STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 1, 2013 12:06 pm
As Jackal said write the date down. I don't agree with Mano ...

Sure, teams do what they do, but to think they do it without an eye towards the big play is just wrong.  Watch that single high safety when the ball is snapped and most times he rolls to Wallace's side, especially if he heads deep.  To say that doesn't open anything up underneath is just wrong.  Antonio Brown will be the first guy to tell you that Mike Wallace helps him get open.
I'm not saying it doesn't ever happen but I think the notion that only Wallace draws attention is overblown. A single high safetie's job (Attn Rahim Moore) is to stay as deep as the deepest WR on the field, whoever that may be. Emmanuel Sanders (4.40 40) isnt' exactly chopped liver in the speed category. At the 2010 combine only two guys ran faster (T. Holiday, J. Ford). And very few DCs (Attn Jack Del Rio) are going to allow any WR to run down the field one-on-one with a CB.

Furthermore, teams don't exactly telegraph who's going deep and who's running underneath. A single high safety has to read that at the snap and that's the side he is going to shade. Could he be leaning towards Wallace's side and allow the WR on the other side of the field to get behind him? Sure, it happens but Brown isn't running many deep routes unless it's on a double move. Brown's forte is the option routes and the back shoulder throws. He's one-on-one with the CB and uses his quickness and route runnign to create separation. Wallace can't help him on those routes. He just has to beat his man.

I get the combination route stuff, especially when Brown is lined up in the slot on the same side of the field. I just don't think it's all that important if it's Wallace or Sanders. The safety is going to help on the deepest route regardless of who's running it IMO.
beachbum312
SinceSep 17, 2006
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 1, 2013 12:09 pm
I think Wallace is a better route runner than he gets credit for.  Not great, but better than some say.
Nah don't agree. He's stiff as a board and rounds off his routes. He gets very little separation on the shorter routes because he telegraphs them. Same thing when he catches the ball. He's very poor after the catch unless it involves running a straight line. His change of direction ability is very poor which makes me always shake my head when they use him on end arounds.


beachbum312
SinceSep 17, 2006
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 1, 2013 12:45 pm
I don't denies Mike Wallace athletic ability at all, but I do question the publicity he gets that sometimes over exaggerates his ability to get behind defenders.  Bottom line is this, if the OC isn't calling for the deep shot, or the QB doesn't audible to it, the defense has nothing to worry about, therefor, they aren't going to over adjust to something the Steelers did exactly 11 times all year with Wallace.  11 times is 16 games.   Defenses don';t over compensate for something an offense does once every 61 snaps.  They will prepare for it as best they can, but until the Steelers make it a commonly used weapon and not an aberration, it is what it is.
jackal1968
SinceNov 1, 2007
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 1, 2013 1:06 pm
They will prepare for it as best they can, but until the Steelers make it a commonly used weapon and not an aberration, it is what it is.

HIRE BRUCE ARIANS!!!!!

Tongue out
beachbum312
SinceSep 17, 2006
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 1, 2013 1:30 pm
HIRE BRUCE ARIANS!!!!!
Nah, Andrew Luck attemtpted just 94 passes over 20 yards for the season, or 5.5 per game (including playoffs).  Not all that impressive when it comes to talking about stretching a defense with your deep threat.  KC can keep him and his predictability.
jackal1968
SinceNov 1, 2007
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 1, 2013 3:03 pm
Nah, Andrew Luck attemtpted just 94 passes over 20 yards for the season, or 5.5 per game (including playoffs).  Not all that impressive when it comes to talking about stretching a defense with your deep threat.  KC can keep him and his predictability.
I read somewhere he led the league in passes downfield.
beachbum312
SinceSep 17, 2006
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 1, 2013 3:56 pm
Led the Colts, maybe?  I don't know, got my stats from profootballreferrence.com
jackal1968
SinceNov 1, 2007
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 1, 2013 4:13 pm
The stat was % of passes over 15 yards - not 20 and he actually finished third.

Jay Cutler 28.6% of passes over 15 yards
Colin Kaepernick 27.5% (a lot less attempts)
Andrew Luck 27.0%
Josh Freeman 25.6%
Joe Flacco 25.0%
Luck was chucking it deep often.

http://wp.advancednflstats.com/play
erstats.php?year=2012&pos=QB&season=reg
beachbum312
SinceSep 17, 2006
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 1, 2013 5:02 pm
I don't recall putting an actual % to it, but where was Ben in 2011, 2010, 2009 . . . . with Arians and with Mike Wallace?  My guess well below the 27% of Andrew Luck of 2013.   Averages dictate predicatbility and Arians is every bit the predictable play caller he has been accused of being.  I'll take Haley's offense in year 2 minus MW against whomever Brucey finds to loft the ball in AZI.
jackal1968
SinceNov 1, 2007
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 1, 2013 6:11 pm
I read somewhere he led the league in passes downfield.
He also led the league in int's.
rarebreed
SinceSep 23, 2006
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 2, 2013 12:48 pm
Inaccurate.  Brees and Romo led the NFL in INT. And of Luck's 18 interceptions, only 2 came  in the final quarter of the season.  Considering Luck was asked to carry his team and RG3, Tannehill and Wilson were merely asked not to lose games, I'd say the kid did well to only get picked off once a game, on average.   Maybe Arians goes deeper often if he had more than one real threat to go longer than 20 yards?   Sure didn't when he was in Pitt.
jackal1968
SinceNov 1, 2007
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 3, 2013 2:18 am
Your right Breeze and Romo had 19 int and luck had 18. I know he was leading the league for quite awhile, the other 2 must have had a couple bad games towards the end of the year.
Andrew ended up 26th in the league with a passer rating of 75.6%  627 attempts which is double what RG was asked to do.
I'm glad Arians is out of Indy, he was going to throw this kids arm out way before his time.
rarebreed
SinceSep 23, 2006
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 3, 2013 8:39 am
Andrew ended up 26th in the league with a passer rating of 75.6%  627 attempts which is double what RG was asked to do.
I'm glad Arians is out of Indy, he was going to throw this kids arm out way before his time.
Can't deny first statement, and whole heartedly agree with second.

Throwing the ball deep happens for three reasons: 
1)  Teams are trying to back off corners and safties to open the run game
2)  Teams believe they have the ability to stretch the field and take advantage of deep mismatches
3)  Desperation

Not sure where a lot of Steelers came in, but I know several were late in games they were trailing or need to ease the box to gain some help in the run game.

Don't think Haley was ever comfortable going with the Deep ball all that often.
jackal1968
SinceNov 1, 2007
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 4, 2013 6:09 am
Here's another take on the state of the Steelers reeiving corps, this from the Post-Gazette on Sunday:

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories
/sports/steelers/steelers-sunday-sp
otlight-speed-kills-and-so-does-the
-lack-of-it-673215/
jackal1968
SinceNov 1, 2007
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 4, 2013 8:59 am
If $10 million a year isn't good enough for Wallace then let him go.  If it came down to Wallace at $10 million a year or Brown at $8,
the Steelers made the right choice.

smcndfan
SinceFeb 18, 2008
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 4, 2013 9:39 am
If $10 million a year isn't good enough for Wallace then let him go.  If it came down to Wallace at $10 million a year or Brown at $8,
I've said this several times and apparently no one finds it credible but the Steelers don't release information on contract negotiations. Someone loosely reported the Steelers offered Wallace $10M per and ever since it's been treated as gospel. I don't believe it and Peter King reported they offered him the A. Brown contract and he turned it down.

Doesn't mean King's right either but I just don't believe $10M per is Wallace's market and I have confidence in the Steelers to know what his market is. We'll find out in about 6 weeks and maybe I'll be proven wrong but I don't think he's more than an $7-8M per season guy.

p.s. Brown isn't an $8M per guy either. Technically, he was given 7.17M (6yr, 43.04M) per season but those contracts are always reported at their max value if all incentives are reached. I don't know what those incentives are but his contract before in incentives is 6yrs, 36.05M. So technically Brown's a $6M per guy and the Steelers only guaranteed the first year of his deal. If he reaches the incentives that push it to $7M per I think everyone is going to be pretty happy.
beachbum312
SinceSep 17, 2006
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 4, 2013 9:53 am
I saw this on rotoworld

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette considers the Steelers and free agent Mike Wallace likely to "part ways."

It's been the consensus all along, but this is an indication the Steelers are not expected to have a change-of-heart with regards to their No. 1 receiver. Wallace is believed to have turned down a five-year extension worth roughly $50 million before signing his $2.7 million restricted free agent tender last summer. According to beat writer Ed Bouchette, Wallace's holdout "turned off" members of the Steelers' coaching staff and front office. Wallace's across-the-board statistical decline in 2012 was likely the final nail in his Pittsburgh coffin. Source: [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ]

There was a lot of talk that Wallace wants Larry Fitz money.  He never came out and said that.  I do believe he wants top 5 WR money though.  Gregg Jennings, Dwayne Bowe, and Wes Welker will all be getting new contracts this year.  I think Wallace will wait to see what those guys get and want the same if not more.
smcndfan
SinceFeb 18, 2008
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 4, 2013 10:24 am
I've said this several times and apparently no one finds it credible but the Steelers don't release information on contract negotiations.
Nah, I believe it also.  I can't remember the Steelers, or any team for that matter, actually coming out and announcing the full details of any deal.  Most contracts are incentive laiden, and rely heavily on bonus cash coming for performance incentives, as you stated.


There was a lot of talk that Wallace wants Larry Fitz money.  He never came out and said that.  I do believe he wants top 5 WR money though.  Gregg Jennings, Dwayne Bowe, and Wes Welker will all be getting new contracts this year.  I think Wallace will wait to see what those guys get and want the same if not more.
If Mike Wallace would have reported to camp on time, and performed to the money he wanted in 2012, I believe he would have forced the Steelers hand and made it really tough to justify not keeping him in the city.  Unfortunately for MW, he held out and his performance was sub-par, thus sealing his fate.  e'll get paid and my guess by one of the following teams:

Buffalo, Indianoplis, Miami or Cleveland
jackal1968
SinceNov 1, 2007
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STEELERS '13 - Talent Evaluation and Need - WR

February 4, 2013 6:37 pm

Wallace didn't do himself any favors this last season.  Honestly I wouldn't want to see the Steelers pay him more than 5 million per season. He lacked concentration and quit on routes many times last season.    

6xaj8
SinceDec 13, 2007