Is AB the best Steeler WR ever already?

[Coryea]

Mark Madden has been talking about AB's flags for his TD's, but he calls him the best wr ever. Ive heard a couple other sports people say this also. I know Madden hates Ward, but I think Ward was extremely underated. Look at AB's stats without Ben. Then think about the prime of Ward's career, his qb's were Stewart and Maddox and he still put up great numbers on a run first team with a HOF RB before the rules were totally slanted toward the passing game. We really didn't open the offense up under Ben until 2007 when Ward was 31. His playoff numbers were very good as well.
I think Ward gets over looked a lot of the time because he wasn't overly athletic like AB is.

 

[Stryker]

AB easily is the best WR to ever play for the Steelers. His only peer is Jerry Rice.

Ward was the best football player to play receiver. His toughness and blocking were unmatched.

 

[bermudasteel]

No question. AB is the best we ever had at WR.

 

[antdrewjosh]

Yes I believe AB is the best already..would of loved to see Ward Swann Stallworth and even Lipps play in this passing era but AB is the best. In a era where big WRs dominate AB is still putting on a show.

I loved Ward though. And I hope he gets in to the Hall of Fame one day. He may not have the stats as a hall of fame WR but he is a sure fire Hall of fame football player. He blocked like a damn TE. Loved him..

 

[Steelr4evr]

Swann&Ward lwoB repuS MVP. Brown? End zone dancing. Great talented guy, but it's still early on him.

 

[Drink IRON City]

Amazing as Brown is, he is short a championship or two. Combine that with his legnth of career and I'd say he needs to put in a little more time. Will the championships come, who knows. If he keeps putting the numbers up that he currently is doing or close to, then yes he is the greatest WR ever. Time will tell.



Salute the nation

 

[Steelerfan81]

He's the best wide receiver that ever laced em up for the Steelers. Super Bowls don't define WRs like they do QBs.

 

[Coryea]

I'm still going with Ward, Brown is just over half way to wards career completions and Brown has a HOF QB in a pass first system and a pass first league. Ward put up numbers with **** at qb, so far all we know about Brown is if he doesn't have the qb he hasn't put up numbers and complained about not getting the ball after a win.

 

[antdrewjosh]

I'm still going with Ward, Brown is just over half way to wards career completions and Brown has a HOF QB in a pass first system and a pass first league. Ward put up numbers with **** at qb, so far all we know about Brown is if he doesn't have the qb he hasn't put up numbers and complained about not getting the ball after a win.

Damn near every WR has complained about not getting the ball. It's just part of their makeup

 

[paperclip]

I have no doubt AB holds all the receiving records for the Steelers when he's done.

Ward cried about the steelers drafting other receivers. No difference between that and wanting the ball more.

 

[Superman]

as noted - the passing game is opened up more in this era.
how would Swann or Stallworth do in this era? Or Lipps?

and this is absolutely not to discount AB, as he thrives due to a lot of reasons. and how would AB have done under the same rules that Swann and Stallworth played?
it's a pointless, circular argument, but is fun.

 

[Coryea]

Damn near every WR has complained about not getting the ball. It's just part of their makeup

After a win, and I'm glad he wants the ball, my point is how would he have faired in a run first O with ****** qb's

 

[antdrewjosh]

He wouldn't put up the monster stats he does now but he would still be good. AB runs routes about as good as anyone in a long time.

 

[Hines57]

No. Zero rings. He needs rings (plural) to enter the conversation

 

[Steelr4evr]

Good god Swann&Ward would have flourished in today's NFL and their cupcake rules that aides passing greatly. Ward I'd have to say did it with a bunch of ****** qbs before he got Ben. Swann had Bradshaw, but that was a HEAVY run based team until the later super bowl years. AB may very well have all of the records when he is done. I hope he does. A rare talent indeed. Love the guy. But as of now he still has yet to pass the other two Steelers. In my view anyway.

 

[deljzc]

Brown's headed that way but it's the consistency over a decade that has to happen for him to top Ward. Never know if he takes a devastating injury or something.

I never would have guessed it coming out of the college but that guy has worked incredibly hard on his craft. Some of the technical stuff he does and his body control at doing it is pretty special. Even the subtle push offs and back shoulder completions he gets are probably the best I've seen watching football. On some back shoulder throws he's 3' clear of people just with his stopping ability.

He's turned into a pretty special player. Glad he's wearing black-and-gold and I get to watch him every week.

 

[AggieSteel]

It's early, but his peak is definitely better than anyone else's peak. I want to see rings and longevity. If he remains at this level for, say, 5 or 6 more years and brings home a ring or two, I would feel comfortable calling him 1b of all time right there with Rice

 

[paperclip]

He should be rated higher, because he was a 6th round pick.

I'm just using the logic that others have used when qualifying Timmons, Burns, Jones, Davis, etc.

 

[Coryea]

Through wards first six seasons he had 37 TD's, Browns first six seasons 38 TD's. Ward was targeted 678 times, Brown was targeted 810 times. Ward had no HOF QB throwing to him yet and without the league totally geared towards passing.
I think Brown is amazing and will hold all the Steeler wr records, but I think people forget how good Ward really was because he wasn't very flashy.

 

[fedderone]

As of right this second, and speaking only of Steeler WRs :

1) Stallworth
2) Ward
3) Swann
4) Brown

Overall complete game/skillset/rings/stats/longevity/EVERYTHING.

Stallworth and Ward both played 14 seasons. Stallworth leads the ring count 4 to 2 and had Swann "poaching" targets for 8 seasons. Ward gets the stats nod for receptions, yardage, and TDs and has a SBMVP under his belt. His only real competition for targets was Plexiglass for a spell. Both played on teams with ridiculous D's and a more run focused O.
These two are the standard bearers for WRs in Steeler lore, with Stallworth getting the overall nod.
While AB COULD get there, he is not there TODAY. He certainly is trending that way, but his future is uncertain at this point. He's got a ways to go to get into that upper echelon.

 

[Coach]

I think Brown is likely our best WR ever. The only knock on him is he's much better with Ben, and rather average without him. I'd like to see him take over a game that Ben is not in one day and be the difference maker.

Brown has elite level quickness, route running ability, feel for the game and hands, but like many of the greats, he's a workaholic type who never settles for anything less than excellent. A real overachiever type relative to his height and speed, and that's meant as a compliment.

 

[Hines57]

As of right this second, and speaking only of Steeler WRs :

1) Stallworth
2) Ward
3) Swann
4) Brown

Overall complete game/skillset/rings/stats/longevity/EVERYTHING.

Stallworth and Ward both played 14 seasons. Stallworth leads the ring count 4 to 2 and had Swann "poaching" targets for 8 seasons. Ward gets the stats nod for receptions, yardage, and TDs and has a SBMVP under his belt. His only real competition for targets was Plexiglass for a spell. Both played on teams with ridiculous D's and a more run focused O.
These two are the standard bearers for WRs in Steeler lore, with Stallworth getting the overall nod.
While AB COULD get there, he is not there TODAY. He certainly is trending that way, but his future is uncertain at this point. He's got a ways to go to get into that upper echelon.

They drafted WRs in the first round 3 times during Ward's career and he outlasted all 3 of those other guys. He was as resilient a football player as you're going to get.

 

[Stryker]

Swann was an excellent big game receiver, but he's not better than Brown, neither is Stallworth. Ward and Stallworth you can have an argument for, due to career stats, but AB will dwarf both of them.

 

[Coryea]

Swann was an excellent big game receiver, but he's not better than Brown, neither is Stallworth. Ward and Stallworth you can have an argument for, due to career stats, but AB will dwarf both of them.

How do you explain ward having one less td than brown through their first 6 seasons, even though he was targeted 130 times less, when Brown had the HOF QB, the pass based system, in the pass first league?

 

[Stryker]

How do you explain ward having one less td than brown through their first 6 seasons, even though he was targeted 130 times less, when Brown had the HOF QB, the pass based system, in the pass first league?

Swann's numbers are terrible for HOF WRs. Really, the only way he got in the HOF was his lobbying as a broadcaster after he retired. He was well known, he was an excellent big game receiver, but if he retired today, he wouldn't sniff a HOF bust.

I said clearly you can still argue for Stallworth and Ward due to career numbers, but at the end of the career, health included, AB should retire a top 3 WR of all time for the NFL.