receiver , who faces the tonight in a game vital to both teams' playoff hopes, nearly signed with Pittsburgh in the offseason. Those two teams were the finalists for the speedy veteran free-agent receiver, sources said, with the Bills making a strong final push to secure his services.Brown ended up signing a three-year, $27 million deal with the Bills, with more Pedro Martinez Jersey than $10 million guaranteed. The Steelers offered roughly $16 million for two years, with about $8 million guaranteed, believing he could help fill part of the void left by the departure of former Dustin Pedroia Jersey All-Pro . The Bills came close to landing Brown as a free agent in 2018, losing out in the end to the , and made landing him a top priority last spring, viewing him as a key a set to aid the development of young quarterback .The investment has more than paid off, with Allen and Brown forming one of the AFC's top combinations. Brown ranks eighth in the NFL with 908 receiving yards -- nearly 250 more than any teammate -- and leads the Bills with 64 receptions. Buffalo originally hoped to land him on a multi-year deal in 2018, sources said, but after battling injuries in his Bill Lee Jersey final years in Arizona, Brown wanted to relaunch himself for a bigger payday in 2019 by doing a one-year, prove-it contract.Brown ultimately chose Baltimore over Buffalo in 2018, preferring the established big arm of over Allen, a raw rookie, sources said. When the Ravens switched to at QB midseason and went to the most run-heavy attack in the NFL in the proce s, Brown became frustrated and unhappy (he was having a big year with Flacco), and it was clear to teammates by last December that he would not be Mitch Moreland Jersey re-signing with the Ravens.The Bills never soured on him -- he had a big game against them in Week 1 last year -- and believed he had the same speed, dexterity and game-breaking ability even as his production curtailed in Baltimore. The offense has been featuring him throughout the year, and not just as a straight-line, deep ball threat. After being bottled up by the Ravens last week, Brown will be a key part Blank Jersey of the game plan today against another aggre sive pa s-rushing defense in the Steelers.