Will Ravens and Bengals pursue Wallace?

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Will Ravens and Bengals pursue Wallace?

Ravens unlikely to pursue Wallace

February 24th, 2012
INDIANAPOLIS –

A nightmare, one even worse for Steelers fans than (gasp!) Todd Haley and Ben Roethlisberger not talking for weeks after the former’s hiring, is unlikely to happen.

The Ravens have been one of the teams linked to restricted free agent Mike Wallace through connecting-of-the-dots speculation. But general manager Ozzie Newsome all but took the Ravens out of the running for Wallace, who can entertain offers from other teams if the Steelers only make a tender offer to him.

The Steelers are leaning toward using the highest tender on Wallace instead of a franchise tag. If they go that route, teams still have to give up a first-round draft pick to sign Wallace away from the Steelers.

And Newsome values first-round draft picks as much as Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert does for the same reason: both have been so successful picking in that round.

Newsome also pointed out another drawback of signing a restricted free agent.

“At that point the player and the agent has the leverage because you have to do a deal that you don’t think the other team is going to match,” Newsome said Friday at the NFL Combine, “and then giving up a first-round pick? That first-round pick, the amount of money you have to pay over the next four years, is not like it was in the previous CBA so you have to factor all of those things in before you decide to make that decision. There’s some teams that have two (first-round picks) this year? Could they do it? Possibly but they’ll be thinking about all of those other ramifications.”

Does that mean Newsome has ruled out signing a restricted free agent to bolster Baltimore’s receiving corps?

“When I wake up tomorrow, I just never know what I might do,” he said.

– Scott Brown

[url="http://blog.triblive.com/steel-mill/2012/02/24/ravens-unlikely-to-pursue-wallace/"]http://blog.triblive.com/steel-mill/201 ... e-wallace/[/url]

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Will Ravens and Bengals pursue Wallace?

Latest on the Wallace decision
Mike Wallace | Steelers | Interested: 49ers?, Patriots?
Posted 8:37 AM ET

In spite of the fact that they leave themselves open to other teams taking advantage of a rare opportunity, it seems that the Pittsburgh Steelers will not be using their franchise tag on wide receiver Mike Wallace this offseason. But that doesn't mean we should expect a flurry of teams trying to sign him to an RFA offer sheet, either.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "It seems to me that Mike Wallace will remain with the Steelers for at least one year because no other team will sign him to a contract. Why would another team pay all that money in order to convince him to sign AND give their first-round pick to the Steelers?"

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports: "Don't count on Steelers receiver Mike Wallace going anywhere. The Steelers, who are trying to clear cap room to keep him, will not let him go. The idea that some team will sign him to an offer sheet that the Steelers won't match isn't going to happen. For one, it will cost a lot more to pay Mike Wallace than it would for a first-round receiver. Two, the Steelers would match -- so all you would be doing is their negotiating."

Even so, we simply can't rule out a team making a play for Wallace, especially considering that there are two particular clubs with low first-round picks that are in need of a performer of Wallace's ilk at WR:

- Tim Kavanagh


Jamison Hensley
Is he worth the No. 30 or 31 pick?

"The Ravens are out, and the Bengals would surprise me at this point, too. But I wouldn't rule out teams desperate for a deep threat like the Patriots and 49ers. New England coach Bill Belichick is always thinking outside the box."

[url]http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/features/rumors/_/date/20120229#14272[/url]

[phillyesq]

Re: Will Ravens and Bengals pursue Wallace?

Latest on the Wallace decision
Mike Wallace | Steelers | Interested: 49ers?, Patriots?
Posted 8:37 AM ET

In spite of the fact that they leave themselves open to other teams taking advantage of a rare opportunity, it seems that the Pittsburgh Steelers will not be using their franchise tag on wide receiver Mike Wallace this offseason. But that doesn't mean we should expect a flurry of teams trying to sign him to an RFA offer sheet, either.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "It seems to me that Mike Wallace will remain with the Steelers for at least one year because no other team will sign him to a contract. Why would another team pay all that money in order to convince him to sign AND give their first-round pick to the Steelers?"

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports: "Don't count on Steelers receiver Mike Wallace going anywhere. The Steelers, who are trying to clear cap room to keep him, will not let him go. The idea that some team will sign him to an offer sheet that the Steelers won't match isn't going to happen. For one, it will cost a lot more to pay Mike Wallace than it would for a first-round receiver. Two, the Steelers would match -- so all you would be doing is their negotiating."

Even so, we simply can't rule out a team making a play for Wallace, especially considering that there are two particular clubs with low first-round picks that are in need of a performer of Wallace's ilk at WR:

- Tim Kavanagh


Jamison Hensley
Is he worth the No. 30 or 31 pick?

"The Ravens are out, and the Bengals would surprise me at this point, too. But I wouldn't rule out teams desperate for a deep threat like the Patriots and 49ers. New England coach Bill Belichick is always thinking outside the box."

[url]http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/features/rumors/_/date/20120229#14272[/url]

For what it's worth, I actually know Tim Kavanagh, the guy that writes the Insider content for ESPN. He went to college with one of my friends and we've hung out a few times. Nice guy, but no more of an insider than anybody on this forum.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Will Ravens and Bengals pursue Wallace?

For what it's worth, I actually know Tim Kavanagh, the guy that writes the Insider content for ESPN. He went to college with one of my friends and we've hung out a few times. Nice guy, but no more of an insider than anybody on this forum.

And just think...you don't have to pay to subscribe to read our Insider content.