NFL off-season running thread

A little hyperbole, no? Whatever you think about Tebow and the offense, I'd say a team that won seven in a row and eight of nine during the season and won a playoff game was at some point playing "real football," no matter what style they were using. Bet it felt real to their opponents.

 

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/steelers-sign-antonio-brown-to-5-year-contract-646510/

Steelers sign Antonio Brown to a 5-year, $42 million contract extension.

Looking more and more like Mike Wallace will either hold out for a long time or be traded.

 

They can only keep two of those three receivers, and it's starting to look like Wallace will be the odd man out unless he signs now.

 

Wallace and his agent will have no one to blame but themselves. He's a good player, but no way in hell he deserves to be paid on the same level with Larry Fitzgerald.

 

Wow, I had no idea the Steelers thought so highly of Brown. So who's the starter opposite him if/when Wallace sits out/gets traded?

 

That is a foolish amount of money for Brown.

 

It seems a bit high, but that front office has earned some benefit of the doubt. What people need to remember is that when you take the full season into account, Brown was better than Wallace last year. Brown's teammates voted him as the team MVP for a reason. Was some of that teams being more concerned with Wallace because of his speed? Perhaps. But Brown is fast, too, and even more dangerous after the catch.

YGBFKM, it would probably be Emmanuel Sanders, with Jerricho Cotchery as the No. 3. I don't think Wallace is worth what he is asking, but losing him is a serious blow to an offense that is already facing some major challenges. They are dealing with a new offense. They may not have Rashard Mendenhall at all this season. The offensive line is being rebuilt on the fly (though it should be much better in the long run).

 

Seems like they could have signed Brown for considerably less, then at least held on to Wallace for this transition year. Now, I can't see Wallace playing another down for the Steelers. That contract is basically a big FU. As you say, that's a lot of uncertainty to deal with on one side of the ball.

A trade seems obvious. Steelers better hope the Raiders or Redskins get involved.

 

I'm excited the UFL is back with a new national TV deal. Two games a week in CBS Spirts. Maurice Clarett has a job this fall.

 

I get your point, but it isn't always that simple.

The Redskins and Raiders are reportedly in the mix for Benson.

 

Of course they are.

 

I'm really not sure why they gave Brown that much, though as I said, he was better than Wallace in 2011 and I don't think that was a fluke at all. It certainly seems like Wallace is not getting a long-term deal now. Thing is, unless they can find a worthwhile trade, he has very little leverage. I think it is Week 10 that he has to return for this year to count toward unrestricted free agency and if he sits that long, he only loses value.

My only concern as a Steelers fan is that they might dump him for less than he is worth as they did with Santonio Holmes, which would be a mistake. You can't keep giving away value like that and Wallace isn't nearly the problem child that Holmes is.