Steelers' Rooney on Wallace: 'He should be here'

[Sugar]

sure, or wallace could have signed the tender and showed up to workouts(thus showing the organization good faith towards a long term deal) even if it was just to stand there and learn the new system.

Sure, but the team knows that they hold the upper hand in negotiations. A Ferrari driver doesn't feel the need to race the Camry next to him at a stoplight.

The fact is that they want a happy player contributing to the team. Playing unnecessary hardball in negotiations won't get the desired end.

[BURGH86STEEL]

Exactly. The Steelers are more than willing to wait to sign Wallace to a long term extension because of who they already have. The team knows these players better than anyone on this board and they saw the emergence of Brown last year and the "plateauing" of Wallace's performance. I've said all along that they are going to wait to see how they all perform this season before they commit the big dollars on who they really want long term.

That is why Wallace is screwing himself by not being a participant in learning the new offense.

They wouldn't be talking long term extension with Wallace if that were the case. When will people realize that Wallace isn't screwing himself? One way or another, Wallace is going to make a lot of money if he doesn't get injured. The Steelers and other teams already know what Wallace can do on the football field.

[RuthlessBurgher]

sure, or wallace could have signed the tender and showed up to workouts(thus showing the organization good faith towards a long term deal) even if it was just to stand there and learn the new system.

If he signed the deal, he would be expected to practice, not just stand there and learn the new system. In his mind, it is not worth risking a Hakeem-Nicks-like injury during OTA's until he has a signed long term deal in place. His show of good faith was coming to the team headquarters, talking to the coaches, and picking up his new playbook to study while his agent and the team brass do their best to work out a deal.

[Oviedo]

If he signed the deal, he would be expected to practice, not just stand there and learn the new system. In his mind, it is not worth risking a Hakeem-Nicks-like injury during OTA's until he has a signed long term deal in place. His show of good faith was coming to the team headquarters, talking to the coaches, and picking up his new playbook to study while his agent and the team brass do their best to work out a deal.

Ruthless--you usually have a pretty good read on these thing. Seriously what percentage do you put on Wallace signing a long term deal for this season and beyond? I'm putting it at 25% or less. There is no reason for the Steelers to pay him anything like the contracts the recent FA WRs have signed in the off season. They control him for this year and next if they want to. Nothing he can do about that. If Wallace is looking for something in the $8M+/year range I don't see how that happens.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Ruthless--you usually have a pretty good read on these thing. Seriously what percentage do you put on Wallace signing a long term deal for this season and beyond? I'm putting it at 25% or less. There is no reason for the Steelers to pay him anything like the contracts the recent FA WRs have signed in the off season. They control him for this year and next if they want to. Nothing he can do about that. If Wallace is looking for something in the $8M+/year range I don't see how that happens.

Ultimately, I could see a contract structured similarly to DeSean Jackson's recent 5 year, $51 million deal (the Eagles typically know what they are doing when constructing contracts, unlike some of the more spendthrift teams out there). Here is how that deal is broken down:

Breaking down DeSean Jackson's contract

Posted: Friday, March 16, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 6:33 am, Fri Mar 16, 2012.

Jackson’s Deal

(according to Profootballtalk.com)

2012: $10 million signing bonus plus $750,000 base salary and a $250,000 workout bonus.

2013: Base salary of $6.75 million, $4 million of which is fully guaranteed. The other $2.75 million is guaranteed for injury only. He also will receive a $250,000 workout bonus.

2014: Base salary of $10.25 million, $250,000 of which is fully guaranteed and $250,000 of it is guaranteed for injury only. Those guarantees go away if he receives the workout bonus in 2012 and 2013. He also will be eligible for a $250,000 workout bonus.

2015: Base salary of $9.75 million, with a $250,000 workout bonus.

2016: Base salary of $8.25 million, with a $250,000 workout bonus.

Note. Jackson also could earn up to $4 million in escalators:

• $250,000 per year from 2012 through 2015 for making the Pro Bowl

• $250,000 per year from 2012 through 2015 for 1,300 or more receiving yards

• $250,000 per year from 2012 through 2015 for 10 or more receiving touchdowns

• $250,000 per year from 2012 through 2015 for Super Bowl wins

[URL]http://www.phillyburbs.com/sports/eagles/breaking-down-desean-jackson-s-contract/article_8f80aa4c-a6ab-57ec-bd14-16ae9b8da7f9.html[/URL]

I would probably swap the 2014 and 2016 salaries myself (and maybe move a bit of the 2013 money into 2016 as well), but something like that would be manageable in general. A minimal first year salary plus $2 million worth of pro-rated signing bonus (he wouldn't get a workout bonus in 2012 after missing all of the OTA's and minicamps this year) would be manageable in our current tight cap situation. The cap hit would rise in year two, but additional space will be created when guys like Casey Hampton, Larry Foote, Will Allen, etc. are out the door after this season. Then the new TV contracts should kick in for 2014, and that should alleviate many of these current issues. As he gets later in this deal, if he loses some speed and is no longer the same receiver anymore, he can be cut without outlandish dead money still on our cap.

[flippy]

Ultimately, I could see a contract structured similarly to DeSean Jackson's recent 5 year, $51 million deal (the Eagles typically know what they are doing when constructing contracts, unlike some of the more spendthrift teams out there). Here is how that deal is broken down:



[URL]http://www.phillyburbs.com/sports/eagles/breaking-down-desean-jackson-s-contract/article_8f80aa4c-a6ab-57ec-bd14-16ae9b8da7f9.html[/URL]

I would probably swap the 2014 and 2016 salaries myself (and maybe move a bit of the 2013 money into 2016 as well), but something like that would be manageable in general. A minimal first year salary plus $2 million worth of pro-rated signing bonus (he wouldn't get a workout bonus in 2012 after missing all of the OTA's and minicamps this year) would be manageable in our current tight cap situation. The cap hit would rise in year two, but additional space will be created when guys like Casey Hampton, Larry Foote, Will Allen, etc. are out the door after this season. Then the new TV contracts should kick in for 2014, and that should alleviate many of these current issues. As he gets later in this deal, if he loses some speed and is no longer the same receiver anymore, he can be cut without outlandish dead money still on our cap.

Desean had a Franchise Tag. So Wallace should probably get ~$10M less.

[hawaiiansteel]

Wallace's best opportunity came and went; now it's time for him to take deal

Jason La Canfora | CBS Sports NFL Insider



If Wallace drags his holdout into training camp, it will hurt him more than the Steelers.

Mike Wallace is a wonderful football player, one of the more exciting young players in the NFL, and someone who certainly has outperformed his rookie contract. But his holdout has run its course. His leverage is only waning. And it's just about time to get back to Pittsburgh and get on with his career.

This is a war Wallace can't win, not under these circumstances.

Between the Steelers' organizational strength, their history in these cases, the new realities of the CBA, and the overall strength at wide receiver on Pittsburgh's roster, this can't string out more than a few more weeks. Come training camp, the rules shift even more in the team's favor, and, after skipping mandatory minicamp and raising some ire ("The Rooney family is not happy," one league source said), the wise move for the former 84th overall pick would be to use the weeks between now and the opening camp to hammer out the best deal possible.

[URL="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/19358780/wallaces-best-opportunity-came-and-went-now-its-time-for-him-to-take-deal"]http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/1...m-to-take-deal[/URL]

[Oviedo]

Wallace's best opportunity came and went; now it's time for him to take deal

Jason La Canfora | CBS Sports NFL Insider



If Wallace drags his holdout into training camp, it will hurt him more than the Steelers.

Mike Wallace is a wonderful football player, one of the more exciting young players in the NFL, and someone who certainly has outperformed his rookie contract. But his holdout has run its course. His leverage is only waning. And it's just about time to get back to Pittsburgh and get on with his career.

This is a war Wallace can't win, not under these circumstances.

Between the Steelers' organizational strength, their history in these cases, the new realities of the CBA, and the overall strength at wide receiver on Pittsburgh's roster, this can't string out more than a few more weeks. Come training camp, the rules shift even more in the team's favor, and, after skipping mandatory minicamp and raising some ire ("The Rooney family is not happy," one league source said), the wise move for the former 84th overall pick would be to use the weeks between now and the opening camp to hammer out the best deal possible.

[URL="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/19358780/wallaces-best-opportunity-came-and-went-now-its-time-for-him-to-take-deal"]http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/1...m-to-take-deal[/URL]

Right on the money. Wallace has no leverage. He should take whatever deal he gets and move on.

[hawaiiansteel]

Colbert says Steelers want Mike Wallace to get the deal he deserves

Posted by Michael David Smith on June 18, 2012



The Steelers’ decision not to reduce the restricted free agent tender for receiver Mike Wallace was part of the franchise’s general belief that Wallace is a great player who deserves to be paid well, the team’s general manager says.

Kevin Colbert told 105.9 The X’s Mark Madden that the Steelers never gave any real consideration to dropping the tender offer.

“When we tendered Mike at the amount we did, the compensation through that tender, we really had no issue with that whatsoever because he is deserving of that,” Colbert said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Wallace, however, obviously thinks he deserves more than the $2.7 million restricted free agent tender, and that’s why he hasn’t signed it yet. Colbert said he still believes the Steelers and Wallace can reach a deal that’s acceptable to both sides.

“We want him to get a long-term deal that he deserves and I am real confident that we will be able to do that because when both sides want the same thing, it is only a matter of time,” Colbert said.

It remains to be seen how much time: Wallace and the Steelers may both want to get a contract done, but from all appearances they’re far apart on the financial details of that contract.

[URL]http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/18/colbert-says-steelers-want-mike-wallace-to-get-the-deal-he-deserves/[/URL]

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

While the fan in me wants him to be at camp, he is not required to be there since he is not currently under contract. That is not his requirement as per the CBA. He is not "holding out" and is simply in the middle of the bargaining process.

He may hurt his preparation, he may be hurting his image, but there is a huge difference between what he is doing and what a player who is signed to a contract does when he stays away.