And the only good receiver on his team.
that is a really good point... which unfortunately only strengthens what I've been saying.
Last year, on a team with no good WRs AND Bell missing 4 games, the guy was the only option in the passing game and despite double teams on every play, he STILL put up 1300 yards and 10 TDs.
So, last year, you're right... the only reason he got 1284 yards (5th best in the league) was because he was double teamed constantly.
But the theory that he only puts up huge numbers because he plays with no one else, really starts to crumble when you look at the years previous to last year when his seasons were EVEN BETTER and he had more talent surrounding him.
In 2015, Brown was 2ND IN THE LEAGUE with an outrageous 1834 yards and 10 TDs and he did this DESPITE playing with two WRs who put up over 700 yards AND a TE who put up 550.
Then, in 2014 - AB LED THE LEAGUE in yards with 1698 AND 13 tds, DESPITE PLAYING AGAIN with Bell who put up 850 receiving yards (much like your DJ comparison), a TE who put up 771 yards another WR who put up 650 yards and yet ANOTHER receiving option that put up 550. That's a lot of receiving options to take yardage away from AB and he STILL led the league.
Then, in 2013, your argument just completely falls flat on it's face when AB was again 2ND IN THE LEAGUE with 1500 yards and 8 TDs, despite playing with Emmanuel Sanders (you know... the guy who had 740 yards and then went on to have back to back to back 1000 yard seasons with Denver, averaging over 1200 the last three years, including one with Trevor Simien as his QB!), and another WR who had 600 yards.
So, the reality is... without WRs last year, AB put up the 5th most yards in the league.
And WITH even just a decent amount of talent the three years previous, he put up a better 3 year stretch than almost any WR in LEAGUE HISTORY.
Or maybe you'll argue that his outrageous 3 year stretch amongst the best in league history was ALSO a product of playing with no talent, dismissing Markus Wheaton, Martayvian Bryant, Heath Miller, Emmanuel Sanders and Bell. Okay... but you realize that then you're arguing that a guy who played with poor WR threats, was STILL able to put up the best numbers in league history despite constant double teams... leading the Steelers to one of the best offenses in the league?
Let me just ask you this...if you switched AB and JB on each other's teams, do you think the Steelers O would be just as good as it has been since AB exploded and do you think the Cardinals offense would be just the same... or worse?
Look... I HOPE you're RIGHT and JB is as good as AB. But to state it emphatically... is pretty much saying JB is the best or second best WR in football at this point... based off his first three seasons where he's only scratched the 1000 yard mark once and is a big injury question mark. Just seems silly to me to make that argument at this point, homer or not.