Is Wallace worth his big pay check?

[RuthlessBurgher]

but it coincides directly with an increase in Brown's production.

Possibly, but Wallace was targeted 113 times this year 13 more than 2010

He was targeted 13 more times than last year, and had 12 more catches than last year (72 catches in 2011 vs. 60 catches in 2010).

[pittpete]

John: I like the young money trio an all, but when will we get a tall guy with good hands?? It seems like Wallace has the speed but catches mostly with his body and doesn't really fight for the ball. and AB can make good catches but they're not much over 6 feet tall.

Gerry Dulac: Tall guys with good hands are tough to find. I will say again, though, that you are very observant. That is Mike Wallace's problem, and it has reared its ugly head again late in the season. To me, it's the reason they lost the Super Bowl to the Packers. Ben's one interception was because Wallace didn't use his body to shield the defensive back, especially when he had the position. And then Ben threw to him across the middle three straight times on the final series -- all incompletions. Not the receiver you want to target over the middle in traffic. He doesn't make the tough catch.

RD: Gerry, I'm glad to see others skeptical of Wallace. For quite some time I have questioned his ability due to the fact that he never fights or goes up for the ball. Is this something that the coaches are trying to correct?

Gerry Dulac: I hope so. I'll give you an example: In the season finale in Cleveland, Ben tried a deep pass to Wallace in the end zone that got caught in the wind. As a result, the ball was under thrown and never reached Wallace. But, instead of coming back and making the sure the DB didn't catch the ball, Wallace just kind of turned and did nothing. He needs to go fight for the ball, even if he can't catch it.

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[ramblinjim]

If we tender him 1st, would we get that teams 1st rounder this year or next? I think it's next. So if we go with the Cleveland argument, we wouldn't get their #4 pick this year, we'd get it next year. Is that the case?

[pittpete]

In the National Football League, a restricted free agent (RFA) is one with three accrued seasons of service, who has received a "qualifying" offer (a salary level predetermined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and its players) from his current club. He can negotiate with any club through a certain date. If the restricted free agent accepts an offer sheet from a new club, his old club has "right of first refusal," a seven-day period in which it may match the offer and retain him, or choose not to match the offer, in which case it may receive one or more draft picks for the upcoming draft from the player's new club. If an offer sheet is not executed, the player's rights revert to his old club the day after negotiations must end.

[grotonsteel]

John: I like the young money trio an all, but when will we get a tall guy with good hands?? It seems like Wallace has the speed but catches mostly with his body and doesn't really fight for the ball. and AB can make good catches but they're not much over 6 feet tall.

Gerry Dulac: Tall guys with good hands are tough to find. I will say again, though, that you are very observant. That is Mike Wallace's problem, and it has reared its ugly head again late in the season. To me, it's the reason they lost the Super Bowl to the Packers. Ben's one interception was because Wallace didn't use his body to shield the defensive back, especially when he had the position. And then Ben threw to him across the middle three straight times on the final series -- all incompletions. Not the receiver you want to target over the middle in traffic. He doesn't make the tough catch.

[quote:2m1nnqgj]RD: Gerry, I'm glad to see others skeptical of Wallace. For quite some time I have questioned his ability due to the fact that he never fights or goes up for the ball. Is this something that the coaches are trying to correct?

Gerry Dulac: I hope so. I'll give you an example: In the season finale in Cleveland, Ben tried a deep pass to Wallace in the end zone that got caught in the wind. As a result, the ball was under thrown and never reached Wallace. But, instead of coming back and making the sure the DB didn't catch the ball, Wallace just kind of turned and did nothing. He needs to go fight for the ball, even if he can't catch it.

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What is more worrying is that he has started dropping catches thrown perfectly to him. He needs to get out of that Young Money stuff.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

I also am wondering if there is any truth to the rumor that I read on here that Wallace began pouting with the emergence of AB. If that is true then that has to be addressed somehow by the coaches. If not then I can't see him staying around.

[Dee Dub]

A few weeks ago I would have said yes. Now I'm not so sure. I'm sure about Brown. He is the total package at wr.

But Antonio Brown doesnt get into the END ZONE. Two times over his first 2 years? 85 receptions and only 2 TD's? That is a concern for me.

Mike Wallace on the other had makes it a habit of finding the END ZONE.

And the biggest problem for this Steelers offense lately has been finding the END ZONE.

[Dee Dub]

One trick pony. If ball doesn't land in bread basket it is not completed. No thanks. Save big payday for Brown. Tender at highest for Wallace.

Last two seasons?

Mike Wallace 18 TD receptions and Antonio Brown 2 TD receptions.

[Dee Dub]

Me personally, I dont care how many "tricks" Wallace has in his arsenal. Bottom line is he scores TD's.....and up until this past year he wasnt even the #2 target on the team.

[feltdizz]

Nate Washington used to score TD's too... anyone who is sent on fly patterns all day will score some TD's in our offense.

Moving the chains is more important to me because it keeps drives alive...

It's great when Wallace is catching bombs every week but when he isn't... you realize he still needs to work on other parts of his game. This year it looks like if he isn't scoring TD's he loses confidence...