Even if Mike Wallace stays

[toddjammin]

At best, we only have 3 Wide Receivers under contract. Would you sign someone in free agency, look to our practice squad, or get one or two in the draft?. Take into consideration also that Emmanual Sanders has had injuries

[steelblood]

This is a fantastic and deep WR draft especially for big physical WRs. I would take two who can help on special teams in the middle rounds or late in the draft (we may have 3 7th rounders). Derrick Williams and Jimmy Young should be able to challenge for a spot as well. I think the Steelers will look to add one vet minimum FA receiver. But, if we sign Wallace to a long term contract, that might not even happen. This team will be very young at WR.

[SteelBucks]

They'll probably grab one in the draft. The wildcard is Cotchery.

[phillyesq]

Provided that his demands are reasonable, I'd first look to bring back Cotchery. If Cotchery does not return, I would look for at least a one veteran WR to thrown into the mix. Some names that could make sense include Legedu Nanee or Devin Aromashdu. Bryant Johnson and Maurice Stovall are bigger WRs who could fit as possession receivers, and Greg Camarillo is another guy on the market. Aside from that, there aren't a lot of veterans out there.

[feltdizz]

I like the idea of Crotchery but he didn't impress me at all last year. He had a huge drop in the Denver game too.... everyone focuses on Wallace's drop but Crotchery's 3rd down drop when he was wide open over the middle was much worse.

[phillyesq]

I like the idea of Crotchery but he didn't impress me at all last year. He had a huge drop in the Denver game too.... everyone focuses on Wallace's drop but Crotchery's 3rd down drop when he was wide open over the middle was much worse.

That was a big drop, but every receiver drops a ball here and their. Welker had a huge drop in the SB -- I think I'd be ok with him as a slot receiver for Ben.

Cotchery isn't a game breaker, but he is a solid veteran who knows how to get open. I also think there is a lot to be said for having a veteran presence on the roster.

[Crash]

When Cotchery got healthy he was a solid producer. Moving the chains. That's what we need in this offense.

[Oviedo]

When Cotchery got healthy he was a solid producer. Moving the chains. That's what we need in this offense.

Yep. If our WR are B+ without Cotchery, I think he takes us to a legit A or A- if he is the #3/4. We need someone who can do what Hines did for the past decade and Cotchery has always done that well.

[aggiebones]

Not as desperate as it seems YET.

Wallace is here for NOW. Cotchery hasn't left YET.

Brown and Sanders.

That's 4 out of the minimum 5. We know they'll likely draft at least 1.

So at this point, there's 5 on the opening day roster. We sometimes keep only 5 though with a rookie, likely we'll grab some ST ace similar to Battle as the 6th.

Then we make moves as we lose Cotch or Wallace. We can't really replace them til they leave. If we sign a solid no.4 vet, then Cotch leaves for sure. No reason to preempt that move.
So we sit, prepare for a mid- to late round pick. And that's that.

[steelz09]

I'd look at bringing Ward back for 1 more season :)

[aggiebones]

Not outrageous. Avoid preseason for him to save his legs, then bring him back if in a lurch. He'll be desperate to play at that point and would run from Ga to Pa to get in a game.

[Eddie Spaghetti]

cotchery also had a great catch for a TD in denver.

I would love to have him back.

[Crash]

Plaxico part 2.

[steelblood]

Not as desperate as it seems YET.

Wallace is here for NOW. Cotchery hasn't left YET.


Then we make moves as we lose Cotch or Wallace. We can't really replace them til they leave. If we sign a solid no.4 vet, then Cotch leaves for sure. No reason to preempt that move.
So we sit, prepare for a mid- to late round pick. And that's that.

Wallace is still on this team. Cotchery is not. Once the free agent signing period began he is as much a Lion or a Dolphin as he is a Steeler (that is to say he has no team at all).

[focosteeler]

This is a fantastic and deep WR draft especially for big physical WRs. I would take two who can help on special teams in the middle rounds or late in the draft (we may have 3 7th rounders). Derrick Williams and Jimmy Young should be able to challenge for a spot as well. I think the Steelers will look to add one vet minimum FA receiver. But, if we sign Wallace to a long term contract, that might not even happen. This team will be very young at WR.

There are some pretty good small school guys with some good size that should be available in the 7th or as FA. I also wouldnt mind trying for Chris Owusu with a 6th or 7th despite his concussion issues

Derek Carrier – WR – Beloit College 6’3” 238lbs
Brandon Bostick – WR – Newberry 6’4” 240lbs

[steelblood]

You won't even have to go small school. There are so many big receivers that there will be some big school productive guys available in the 6th or 7th.

[focosteeler]

You won't even have to go small school. There are so many big receivers that there will be some big school productive guys available in the 6th or 7th.
i agree, hopefully this is the year we finally get our big redzone threat

[Chadman]

Derrick Williams is possibly the 'wild card'- his skill set is pretty much exactly what the Steelers would be looking for in a slot/possession type WR. If he's switched on, he could be the guy. Plus- he doubles as a punt returner.

Then you could put Wes Lyons in as the 5th WR to add some height.

All of this at Vet minimum too.

[Dee Dub]

I'd like to see a 3rd, 4th, or 5th round pick on guys like Marvin McNutt, Juron Criner, DeVier Posey, or an A.J. Jenkins.

[feltdizz]

That was a big drop, but every receiver drops a ball here and their. Welker had a huge drop in the SB -- I think I'd be ok with him as a slot receiver for Ben.

Cotchery isn't a game breaker, but he is a solid veteran who knows how to get open. I also think there is a lot to be said for having a veteran presence on the roster.
Welkers drop was a tough catch and if you watch the replay it was a poorly thrown ball.

I know Crotchery is a chain mover but he rarely moved the chains if I remember correctly.

[steelersflow]

I don't think we can handle him with the cap, especially with all this he wants more than fitz news going around.

[Dee Dub]

I don't think we can handle him with the cap, especially with all this he wants more than fitz news going around.

Yes we can. Go look at the who may be off this roster next year and you will see that there is going to be space to sign him and Brown at market value if they want them both.

[Snatch98]

Him wanting more than Fitz is a ruse. If it were the case I don't believe the Steelers would still be negotiating with him. I think it's more about him wanting to stay a Steeler and preventing another team from coming in and making an offer. Wishful thinking? Maybe but i don't see how he could possibly ask for a 100M dollar contract.

[Shoe]

I don't know what you guys are talking about... WR is relatively low on our needs list if you ask me. I mean, you have to have some level of faith in our guys. I'm speaking about Sanders. I know he's injury-proned, but at this point... we have to have some faith in the guy to be healthy.

Our D-line was wholly mediocre, which is disappointing when you consider we have three 1st round picks (if you include Hampton way back). Our O-line is a mish-mash of ham & eggers. IMO, the most glaring need may be DB. We have the least big-play-making set of DB's maybe in the whole league, including Polamalu (who is on the downside of his career). We need a playmaker back there, first and foremost.

[fezziwig]

I don't know what you guys are talking about... WR is relatively low on our needs list if you ask me. I mean, you have to have some level of faith in our guys. I'm speaking about Sanders. I know he's injury-proned, but at this point... we have to have some faith in the guy to be healthy.

Our D-line was wholly mediocre, which is disappointing when you consider we have three 1st round picks (if you include Hampton way back). Our O-line is a mish-mash of ham & eggers. IMO, the most glaring need may be DB. We have the least big-play-making set of DB's maybe in the whole league, including Polamalu (who is on the downside of his career). We need a playmaker back there, first and foremost.


x2. I guess the saying is true, " If the shoe fits, wear it. "

[fordfixer]

Rooney: Steelers still working to sign Wallace
By Scott Brown, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, March 24, 2012
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_788106.html

Limited room under the salary cap has kept the Steelers quiet since the start of free agency.

It apparently hasn't tempered their desire to sign Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Wallace to a long-term contract.

"The sooner the better as far as we're concerned," Steelers president Art Rooney II told the Tribune-Review on Friday, "but there's two parties to it."

The biggest question regarding Wallace's long-term future in Pittsburgh is whether the Steelers will be able to secure it before the start of the 2012 season.

Wallace is a restricted free agent, and the Steelers offered him a one-year, $2.74 million deal, the highest tender offer for a player in Wallace's situation.

Wallace hasn't received a lot of outside interest even though he is only 25 and has averaged over 1,000 receiving yards in his first three NFL seasons.

According to the Sacramento Bee, the San Francisco 49ers were interested in Wallace but they shied away because of the price tag. The Bee reported that Wallace is seeking a contract similar to the eight-year, $120 million deal that wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald signed with the Arizona Cardinals last season.

If the Steelers don't match the offer, Wallace also would cost a team that signs him its first-round draft pick.

Neither Wallace nor his agent, Bus Cook, returned messages yesterday.

Rooney declined to go into specifics regarding negotiations, but he said the two sides are talking.

"We stay in constant touch with him and his representatives," Rooney said. "We'll have to see what we agree on, so I don't want to put any particular time frame on it or restrictions on it because these things take time and I wouldn't want to box myself in on it."

Two factors that could complicate getting a deal done: Wide receiver Antonio Brown, the Steelers' MVP last season, is a restricted free agent after 2012 -- and in position for a big payday -- and Wallace's value has only increased since March 13.

The wide receiver position has been highly compensated through the first wave of free agency. Among those who signed big contracts were Detroit's Calvin Johnson, Tampa Bay's Vincent Jackson and Washington's Pierre Garcon.

According to ESPN, those deals were for eight years for $132 million, five years for $55.5 million and five years for $42.5 million, respectively.

Teams have until April 20 to sign Wallace.

If Wallace signs his one-year offer from the Steelers, the two sides can still negotiate a multi-year contract. The Steelers also could try to sign Wallace to a long-term deal next year, though he will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2012 season.

The Steelers have spent the offseason shedding salary. A series of a contract restructurings and terminations put the team in compliance with the $120.6 million salary cap for 2012.

But the Steelers are believed to be only $6 to $8 million under the cap, and they need money to sign their 2012 draft picks as well as free agents.
Through the years
A season-by-season look at Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace:
Year Games Rec. Yards Avg. Long TD
2011 16 72 1,193 16.6 95 8
2010 16 60 1,257 21.0 56 10
2009 16 39 756 19.4 60 6

Rooney said he expects the Steelers to make more moves so they can create salary cap flexibility.

"I think we feel like we are where we need to be at this point," Rooney said. "Probably more decisions are going to have to be made this offseason and some contract decisions are going to have to be made. There's certainly more to come in terms of putting all of the pieces together on this team."

Steelers president Art Rooney II on...

-- The Steelers releasing a handful of veterans but largely keeping the nucleus of their team together:

"We think we have a good and young core, really. Unfortunately, we had to move on with some players who have really been key players for us for a number of years now. That's never easy to do, but that time comes in every player's career and that time comes when every team has to make decisions like this."

-- Whether bounty talk will dominate the NFL owners' meetings next week:

"I'm sure people will be talking about it, but as far as the meetings themselves I don't expect it be any kind of a big piece of the agenda. We don't need that kind of thing in the game, and I think the commissioner (Roger Goodell) sent a loud and clear message. I think everybody will get the message."

-- The Steelers' proposal -- it will be voted on by owners -- that the OT format for playoff games also apply in the regular season:

"(Coach) Mike (Tomlin) was very concerned about you get into a postseason game and nobody's ever experienced this situation before and we just felt like the rules are we should have the same rules in the regular season as we have in the postseason. We felt like it's something that should have been done the first time around. Hopefully, there's enough support."

-- The Steelers' proposal that makes it illegal to horse-collar tackle a quarterback while he is in the pocket:

"We've provided a lot of protection for the quarterback, some people might say too much, but we're not sure why we should leave this open particularly when we have so many other protections for the quarterback."

Read more: Rooney: Steelers still working to sign Wallace - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_788106.html#ixzz1q6ZuqYhv