Pittsburgh Steelers ink Antonio Brown to 5 year 42.5 million dollar extension

[chiken]

is Nate Washington available?

[RuthlessBurgher]

for a guy that 'does so much for the rest of the offense', we sure didnt tear up the scoreboard the last couple years with wallace.
are we really willing to say that the rest of our players, ben, brown, heath, mendy, cotch and such are so crappy that wallace carried them to the 21st scoring offense and without him we will fall to the bottom of scoring offense this year if we dont have him? i am willing to bet nobody wants to say all those guys suck. i am also willing to bet that our offense does better than last year statistically even without wallace.
i'm not saying our team isnt better with him(money not taken into account) but to think we cant be competitive(like many here are claiming) is crazy talk. we are not talking about losing a franchise qb and replacing him with a rookie qb or some journeyman qb. we are talking about replacing a 1000 yard, 8 td wr with a 700 yard, 6 td wr............there are 50 wrs in the nfl that can put up those numbers at 4 million a year. i dont think any extra 300 yards and a couple tds are worth an 8 million per cap hit.

Yeah, our scoring offense last year was crap. We scored only 34 offensive touchdowns last season. Look at where that production came from though...half of those TD's were scored by either Mendenhall (9) or Wallace (8). Neither of those guys are in camp right now (PUP...likely out for 6 weeks...and unsigned RFA tender...may be out for 10 weeks). Outside of those two guys, Redman scored 3 rushing TD's and Clay scored 1 rushing TD. Brown, Sanders, Cotchery, Miller, and Ward scored 2 receiving TD's each with 1 TD catch each for Saunders, Johnson, and Moore. Ward and Moore are already gone, Saunders is suspended for 4 games, and it is still questionable about whether Clay or Johnson might make the team. Just to get up to the crappy 34 offensive TD's we had last year (which sucked, by the way), we need Redman, Brown, Sanders, Cotchery, and Miller to improve upon their scoring prowess BIG TIME in 2012.

[steelnavy]

Toney Clemons seriously???

Mike Wallace 3 years in NFL record is better than Jerry Rice. I am not saying he is better than Jerry Rice (different era,different rules) but you don't put those numbers just being a decoy in NFL.

Did anyone ever stop to think that if Mike played for most other teams that he wouldn't have these amazing stats? He just happened to have Big Ben who likes to play sandlot football and heave the hail Marys. Think Unibrow from Balimore would have made him look so good?

[steelnavy]

If lamar Woodley and Timmons can earn a paycheck of 10 million/yr i don't see why MW should not? He has far better production that those two LB last season.

Woodley and Timmons both fill positions on the field which cannot be easily glossed over/covered by someone else if they are not dominant at their specialty. Mike is one of THREE receivers who can more easily be replaced without as much of a let down on the field. On offense, it only takes ONE guy to get open for Ben to pass the ball to. On defense, every man is on an island and must excel at his assignment for the D to be effective. It may sound cliche, but the saying that wide receivers are a dime a dozen has some truth to it. Look what happened last year when Potsie got old - It only takes one weak link on the D to be exposed over and over.

[flippy]

Yeah, our scoring offense last year was crap. We scored only 34 offensive touchdowns last season. Look at where that production came from though...half of those TD's were scored by either Mendenhall (9) or Wallace (8). Neither of those guys are in camp right now (PUP...likely out for 6 weeks...and unsigned RFA tender...may be out for 10 weeks). Outside of those two guys, Redman scored 3 rushing TD's and Clay scored 1 rushing TD. Brown, Sanders, Cotchery, Miller, and Ward scored 2 receiving TD's each with 1 TD catch each for Saunders, Johnson, and Moore. Ward and Moore are already gone, Saunders is suspended for 4 games, and it is still questionable about whether Clay or Johnson might make the team. Just to get up to the crappy 34 offensive TD's we had last year (which sucked, by the way), we need Redman, Brown, Sanders, Cotchery, and Miller to improve upon their scoring prowess BIG TIME in 2012.

The one guy that we need to improve is Ben. The WRs, RBs, and TEs don't matter that much. It's mostly on Ben and Haley to figure out how to score and execute.

[flippy]

I see Brown more in the mold of dare I say, Jimmy Smith type or Hines Ward with quickness.

I see Brown as a Steve Smith (Carolina). He's explosive. A great runner in the open field. And some of the best hands this league has seen.

[Slapstick]

Yeah, our scoring offense last year was crap. We scored only 34 offensive touchdowns last season. Look at where that production came from though...half of those TD's were scored by either Mendenhall (9) or Wallace (8). Neither of those guys are in camp right now (PUP...likely out for 6 weeks...and unsigned RFA tender...may be out for 10 weeks). Outside of those two guys, Redman scored 3 rushing TD's and Clay scored 1 rushing TD. Brown, Sanders, Cotchery, Miller, and Ward scored 2 receiving TD's each with 1 TD catch each for Saunders, Johnson, and Moore. Ward and Moore are already gone, Saunders is suspended for 4 games, and it is still questionable about whether Clay or Johnson might make the team. Just to get up to the crappy 34 offensive TD's we had last year (which sucked, by the way), we need Redman, Brown, Sanders, Cotchery, and Miller to improve upon their scoring prowess BIG TIME in 2012.

Well, since Redman won't automatically be taken out of the game in the red zone in favor of Mendenhall, we'll all have the opportunity to see what he can do...

Now that Brown has a contract, he'll be able to start all 16 games and he won't be taken out of the game in the red zone either...

Miller scored 2 TDs in 2010 and 2011...the season before that, he scored 7...perhaps Arians should have called his number a little more...

I'm not worried...I believe these guys are capable and will rise to the occasion now that the opportunity to do so is there...

The standard is the standard...

[flippy]

The standard is the standard...

In this case, hopefully the standard improves.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

The one guy that we need to improve is Ben. The WRs, RBs, and TEs don't matter that much. It's mostly on Ben and Haley to figure out how to score and execute.

I'll agree that Ben is the main man on offense. But your WRs need to be able to get open, and then they need to be able to catch the ball. Ben can "figure out how to score" and "execute" a play perfectly, but if the WR on the other end doesn't do his job, it's all for naught. I don't think the Steelers would have paid
Brown $42.5 million, nor do I think they would have offered Wallace $9 million+ per year, and still be telling teams that he's not available for trade, if they thought WRs "don't matter that much."

[RuthlessBurgher]

Did anyone ever stop to think that if Mike played for most other teams that he wouldn't have these amazing stats? He just happened to have Big Ben who likes to play sandlot football and heave the hail Marys. Think Unibrow from Balimore would have made him look so good?

Unibrow from Baltimore got 50 catches for 841 yards and 7 TD's from rookie speedster Torrey Smith last season.

Ben got 39 catches for 756 yards and 6 TD's from Mike Wallace when he was a rookie speedster in 2009.

So, yeah, that is pretty comparable, at least so far.

[feltdizz]

I think the guys name was Taylor or whom ever that played across from either Jerry Rice or maybe someone playing across from Michale Irving that was signed by the Tampa Bay Bucs. He was great when he was just the supporting actor but when the Bucs made him the leading man........his career soured real fast. I hope this is not the case with Brown and I don't think it will be as long as he is mentally tough. With his work ethic that they continue to rave about he, should be fine. I see Brown more in the mold of dare I say, Jimmy Smith type or Hines Ward with quickness.

The Bucs? If Mike Wallace goes to the Bucs right now he would struggle to get 600 yards...

I know what you are trying to say but Pippen without Jordan would have been a better analogy. It's easy to make a good WR look bad if he plays for the Bucs, Raiders, Dolphins, etc...

[Slapstick]

Unibrow from Baltimore got 50 catches for 841 yards and 7 TD's from rookie speedster Torrey Smith last season.

Ben got 39 catches for 756 yards and 6 TD's from Mike Wallace when he was a rookie speedster in 2009.

So, yeah, that is pretty comparable, at least so far.

You know who ran a 40 as fast as Torrey Smith? Emmanuel Sanders...

[squidkid]

Yeah, our scoring offense last year was crap. We scored only 34 offensive touchdowns last season. Look at where that production came from though...half of those TD's were scored by either Mendenhall (9) or Wallace (8). Neither of those guys are in camp right now (PUP...likely out for 6 weeks...and unsigned RFA tender...may be out for 10 weeks). Outside of those two guys, Redman scored 3 rushing TD's and Clay scored 1 rushing TD. Brown, Sanders, Cotchery, Miller, and Ward scored 2 receiving TD's each with 1 TD catch each for Saunders, Johnson, and Moore. Ward and Moore are already gone, Saunders is suspended for 4 games, and it is still questionable about whether Clay or Johnson might make the team. Just to get up to the crappy 34 offensive TD's we had last year (which sucked, by the way), we need Redman, Brown, Sanders, Cotchery, and Miller to improve upon their scoring prowess BIG TIME in 2012.

i know you're not suggesting that this offense, with the palyers that want to be here and are healthy, will only put up 17 tds this year because wallace and mendy arent here....correct?
11+ million for 8 td wr doesnt sound like much of a bargain.
11+ million doesnt sound like much of a bargain for a guy that opens up stuff for 2 td guys underneath.
11+ million doesnt sound like a smart move if he only opens up his team mates for a total of 13 tds from his franchise qb.
i am willing to bet between those 4 guys you listed, they will take care of the 8 tds that wallace provided.

[RuthlessBurgher]

i know you're not suggesting that this offense, with the palyers that want to be here and are healthy, will only put up 17 tds this year because wallace and mendy arent here....correct?
11+ million for 8 td wr doesnt sound like much of a bargain.
11+ million doesnt sound like much of a bargain for a guy that opens up stuff for 2 td guys underneath.
11+ million doesnt sound like a smart move if he only opens up his team mates for a total of 13 tds from his franchise qb.
i am willing to bet between those 4 guys you listed, they will take care of the 8 tds that wallace provided.

At this point, no one on our roster has proven that they can put up TD's on a regular basis except for Mendenhall and Wallace. I think Redman should be able to triple his TD production from his 3 to Mendenhall's 9 based on increased opportunity. But do I see Brown or Sanders or Cotchery or Miller being able to quadruple their TD production from their 2 to Wallace's 8? No. If not, then all four of them would need to double their TD production to 4 in order to make up for Wallace's production (and they'd still be short they extra 2 TD passes Hines caught last year).

Wallace is a weapon, and weapon's cost money. Am I suggesting that we pay him 11+ million? No. But contracts can be structured so they have a minimum base salary in year one (which the team would like so that he fits into our tight cap structure), with greater signing bonus guaranteed dollars than Brown got (which Wallace would like because it gives him security), and possibly even a big ol' balloon payment at the very end that he will never see (which Wallace's agent would like, because it helps his reputation by making it look like he got Wallace a huge deal, even if the money at the very end is only phantom dollars (he'd be cut or have a new deal before that final year's salary kicked in).

[steelblood]

Antonio Brown is a really nice guy. This is a great contract for both parties as Brown gets a raise and some guaranteed money while the Steelers don't have to pay a ton in guaranteed money and can part ways with Brown in a few years if he doesn't live up to the contract.