers traded 31-year-old prima donna wideout Antonio Brown to the Raiders, who won't win a Super Bowl or even an AFC West title with him.
The Giants then traded their star wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr., to the Browns. The Giants stunk with him and the Browns (now overrated by hype heaping) won't win anything either.
The Browns are the Browns. The Raiders will look sleeker, but by the time they get to Vegas, Brown may be more lounge lizard than headliner.
There are 446 bridges in the Pittsburgh area, and Antonio burned every one. He's a malcontent who last season spit the bit. He gets a $20 million raise and $30 million guaranteed.
New York? Over 2,000 bridges. Beckham might not have put a match to all of them. Close.
Great wide receivers _ and Brown is, Beckham not there yet _ do not get you to the jewelry store, which should be the reason for wild spending.
Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have won six Super Bowls _ all without a great wideout (Rob Gronkowski is a tight end). The season Tom went 19-0 he had an all-timer in Randy Moss and got beat in the Super Bowl.
Go back to all championship teams since 2000. One _ the Colts, with Marvin Harrison, who was a 2007 Super Bowl non-factor _ had a Hall of Fame receiver, and Marvin wasn't first-ballot.
Since 2001, these are the wide receivers who've entered the Hall: Moss and Terrell Owens, Harrison, Tim Brown, Andre Reed, Cris Carter, Jerry Rice, Bob Hayes, Art Monk, Michael Irvin, James Lofton, John Stallworth and Lynn Swann.
Two _ Rice and Moss _ were first-ballot, deservedly.
The star of the Patriots' Super Bowl win over the Rams was Julian Edelman, a pint-sized slot receiver who fits perfectly into the system and would have trouble starting on most teams in The League.
Julian, contrary to knee-jerk idiotic opinions, isn't making the Hall. But he has things many of these divas aren't going to have _ rings.
