Wallace officially a no-show; Steelers suspend negotiations

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  • hawaiiansteel
    Legend
    • May 2008
    • 35649

    Pittsburgh Steelers: Not Signing Mike Wallace a Bad Idea

    August 02, 2012



    The Pittsburgh Steelers have decided to play hardball when it comes to renegotiating the contract of star wide out Mike Wallace.

    By now it is no surprise that fans and media alike in Pittsburgh and across the nation have argued that Wallace is only hurting himself by holding out.

    Yet, what may come as a huge surprise to everyone, including the diehards in the Steel City, is that the Steelers are actually wrong in this instance.

    Instead of working on an extension agreeable to both Wallace and the organization, the Steelers went out and signed teammate Antonio Brown to a long-term deal. It is true that Brown finished the season with 69 receptions for 1,108 yards and 2 TDs, but it was the first season the third-year veteran has produced such numbers. Wallace, on the other hand, has been consistent throughout his three seasons in Pittsburgh, hauling in 171 receptions for 3,206 yards and 24 TDs during that time span.

    How can the Steelers' brass be so sure that Brown's numbers weren't a product of playing alongside Wallace, who oftentimes demanded double coverage?

    The short answer is they can't and they know it. Pittsburgh is taking a huge risk that Antonio Brown, in his second season as a receiver, proves to be a more than capable No. 1 wide receiver in the absence of Wallace. Problem is they have no one else to stretch the field, so defenses will be able to key in on Brown. Combine that with the fact that the Black and Gold had a hard time keeping quarterback Ben Roethlisberger upright last season(he was sacked 40 times), and the decision to let Wallace holdout of training camp seems like a recipe for disaster.

    Adding insult to injury is that the Steelers must turn to the green Isaac Redman in the backfield. Redman performed admirably last season in place of the injured Rashard Mendenhall(torn ACL), but it is uncertain whether he is up to the task of being the featured back for the entire season. The timetable for Mendenhall's return is uncertain, as recovery from ACL surgery is very hard to predict.

    So, while popular opinion is that Mike Wallace is only hurting himself by holding out from training camp, in this instance, the Steelers might have the most to lose. Even if he misses the entire 2012 season, there is bound to be a huge demand for his services during the following offseason. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is gambling that a one-year wonder kid can do it again, and has no potential safety net should this deal fall through. For an organization that has been regarded as one of the shrewdest front offices in the NFL, this move would seem out of character.

    [URL]http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/pittsburgh_steelers_not_signing_mike_wallace_a_bad _idea/11358613[/URL]

    Comment

    • Oviedo
      Legend
      • May 2008
      • 23824

      Originally posted by hawaiiansteel
      Pittsburgh Steelers: Not Signing Mike Wallace a Bad Idea

      August 02, 2012



      The Pittsburgh Steelers have decided to play hardball when it comes to renegotiating the contract of star wide out Mike Wallace.

      By now it is no surprise that fans and media alike in Pittsburgh and across the nation have argued that Wallace is only hurting himself by holding out.

      Yet, what may come as a huge surprise to everyone, including the diehards in the Steel City, is that the Steelers are actually wrong in this instance.

      Instead of working on an extension agreeable to both Wallace and the organization, the Steelers went out and signed teammate Antonio Brown to a long-term deal. It is true that Brown finished the season with 69 receptions for 1,108 yards and 2 TDs, but it was the first season the third-year veteran has produced such numbers. Wallace, on the other hand, has been consistent throughout his three seasons in Pittsburgh, hauling in 171 receptions for 3,206 yards and 24 TDs during that time span.

      How can the Steelers' brass be so sure that Brown's numbers weren't a product of playing alongside Wallace, who oftentimes demanded double coverage?

      The short answer is they can't and they know it. Pittsburgh is taking a huge risk that Antonio Brown, in his second season as a receiver, proves to be a more than capable No. 1 wide receiver in the absence of Wallace. Problem is they have no one else to stretch the field, so defenses will be able to key in on Brown. Combine that with the fact that the Black and Gold had a hard time keeping quarterback Ben Roethlisberger upright last season(he was sacked 40 times), and the decision to let Wallace holdout of training camp seems like a recipe for disaster.

      Adding insult to injury is that the Steelers must turn to the green Isaac Redman in the backfield. Redman performed admirably last season in place of the injured Rashard Mendenhall(torn ACL), but it is uncertain whether he is up to the task of being the featured back for the entire season. The timetable for Mendenhall's return is uncertain, as recovery from ACL surgery is very hard to predict.

      So, while popular opinion is that Mike Wallace is only hurting himself by holding out from training camp, in this instance, the Steelers might have the most to lose. Even if he misses the entire 2012 season, there is bound to be a huge demand for his services during the following offseason. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is gambling that a one-year wonder kid can do it again, and has no potential safety net should this deal fall through. For an organization that has been regarded as one of the shrewdest front offices in the NFL, this move would seem out of character.

      [URL]http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/pittsburgh_steelers_not_signing_mike_wallace_a_bad _idea/11358613[/URL]

      It's all on Wallace to sign. The Steelers didn't tell him to stay away he chose to.
      "My team, may they always be right, but right or wrong...MY TEAM!"

      Comment

      • Sugar
        Hall of Famer
        • Oct 2008
        • 3700

        It's not like the Steelers don't want to sign Wallace. They have limited cap room and can only do so much anyway.

        Comment

        • hawaiiansteel
          Legend
          • May 2008
          • 35649

          Wallace's absence strains Steelers' depth

          August 4, 2012
          By Ed Bouchette / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


          The continuing holdout of Mike Wallace goes beyond the Steelers missing one of the great deep threats in the NFL. It cuts into their depth at wide receiver, and, while that may not pose a problem at the moment with a 90-man roster, it soon could become one.

          With Wallace, the Steelers would possess one of the best receiving foursomes in the league that includes team MVP Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery. That group is buttressed by tight end Heath Miller and whichever backs emerge as targets in the passing game.

          They would seem to have good depth and versatility to go with Ben Roethlisberger, one of the best quarterbacks in the league. If Wallace continues his holdout, the depth at wide receiver, however, is reduced to three, and no one has emerged to help ease that shortage after a week of practice.

          "I haven't seen any distinct separation at this point, but it's still early" coordinator Todd Haley said Friday.

          It was around this time last year that Sanders had to have more surgery on a foot after having both fixed by surgeons early in the year. Sanders has said his feet are fine, but he did not practice Friday night, although coach Mike Tomlin held him out of practice the other day on artificial turf as to not court trouble. Losing Sanders, Cotchery or Brown would be certain trouble for the Steelers because there really is no one else to move in. At least, no one has shown they can yet.

          "There's some ability," Haley said. "But, at that position, there is some pressure to try to get one of those guys kind of come to the surface. So we'll push them hard, and you'll see that position getting coached pretty vigilantly trying to get that to happen."

          The only player with any kind of experience behind them is Derrick Williams, a 26-year-old out of Penn State who was not on an NFL roster last season. He caught nine passes in 18 games over the 2009 and '10 seasons with Detroit.

          That's it. Everyone else is a first-year pro or a rookie. The only receiver drafted by the Steelers this year was Toney Clemons of Valley High School and Colorado; they took him in the seventh round.

          Haley puts Clemons in the group with others as inconsistent through the first week of practice in pads.

          "We tell them all, we don't want yo-yo players -- good one day, bad the next," Haley said. "We're looking for a guy who consistently comes to work and is the same guy. At the same time, special teams will help define that, too. Those guys have been put on notice, whether it's Arnaz Battle from years past, there's always one of those guys, that's how he makes it. That'll be a big determining factor, too."

          Battle, their former special-teams captain released early in the year, was technically a wide receiver who made the squad for his performance on special teams. Usually, those players come from a group of receivers, defensive backs or linebackers.

          Clemons might have a slight edge over others because he has good size at 6 feet 2, 210 pounds and decent speed to go with it. He echoed his coach's words when he noted that the toughest thing through the first week is "just staying consistent and not being up and down and be on a roller coaster. Just be the same guy every day, and try to make plays and get better every day."

          But do the Steelers have time for these young players to find themselves? The longer Wallace holds out, the more chance he could extend his absence into the season and perhaps right up until the final six games. That's when he would have to be on the roster in order for him to become an unrestricted free agent in '13.

          "It's very critical, because you get thin real quick if we don't have a couple of those guys," Haley said of someone in the pack rising to No. 4 or No. 5. "But, like I said, there is ability, and there are some flashes of things you like to see. I don't think the cupboard's bare, it's young."

          It's also early, but if the status quo holds -- Wallace stays away and no one joins the top three -- the Steelers may be forced to look elsewhere, either a current free agent (Plaxico Burress anyone?) or via trade.

          [URL]http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/wallaces-absence-strains-depth-647530/#ixzz22bkG3P4P[/URL]

          Comment

          • hawaiiansteel
            Legend
            • May 2008
            • 35649

            Steelers GM: 'There's really no contact' with WR Mike Wallace

            By Ryan Wilson
            August 6, 2012



            As the Steelers prepare for their first preseason game, Wallace remains at home.

            It's been 10 days since Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said that the organization would no longer actively negotiate with wide receiver Mike Wallace, suggesting that for talks to resume Wallace would first have to sign his restricted free-agent tender and report to training camp.

            "I think once we made that decision [to cut off negotiations] we're in a different mode and we would have to address any new negotiation if we get to that point," Colbert said at the time.

            Well, the team's first week in Latrobe is in the books and its first preseason game is Thursday in Philadelphia. But still no Wallace, and it's not clear when we'll see him. During a radio appearance Monday, Colbert admitted that the two sides haven't communicated recently.

            “Yeah there's really no contact," he said according to SportsRadioInterviews.com. "Mike knows where things stand. The next step for him really is to report and to sign his tender, and until that happens, there won't be anything else. And if that happens, nobody knows where it will go from there. So that's where it is and has been, and hopefully it comes to an end sooner rather than later because it will be good for us, but it will also be good for Mike.”

            Wallace's tender will pay him $2.7 million in 2012. He's obviously hoping for something well north of that. How far north? Nothing definitive, but there was speculation that he was looking for Vincent Jackson money -- $11 million per year. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Mark Kaboly reported last week that Pittsburgh had a five-year, $50 million deal on the table … and Wallace turned it down.

            So while talks with Wallace languished, the organization turned its attention to it's other young, big-play wideout: Antonio Brown, who they inked to a five-year, $42 million extension. So did one have anything to do with the other? Not according to Colbert.

            “We had actually talked with Antonio's representatives as far back as the Combine because he was entering his third year, and we said, ‘look, listen, during the summer, sometimes during training camp we take care of guys entering the third year of their contract, but we do it in an order,' he said. "We try to take care of guys that are going to be unrestricted free agents, restricted free agents, and then we always move into that next group which Antonio is in. That had been in the works for awhile and really the two are unrelated.”

            The bottom line is this: Wallace has virtually no leverage, even if he makes the Steelers' offense substantially more dangerous. Even if he sits out 10 games this season and accrues a year's service to become a free agent in the spring, Pittsburgh can franchise him, and do it again a year later.

            And though there isn't any depth beyond Brown, Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery, the Steelers have plenty of playmakers, starting with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. New offensive coordinator Todd Haley would like to get tight end Heath Miller more involved in the passing game, and rookie fifth-rounder Chris Rainey could be a versatile option out of the backfield and used in a similar way Haley used Dexter McCluster in Kansas City.

            Plus, don't forget: Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl with the likes of Hines Ward, Antwaan Randle El and Cedrick Wilson as their top three wideouts.

            But we're guessing Wallace shows up sooner rather than later because, well, he doesn't have much choice. And if not there's always Plax (we're kidding … we think).

            [URL]http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/eye-on-football/19741507/steelers-gm-theres-really-no-contact-with-wr-mike-wallace[/URL]

            Comment

            • fezziwig
              Hall of Famer
              • Jan 2009
              • 3515

              Ten million a year, being on a Super Bowl contending team, would be the fan favorite that would last forever, teammates/friends, would be the star with a star qb throwing him passes....... He's in it for the money and nothing else. I'm not saying that like it's a bad thing but it's probably the fact. If that's his attitude or his desire it's best he moves on to a team that is willing to pay that kind of cabbage.
              It's a passing league now and receivers are the big money men in my opinion just like the runningbacks used to be. The thing about being a receiver and being successful is, you better make sure you have a quarteback around that can get you the ball so that you can earn that money. In the running day your qb could have been just an average Joe because what the heck, they relied more on running the ball. Just my sleepy opinion.
              As a Steeler fan, 10 million is more than enough for a receiver. Save that kind of coin for the quaterback and maybe some pass rushing monster that will create termoil for the opposing teams. Save that kind of money to allow your team to sign better quality players all the way around.
              We won before him and we will win without him.... I don't sweat it a bit.

              Comment

              • hawaiiansteel
                Legend
                • May 2008
                • 35649

                Tainted Love: Steelers Should Deal Wallace

                Aug 6th, 2012 by CraigSteelers



                Maybe it’s because there are so many other awesome things to talk about in camp for the Steelers. Maybe it’s because it’s been drawing on for so damn long. Maybe it’s because I can’t stand greedy football players dominating the headlines day in and day out. Well whatever the reason, I’ve just about had it with Mike Wallace, and I think it’s time the Steelers should deal him out.

                Ok so the thing that really grinds my gears about Wallace is the fact that he does not trust the Steelers organization. And for that, like any good solid relationship, he should get dumped right into that Ohio River and doggy paddle his way all the way down to Cincy or St. Louis where he belongs – mediocrity. Wallace has had two weeks now to since camp started to ‘think about’ his stupidity by not signing a long term contract with the Steelers. Why stupid? Well a few reasons. A) It’s stupid to think that for only a few seasons out of your career you have ‘pretty good’ stats, have a good start to your last season then totally disappear, and then expect to get a huge paycheck for your efforts. B) You are playing for one of the greatest franchises in NFL history. C) With Ben Roethlisberger, you have the chance to become one of the most electrifying receivers in your generation of receivers. D) Did I mention that you are playing for the Steelers?

                Wallace and the Wallace Lovers out there may think that he is due his payday already. It’s shortsighted. Wallace and the Wallace Lovers out there may think that the Steelers are being stingy with their cash. Well it’s not rocket science to figure out that this year’s cap has hit all teams hard and that the Steelers would have to dump a bunch more players to fit Wallace into the pay grade he feels he belongs in. Has anyone reminded him (or the other WL’s out there) that the Steelers already dumped veterans like Hines Ward and James Farrior? Those were moves to not only attempt to better the team, but also shore up more capital to pay players like Wallace.

                This whole situation comes down to loyalty and trust – and Mike Wallace has neither for the Steelers organization. Go ahead and say it, ‘But Craig, wouldn’t you say that by dumping Hines Ward they weren’t loyal to a receiver who wanted to stay in Pittsburgh?’ And while that’s close to being a good point, it misses the mark. Time and time again. Great player after great player, the Steelers take care of their own. Ward was taken care of when he signed his extension after a hold out. A hold out in which he caved and wished he had never done (see retirement speech). Bettis, Roethlisberger, Harrison, Polamalu, and now Antonio Brown. Those who truly want to play for this team get to play for this team. They eventually get their payday. Or they get to hang on for just another year or two to get that ring or reach a personal milestone. The Steelers strive for excellence and reward excellence. Mike Wallace, you are not excellent.

                The Steelers are still willing to talk to you, which you should feel blessed that they haven’t sent your sorry rear packing to some desperate team looking for any offensive talent. But first you have to sign that tender. And, I think that’s where you are scared. You’re scared that if you sign that tender, you won’t get quite the deal you wanted. You’re scared that if you sign that tender, there will be no long term deal. You’re scared that without a long term deal you may get screwed if you get hurt. You don’t trust the people at the front office to give you the deal you think you deserve. Which is a shame because you will get the deal you deserve (just not the one you think you should.) And, because you don’t trust this organization to continually work with you on a deal while you prove week in and week out that you are so worth it you deserve instead to be traded. Your time with the team has been tainted. Adios.

                The Steelers and Steeler Nation don’t need that kind of player in the locker room or on the field. Trust that those you represent within this organization are working hard for you. Let your ballin’ do the talking, not your desire for money or your agent. Think I’m dead wrong? Prove me wrong. I would love it if you did. Sign that tender, and let’s see what happens. Get off your sorry duff and get on that field and show us that you are indeed worth every penny. Time to put up or get traded.

                [URL]http://nicepickcowher.com/2012/08/06/tainted-love-steelers-should-deal-wallace/[/URL]

                Comment

                • hawaiiansteel
                  Legend
                  • May 2008
                  • 35649

                  Colbert says time hasn’t come for a veteran receiver, yet

                  Posted by Mike Florio on August 7, 2012



                  Amid speculation from Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that a Plaxico Burress reunion could be coming with the Steelers, G.M. Kevin Colbert said that the time hasn’t come to add a veteran receiver in response to the ongoing holdout of Mike Wallace.

                  Colbert declined to specifically address Burress, who visited with the Steelers last year before signing with the Jets. But Colbert told Vinnie & Cook of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh that, eventually, a veteran could be added.

                  “The veteran guys that are available . . . those are the guys we’ll consider later on if we’re not happy with the young guys and their development,” Colbert said. ”So we’ll give the young players that we have the opportunity to compete and to improve and if you’re not satisfied that the guys you already have aren’t gonna be good enough to fill whatever void you have be it an injury or a holdout, then you’ll have to look to the veteran group.”

                  Colbert seemed to suggest a preference for a guy who has been in camp and was cut by another team, since those players already are active and in shape. That would make it harder to Burress to get an offer to return to Pittsburgh.

                  So, basically, at some point the Steelers may add a veteran receiver. And it could be Burress. Or it could be someone else. Much of it depends on when and if Mike Wallace shoes up.

                  [URL]http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/07/colbert-says-time-hasnt-come-for-a-veteran-receiver-yet/[/URL]

                  Comment

                  • Slapstick
                    Rookie
                    • May 2008
                    • 0

                    I don't want the Steelers to trade Mike Wallace.

                    But, this sentiment is absolutely 100% correct:

                    Originally posted by hawaiiansteel
                    Let your ballin’ do the talking, not your desire for money or your agent.
                    Actually, my post was NOT about you...but, if the shoe fits, feel free to lace that &!+€# up and wear it.

                    Comment

                    • lloydroid
                      Pro Bowler
                      • Aug 2012
                      • 2026

                      This still isn't even worth talking about. Wallace can't afford to sit out for the year; it won't happen.

                      Comment

                      • aggiebones
                        Pro Bowler
                        • Jan 2009
                        • 1427

                        It would be insane for him to skip a year or even most of it. He'll never get that money back.
                        He would get a nice contract eventually, but then he'd be in some craphole town. And his stats would suffer and his next contract will be even lower. Wallace needs a new agent.

                        Comment

                        • hawaiiansteel
                          Legend
                          • May 2008
                          • 35649

                          Wallace to eventually cave, report to camp?

                          A source close to Steelers holdout Mike Wallace told ESPN's Bob Holtzman that he believes Wallace will "eventually be in camp."

                          It just may not happen right away. "(The source) said that there's a lot of healing that needs to be done -- for both sides," Holtzman reported. "... I'm also told, though, that it may be awhile before Wallace shows up here because the Steelers, about ten days ago, signed Antonio Brown to a long, six-year contract extension worth $40-something million, and I'm told 'that did not sit very well' with Wallace."

                          [URL]http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/nfl/237421/wallace-to-eventually-cave-report-to-camp[/URL]

                          Comment

                          • RuthlessBurgher
                            Legend
                            • May 2008
                            • 33208

                            I don't think he'll show up for camp...I think he'll show up right after camp breaks. The last day in Latrobe is Friday, August 17th. The first preseason game at Heinz (preseason game #2) is Sunday, August 19th. The players will have Monday off and will report again for practice on Tuesday, August 21. I predict Wallace sign his RFA tender and will report on 8-21-12, and will play in the 3rd preseason game at Buffalo (the 3rd game in where the starters play the longest) on Saturday, August 25th. A long term deal will likely be finalized between preseason game #4 against Carolina on 8-30-12 and the season opener in Denver on 9-9-12.
                            Steeler teams featuring stat-driven, me-first, fantasy-football-darling diva types such as Antonio Brown & Le'Veon Bell won no championships.

                            Super Bowl winning Steeler teams were built around a dynamic, in-your-face defense plus blue-collar, hard-hitting, no-nonsense football players on offense such as Hines Ward & Jerome Bettis.

                            We don't want Juju & Conner to replace what we lost in Brown & Bell.

                            We are counting on Juju & Conner to return us to the glory we once had with Hines & The Bus.

                            Comment

                            • squidkid
                              Legend
                              • Feb 2012
                              • 5847

                              Originally posted by aggiebones
                              It would be insane for him to skip a year or even most of it. He'll never get that money back.
                              He would get a nice contract eventually, but then he'd be in some craphole town. And his stats would suffer and his next contract will be even lower. Wallace needs a new agent.
                              it's been reported that wallace is not taking the adviuce of his agent and is pulling this crap off by himself.
                              steelers = 3 ring circus with tomlin being the head clown

                              Comment

                              • squidkid
                                Legend
                                • Feb 2012
                                • 5847

                                Originally posted by aggiebones
                                It would be insane for him to skip a year or even most of it. He'll never get that money back.
                                He would get a nice contract eventually, but then he'd be in some craphole town. And his stats would suffer and his next contract will be even lower. Wallace needs a new agent.

                                it should be apparent by now that wallace doesnt care what team he plays for as long as he gets paid. i think he will still be able to get that money back. some ignorant owner will pay him a huge amount but i believe when all is said and done, the money he can make in pittsburgh will eventually be equal to that of another team. wallace can only hope that if he signs here that he can quickly make the fans forget about what a POS he has become during this situation.
                                steelers = 3 ring circus with tomlin being the head clown

                                Comment

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