The Book on Mike Wallace- a true statistical analysis

[tony hipchest]

for anyone who wants to know where wallace ranks not only amongst his peers, but historically as well, i suggest reading this piece. unfortunately it is too long and has several charts of alot of data to post in its entirety.

this data is a great indication of the potential value of wallace going forward.

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-tr...w-mike-wallace

At 25, Mike Wallace is the most promising young receiver in all of football. He's accomplished more during his first three years in the league than any other wide receiver in recent memory, despite unfavorable conditions, regular absences from his starting quarterback, and the presence of two of the league's most decorated wide receivers ahead of him on the depth chart when he entered the league. Any team lucky enough to have Mike Wallace on its roster can expect to have the best wideout in football in its uniform for the next several seasons.

An Auspicious Debut

No active receiver has put together a more impressive résumé during his first three seasons as a pro than has Mike Wallace. If you compare what Wallace has done during that time to every other active wideout over the first three years of their respective careers, Wallace's statistical record is staggering. Consider:

• Among active wideouts, Wallace's 3,206 receiving yards are the second-most accrued during a player's first three seasons, behind only Anquan Boldin.

• Among receivers with a total of 60 receptions or more during their first three seasons, Wallace has averaged more yards per catch.

• He's scored 24 touchdowns in his first three seasons, more than any other receiver in football besides Braylon Edwards.

Wallace's performance during his first three seasons compares favorably to stars like Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, and Roddy White over the first three years in their respective careers. The table below lists the three-year totals for Wallace, those receivers, and other notable players, ranked by receiving yards:


RECEIVERS OF NOTE



Rank

Player

Team

Rec

Yds

Yds/Rec

TD




1

Anquan Boldin

ARI

259

3402

13.1

16



2

Mike Wallace

PIT

171

3206

18.8

24



3

Larry Fitzgerald

ARI

230

3135

13.6

24



4

DeSean Jackson

PHI

172

3135

18.2

17



5

Calvin Johnson

DET

193

3071

15.9

21



6

Hakeem Nicks

NYG

202

3034

15.0

24



7

Marques Colston

N.O.

215

3000

14.0

24



8

Brandon Marshall

DEN

226

2899

12.8

15



9

Lee Evans

BUF

178

2878

16.2

24



10

Chad Ochocinco

CIN

187

2850

15.2

16



13

Andre Johnson

HOU

208

2806

13.5

12



21

Santonio Holmes

PIT

156

2587

16.6

15



31

Roddy White

ATL

142

2154

15.2

9



32

Steve Smith

CAR

152

2136

14.1

10



39

Reggie Wayne

IND

144

1899

13.2

11



42

Sidney Rice

MIN

129

1849

14.3

16


Only two receivers in the past 30 years have gained more receiving yards and scored more touchdowns during their first three years than Wallace, and they make for pretty good company: Randy Moss and Jerry Rice.


Conclusion

Very simply, the chance to acquire a 25-year-old receiver with this sort of electric skills and proven track record of production does not come around frequently, if ever. Imagine that your organization could have signed Jerry Rice or Randy Moss to a contract three years into their careers while merely sacrificing a first-round pick. On the rare occasions when players of this ilk become available, they usually have baggage of some nature attached and require far more than a first-round pick. There is no such baggage surrounding Wallace, and because of Pittsburgh's salary cap situation, the league has been presented with a chance to acquire him for a price far below his true market value.

Mike Wallace isn't just a free agent. He's a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

[Bayz101]

One trick pony



Wallace is definitely a valuable member of this team, and I hope he stays.

[pete74]

how this guy can say Wallace is going to be the best WR in the NFL is insane to me. no way in hell is he better then Fitz or Megatron. Ben is a future hall of famer and has been throwing to Wallace his entire carear, Megatron and Fitz had/have Stafford and Warner but also had horrible Qb's throwing to them. Wallace is awesome but he isnt in that class

[steeltheone]

Originally Posted by pete74

how this guy can say Wallace is going to be the best WR in the NFL is insane to me. no way in hell is he better then Fitz or Megatron. Ben is a future hall of famer and has been throwing to Wallace his entire carear, Megatron and Fitz had/have Stafford and Warner but also had horrible Qb's throwing to them. Wallace is awesome but he isnt in that class

Agree...Having a franchise throw to you makes all the difference in the world. Put Wallace with Sanchez and Holmes back with BR7 everything changes.

That being said, he is still a rare and very valuable wideout...But in todays cap land, you have to pick and choose carefully. And we can't afford (2) 50 mill wideouts.

[jjpro11]

Originally Posted by pete74

how this guy can say Wallace is going to be the best WR in the NFL is insane to me. no way in hell is he better then Fitz or Megatron. Ben is a future hall of famer and has been throwing to Wallace his entire carear, Megatron and Fitz had/have Stafford and Warner but also had horrible Qb's throwing to them. Wallace is awesome but he isnt in that class

Ben may have a HOF career, but his long-ball accuracy is inconsistent. he missed Wallace a number of times this year when he was open deep. yeah, i know, i know.. Wallace dropped the ball in Denver, so he sucks and is overrated.

put Wallace in New England and see what it does to his stats. he's a faster, more explosive version of the Randy Moss they had in 2007. now New England has a better underneath game with their young tight ends.

[dcherry]

If you read the introduction to the article, the writer, Bill Barnwell, is writing the article as if he is the agent of Mike Wallace. So extreme hyperbole is in effect.

A really dumb way to write an article, but whatever.

[pete74]

Originally Posted by jjpro11

Ben may have a HOF career, but his long-ball accuracy is inconsistent. he missed Wallace a number of times this year when he was open deep. yeah, i know, i know.. Wallace dropped the ball in Denver, so he sucks and is overrated.

put Wallace in New England and see what it does to his stats. he's a faster, more explosive version of the Randy Moss they had in 2007. now New England has a better underneath game with their young tight ends.

i dont think so. i love Wallace and want to keep him but he will never be randy moss in his prime because he dosnt have the size and seperation ability. he has speed and good hands.

[tony hipchest]

moss was a headcase who only really reached his prime in 2 years of his entire career. as great as his career was he left a ton on the table and underpreformed.

I'd love to see what wallace would do with randall cunningham, culpepper, and brady throwing him the ball on a team that knows how to score in the redzone and doesnt claim to be a grind it out running team.

[3rdandlong]

Wallace would be even better if Roethlisberger was a little more accurate on the deep ball. He's overthrown Wallace more than he's hit him I would say.

[cubanstogie]

Originally Posted by 3rdandlong

Wallace would be even better if Roethlisberger was a little more accurate on the deep ball. He's overthrown Wallace more than he's hit him I would say.

obviously no one knows what Wallace will do the rest of his career, but at this point he was a steal as a 3rd rounder. It will be interesting to see the kind of cash he is offered after yesterdays lottery for WR's. You have to think it will be big coin. I have faith in the front office to make the right decision, the ball is in there court since they can match an offer. I just hope the Raiders don't offer a huge amount, Al is gone but the Raiders love speed and over pay just like the Redskins.