Steelers WR corps more like 'New Money' now

By Gerry Dulac / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

There might have been something to this "Young Money" stuff after all. Even if it was misguided.

Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders bestowed the nickname on themselves when they arrived a year apart as the new receiving corps for the Steelers.

They were young, fast and talented, and the moniker was meant to suggest the trio would be money in the bank for the Steelers offense. And, at various points, it was that and more.

But it also ended up being a precursor to the wealth each has received at a tender stage in their NFL development.

Brown, a sixth-round pick in 2010, was the first to reap the financial reward, signing a six-year, $42.5 million contract last year at the beginning of training camp when Wallace was a holdout.

Wallace, who wanted more than that from the Steelers, left as an unrestricted free agent after last season to sign a five-year, $60 million contract with the Miami Dolphins.

And Sanders, a third-round choice in 2010, received a one-year, $2.5 million contract from the Steelers when they decided to match the offer sheet he received from the New England Patriots*.

That's $105 million in wealth for three players who have a combined 10 years experience in the NFL - or one fewer than Plaxico Burress.

But all that money did not reflect the impact - or lack thereof - the young receivers had last season with the Steelers. It was certainly not commensurate with the production each displayed in 2012. Young money provided a bad return, and it created an unsettling atmosphere among the offense.

Even Brown, who has been elevated to No. 1 receiver with the loss of Wallace, conceded the unit underperformed last season.

"Definitely," he said. "We definitely came up short. But we're going to leave last year behind. This year is a new slate. Everyone's got a fresh start. Nobody really remembers last year. It's all out of our minds."

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