Ok, you are correct, Brown went to the ProBowl as a returner. However, he also went over 1,100 receiving yards last season, which makes him the only player in NFL history to have 1,000 yards receiving and returning in the same season.

So my point still stands, how does drafting Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown in back-to-back drafts indicate a sinking ship? (especially when you consider both of these players came in round three or later).
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Because it’s the desperate hope of an extreme Ravens fan who is extremely immature.

I guess when you can’t complain about their performance, you choose something irrelevant like their age? I don’t care if they’re in their teens, 20′s, 30′s or 40′s, I only care that they’re cracking skulls and getting to the post season. Looking forward to another year of bone-jarring defense from the BEST DEFENSE IN THE LEAGUE!

Oh, I totally agree on both points. I just think it’s fairly ignorant for people to keep saying the Ravens are going to hit a wall because they are getting old because as I have showcased there isn’t very much age there. If the Ravens falter it will not be because they are old and slow.

I don’t know if Michael Oher is a good example. This year will be the first time in his NFL career where he has played the same position for two years in a row. His rookie year he was a RT, primarily. They switched him to LT his second year and than back to RT last season. That’s a lot of change for a young player to deal with. I don’t know if we would have seen the decline in his play had they left well enough alone and with some continuity I expect him to improve.

A better example is Mark Clayton. That year that Clayton played with Steve McNair, there were people ready to give Derrick Mason his walking papers. But it was all down hill from there for Clayton.

Ok, you are correct, Brown went to the ProBowl as a returner. However, he also went over 1,100 receiving yards last season, which makes him the only player in NFL history to have 1,000 yards receiving and returning in the same season.

So my point still stands, how does drafting Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown in back-to-back drafts indicate a sinking ship? (especially when you consider both of these players came in round three or later).

If you’re talking generally about people saying the Ravens D is getting old then I can’t speak to that – I certainly don’t think that the Ravens D is “old” (would be very much a pot and kettle situation).

I agree that if you’re a Ravens fan, there is a lot to be excited about with some solid primed players – Ngata, Webb, Rice, Yanda, and Suggs – I would just caution you on two things: 1) Don’t assume that once a guy hits 32-33 that he’s incapable of contributing, both our teams are littered with examples of how that’s not the case. 2) Don’t assume the trajectory for some of the younger players is automatically consistent – Guys like Torrey Smith, Jimmy Smith, Ed Dickson, and others may look good early, but all could see their talents plateau. I’ll give you two examples of what I’m talking about: Michael Oher (who had a GREAT rookie campaign, but has never had a season similar dealing with injuries, penalties, and what seems to be a bit of a regression), and Emmanuel Sanders (who showed a lot of flashes and was projected to be #2 next year, but then dealt with injuries and stone hands).

Ravenator, the Steelers will have at least one of those players under contract for 2013. Since when is landing Pro Bowl WRs in back-to-back drafts an indication of a sinking ship?

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Antonio Brown is NOT a pro bowl WR. He is a pro bowl kick returner. Big difference. You don’t see Bear fans proclaiming Hester as a pro bowl WR…

Oh and Antonio Brown had 2 TDs as a WR last year. Nothing special about him as a WR.

I am sick of hearing Steelers fans talk about how old the Ravens defense is getting. Because it is simply not true. The Steelers might be in the process of making that transition but the Ravens have already done it. And I don’t think they get enough credit for it.

Now I am hearing the Bengals are the new young team. The Ravens seem like a team that should be long in the tooth because they have been so successful for so long but even on offense, there is far more youth than aging players.

Anquan Boldin is the only starter at a skill position that is over 30. Depending on who takes Ben Grubbs spot, half the offensive line will be just entering their primes. With McKinnie and Birk being the lone old men on the line.

… Fact is, the Bengals had another great draft and they’re the team to be worried about. We have to hope Dalton isn’t the real deal and that he folds like the Unreal McCoy in Cleveland in his second year.

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As a Raven’s fan I couldn’t agree more. Ravens/Steelers are so focused on each other but Bengals are right there. Dalton and Green were rookies last year but the team made the wildcard round anyway. They added to the defense in the draft and picked up “the law firm” for the backfield. Other than Green they don’t have a viable second receiver…yet. As Ravens and Steelers are sliding down with age, the Bengals are climbing up with their youth.

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2-3 elite receivers per year? That would mean there should be 30ish elite receivers in the NFL, along with 50-100 good and 100-150 decent.

I think you overestimate the quality of receivers in the NFL. There are only 10 or so truly elite receivers in the NFL if that.

Starters on the Ravens defense over the age of 30:

Ed Reed
Ray Lewis

Two hall of fame players. Everyone else is in their prime or entering their prime.

Do I need to run down the list for the Steelers? Because it really is like half the defense, even after all the cuts from last year.
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You’re correct, but that is also the MO of the Steelers Defense. They draft good young talent and allow them to develop behind veterans so that they can learn a complex system. Key and Hampton are certainly on the way out, but they’ve got Heyward and Ta’Amu/Sylvester behind them. Foote and Harrison are getting up there, but they’ve got Worlids and Spence sitting behind those guys. Clark and Troy are both over the age of 30, but just barely so they’ve got a couple years to make moves there.

People have been saying the Steelers defense was too old since we had the likes of Jason Gildon, Dewayne Johnson, and Kimo von O-notgoingtotrytospellhis last name. Yet they’re always near the top of the league. Some teams just get it and know how to build defenses. The Ravens and Steelers are two of them.

Which Steelers fans have turned on Wallace? I haven’t seen a lot of anger towards Wallace or his situation – at least not from fans with their salt (I recognize that the Steelers, like every fan base, have a few loud morons). The opinion on Wallace from what I’ve seen is that they would like him there, but no one is really going to panic until this drags into August/September.

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I really havent seen any Wallace hate. I understand wanting the guy in camp, but come on…he is being forced into a 1 year deal worth half of his actual value. I completely understand his displeasure. I wouldnt want to go to camp either.

Normally, Im all about “you signed the contract, now man up and perform it”, ala Revis. But, Wallace didnt sign his RFA tender. He shouldnt be forced to do anything, unless it is more along the lines of the franchise tag, or even the transition tag.

I agree to an extent – typically the Steelers have rotated through WR on a fairly consistent basis. With that being said, I think AB has the best shot at being the next Hines Ward in terms of longevity with the Steelers. He’s a great kid with a great attitude, and I think the Steelers might be a little bit more willing to give up the 5-6 year deal for him. As far as Wallace is concerned… we’ll see.

@quittsburgh

Which Steelers fans have turned on Wallace? I haven’t seen a lot of anger towards Wallace or his situation – at least not from fans with their salt (I recognize that the Steelers, like every fan base, have a few loud morons). The opinion on Wallace from what I’ve seen is that they would like him there, but no one is really going to panic until this drags into August/September.

1. Who said they are going to offer you anything?
2. What if they offer you 3 million a year and you feel you are worth 6?
3. What if they decide to just use the RFA tag, and pay you the 2.7 mill Wallace is going to get and there is nothing you can do about it?

Its very easy to speculate about next year. Im willing to bet the reality goes nothing like your plan.

Now way is Dalton another McCoy, but at least you acknowledge the ‘nati is a threat.

Starters on the Ravens defense over the age of 30:

Ed Reed
Ray Lewis

Two hall of fame players. Everyone else is in their prime or entering their prime.

Do I need to run down the list for the Steelers? Because it really is like half the defense, even after all the cuts from last year.

It is the system they use, not the players. That is why Pittsburgh filters through LB’s every 2-3 years, rather than pay the big bucks.

I will not argue that it continuously works, but again, this is why Mike Wallace will move on, and with Antonio Brown being an even more explosive player, he will want big bucks like every other NFL diva WR, the Steelers will not pay, and he will be gone in 2 years tops as well.

And in 2 years they will have drafted two more WR’s to replace Wallace and Brown.

He’s seen how quickly the Steeler fans turned on
Wallace so he is taking the high road, saying
what he knows the fans wanna hear.

Won’t be surprised if he plays with them until he
is unrestricted then runs the hell outta that there
as fast as possible…

The Steelers and the Ravens may be whistling past the graveyard with all those heated rhetoric exchanged by their fans. Fact is, the Bengals had another great draft and they’re the team to be worried about. We have to hope Dalton isn’t the real deal and that he folds like the Unreal McCoy in Cleveland in his second year.

And punkscotty, you nailed it. Nate Washington, Plaxico, Santonio….Hines Ward was an anomaly. Steelers changed WRs like oil filters. When you can identify Pro Bowlers in the third and sixth rounds, turn them over. It’s all the QB anyway….how’s life with the Jets, ‘Tone?

And “Colbert’s poor cap management” has brought the Steeler’s 2 Super Bowl titles and a third trip since his arrival.

Typical Raven fan.