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Denver Broncos: Looking back at the deal that almost was with Tim Brown

By Travis Wakeman

9 JAN 1994: TIM BROWN OF THE LOS ANGELES RAIDERS WITH HELMET ALOFT LEAVES THE FIELD AFTER THE RAIDERS DEFEATED THE DENVER BRONCOS 42-24. Mandatory Credit: Al Bello/ALLSPORT
9 JAN 1994: TIM BROWN OF THE LOS ANGELES RAIDERS WITH HELMET ALOFT LEAVES THE FIELD AFTER THE RAIDERS DEFEATED THE DENVER BRONCOS 42-24. Mandatory Credit: Al Bello/ALLSPORT /
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Denver Broncos Pat Bowlen
30 Dec 1990: Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen looks on during a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Broncos won the game, 22-13. Mandatory Credit: Tim de Frisco /Allsport /

Looking back at some of the greatest players the Denver Broncos ever had to go against, Tim Brown was certainly among them.

In a potential free-agent deal that is often forgotten or perhaps totally unknown, the Hall-of-Fame wide receiver nearly became a member of the Broncos over 25 years ago.

Brown was a force for the rival Raiders for many years and is easily one of the best players in their franchise history. Though many Broncos fans may not agree, it was hard to dislike him as well.

The Broncos got tired of going up against him and decided that they wanted to make a move to bring him to Denver. Though that never came to fruition, one has to wonder what it would have done for the team and what it would have done to the Raiders.

Who was Tim Brown?

Tim Brown, Denver Broncos
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (L) gets tackled by Denver Broncos’ linebacker Al Wilson after a short reception during Monday nights’ game at Mile High Stadium in Denver, 13 November 2000. AFP PHOTO/Mark LEFFINGWELL (Photo by MARK LEFFINGWELL / AFP) (Photo by MARK LEFFINGWELL/AFP via Getty Images) /

Brown was chosen with the No. 6 overall pick by the Raiders in the 1988 draft. Fresh off winning the Heisman Trophy at Notre Dame, he fit the mold of a player that Al Davis would want on his team. Speedy and able to do other things than just be a receiver such as return kicks, Brown was the total package.

But Brown’s career as a receiver started out slowly. He was almost instantly the game’s most dangerous return man, but it seemed that would be the way he would make his living, as more of a gimmicky kind of player than a No. 1 receiver. From 1988-1992, he never caught more than 49 passes in a season.

That all changed in 1993.

That season, Brown caught 80 passes, a franchise record for a single season at the time, and led the AFC with 1,180 yards receiving. He was on his way to becoming one of the top five receivers in the league, and everyone knew it.

The Broncos decided to take a shot at stealing him away.

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