Would you pay DJ $18M a year?

[The Man of Steel]

DJ’s 107 receptions last season looked impressive on the stat sheet but not so much on the field.

[SteelerMaine83]

DJ’s 107 receptions last season looked impressive on the stat sheet but not so much on the field.

I don't disagree with how impressive those 107 receptions look, nor would i give him a contract worth $18m on average at this time. I also think the contract value of WRs after the top tier will start to go down based on the year after year talent that seems to come into the league from college. I think a lot of good veteran FA WRs will be settling for low pay contracts after this year's draft.

With that said, i need to give DJ some love. Yes, the drops are annoying, but both K. Allen and J. Chase had more drops this year. When DJ drops the ball may be more important, here, and he did a great job most of the year (after showing lots of work on it, to his credit) but those last few games were tough.

But consider how down we've been on the O the past two years. How good would DJ be with Burrow, Mahomes, Wilson? After seeing a number of Stillers games in replay on NFL Network, you realize how good his game is. He breaks ankles with cuts, runs good routes. A better OC and better QB play the past two seasons, we wouldn't be talking about his drops. How many of those drops came when he had other color jerseys around him, the catch point was 3 yards short of the sticks on a third and 9? Most guys are looking around when your 3 yards shy and trying to convert. That was a problem with our offense.

While I can argue either way, he's a lot better receiver than a lot of posters give him credit for. I would consider a $13-15m a year extension, not $18 a year.

[Captain Lemming]

SteelersDepot guys saying he'd laugh at anything less after Mike Williams' deal.

Personally, no way I do. He's a nice receiver but you can find guys like that every year in the draft. There's absolutely nothing special about him.

If the Steelers agree, have to think he might hold out this summer.

Depends on the size of the party. Is it televised PPV and he will bring in eyes like a championship boxer? Maybe.

Oh wait THAT DJ?

Nope.

[feltdizz]

I don't disagree with how impressive those 107 receptions look, nor would i give him a contract worth $18m on average at this time. I also think the contract value of WRs after the top tier will start to go down based on the year after year talent that seems to come into the league from college. I think a lot of good veteran FA WRs will be settling for low pay contracts after this year's draft.

With that said, i need to give DJ some love. Yes, the drops are annoying, but both K. Allen and J. Chase had more drops this year. When DJ drops the ball may be more important, here, and he did a great job most of the year (after showing lots of work on it, to his credit) but those last few games were tough.

But consider how down we've been on the O the past two years. How good would DJ be with Burrow, Mahomes, Wilson? After seeing a number of Stillers games in replay on NFL Network, you realize how good his game is. He breaks ankles with cuts, runs good routes. A better OC and better QB play the past two seasons, we wouldn't be talking about his drops. How many of those drops came when he had other color jerseys around him, the catch point was 3 yards short of the sticks on a third and 9? Most guys are looking around when your 3 yards shy and trying to convert. That was a problem with our offense.

While I can argue either way, he's a lot better receiver than a lot of posters give him credit for. I would consider a $13-15m a year extension, not $18 a year.

my problem is he isn’t a game changer. He is more of a safety valve. A Wes Welker.

Dude is slippery underneath and gets open but not much of a weapon after the catch.

and he rarely turns those 5 yard receptions into 30 yards. He isn’t slippery once he catches the ball.

[WindyCitySteel]

My God, are we all....in agreement here?

Pop the corks!

[SteelerMaine83]

my problem is he isn’t a game changer. He is more of a safety valve. A Wes Welker.

Dude is slippery underneath and gets open but not much of a weapon after the catch.

and he rarely turns those 5 yard receptions into 30 yards. He isn’t slippery once he catches the ball.

Again, I'll play the devil's advocate here a little.

I think you have to look at our offense. He makes some plays and shows that slippery-ness at times, but when you catch the ball on a 5 yarder and 10 of 11 guys on D are all within 10 yards of you, that's a big ask, especially on those darn bubble screens that squeeze you between a hash and the sidelines.

Watch him more closely and ask yourself what he might do in a different offense.

I'm not sure Jamar Chase looks so good in our O of the past two years.

Just sayin'

[BURGH86STEEL]

Teams have to pay money to keep quality players. DJ is a quality player, has production, and is still young. How much more would DJ produce with a better QB and Oline?

[SteelerMaine83]

Teams have to pay money to keep quality players. DJ is a quality player, has production, and is still young. How much more would DJ produce with a better QB and Oline?

Exactly. This O, the QB play, and the OL are all big factors here. Imagine if our QB didn't have to lead the league in least time until throw? If Ben could have hung on to it half a second more?

Better OL=Better QB Play=Better WR Play.

Those things are better, DJ puts up 125 rec, 1500 yds and 10+ TDs this past year. Is that a quality player? Is that big money?

Think about it.

[NorthCoast]

Teams have to pay money to keep quality players. DJ is a quality player, has production, and is still young. How much more would DJ produce with a better QB and Oline?

Plenty of quality WRs available for far less money.

[BURGH86STEEL]

Plenty of quality WRs available for far less money.

Well AGAIN, players in the NFL are not paid X amount of dollars per year. The entire premise the OP is false.

DJ caught 107 balls and 8 TD's in a "limited" QB driven offense with a shuffled OLINE. Please attempt to see the entire picture.

My perspecitve is that, DJ is a young WR that has several years of high quality production. He was the ONLY WR that the Steelers could least afford to lose because of his production and overall skill set IMO.

In my limited analysis, DJ the type of WR/play maker that can defeat defenders/defenses at multiple levels. Am I wrong? Doesn't matter. I believe there is an agent and team that sees DJ as I do.

At the end of the day, top quality NFL players are not simply plug and play contrary to fan's beliefs. Business is business. Money is money. Follow me?

I'd love for the Steelers to reach an agreement with DJ and Juju. He and Juju are ballers. But money, team building, opinions, other team's offers, ect. over ride my opinion and yours.

[Iron City Inc.]

18 mil per = trade talks if I was the GM. A team with a young up and coming Qb with wr needs and extra picks is in my crosshairs. I'd be on the phone day n night with the jets to work something out be it this draft or the 23 draft or a combo. And I like DJ I just don't believe he's great. He's good ..very good for sure.
Jets have 2 1's , 2 2nds , 2 4's n 2 5's so they have ammo galore to make any type of trade or trades they would like.
Our history of drafting well at wr makes me lean on this angle. Like it or not we're in some type of rebuild. I'm okay with a slight tear down now to work on a turn around a year or so from now.

[BURGH86STEEL]

Exactly. This O, the QB play, and the OL are all big factors here. Imagine if our QB didn't have to lead the league in least time until throw? If Ben could have hung on to it half a second more?

Better OL=Better QB Play=Better WR Play.

Those things are better, DJ puts up 125 rec, 1500 yds and 10+ TDs this past year. Is that a quality player? Is that big money?

Think about it.

Young quality/great player = one piece of the team building puzzle. IE TJ Watt. I am not suggesting that DJ is a Watt level caliber of player. DJ deserves to be paid X contract/dollars based on his production, skill set, and youth.

The Steelers future at QB is another factor/discussion.

[Terrapin]

If a stone hands like DJ gets $18 mil a year I'm dusting my cleats off and sneaking into camp

[Ernie]

No way... I'd rather keep Juju, Chase, Washington, and add depth through FA, draft

[WindyCitySteel]

Again, I'll play the devil's advocate here a little.

I think you have to look at our offense. He makes some plays and shows that slippery-ness at times, but when you catch the ball on a 5 yarder and 10 of 11 guys on D are all within 10 yards of you, that's a big ask, especially on those darn bubble screens that squeeze you between a hash and the sidelines.

Watch him more closely and ask yourself what he might do in a different offense.

I'm not sure Jamar Chase looks so good in our O of the past two years.

Just sayin'

Chase would have backed safeties out of the box at the very least, and broken more long catch and runs.

DJ is a nice, complementary player, he's not a WR1 IMO. No way I'm paying him like Mike Williams, he's very replaceable.