The Mike Wallace dilemma continues for the Steelers, and while many (me included) have written off him coming back to the black and gold in 2012, GM Kevin Colbert said at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday in Indy that the team is going to work hard to get Wallace back for 2012 and beyond.
“We want Mike to finish his career with the Steelers and we’re pretty sure he wants to end his career [with the] Steelers,” Colbert told reporters. “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that Mike Wallace remains a Pittsburgh Steeler and I think that’s Mike’s belief as well. Usually when you have two parties that share the same goal, it’s easier to achieve that goal.”
Wallace stated that he and his agent, Bus Cook, are chatting with the Steelers about a deal, but at the same time said that he wants to get paid after three very good seasons with the Steelers.
“Yeah, we are talking, but I don`t know how far they are going to get right now because of the situation,” Wallace said. “I know that they are working hard trying to take care of it, but I don`t know. We`ll see.”
Colbert Thursday didn’t say how the Steelers are going to try to do things to keep Wallace around, but the best bet is to think they are going to put a $2.7 million first-round tender on the wide out, this way if another team makes a huge offer the Steelers can’t match, they will get that teams first round pick this season.
You could look at it this way though, the Steelers may actually be thinking about putting the whopping $9.4 million franchise tag on Wallace. If they do that, it will pretty much be a for sure that he will be back in 2012, but at the same time, the team will have to make some rather drastic moves as they will be even more over the salary cap.
Bottom line, the Steelers have until March 5th to decide whether to put the tag on Wallace and until March 13th to get under the salary cap. It’s going to be an interesting few weeks as they try to get something done with their speedy wide out.
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Ben Dover
February 23, 2012 at 8:32 pm
They have Antonio Brown, Hines Ward and Manny Sanders, trade Wallace for another first-round draft pick and start the re-tooling off right.
Mike
February 24, 2012 at 7:53 am
Retooling?!? Really?!? You think this team is in that dire straits that we need to have a fire sale of our impact players for draft picks? Since when are we the Pirates? Unless you can guarantee me that the extra first round draft pick will not only be a starter from the beginning but also make the Pro Bowl in his second season, I don’t see anything good coming out of allowing Wallace to leave. Brown looks like he can be the real deal. But do it for more than seven or eight games. And without a Pro Bowl WR starting opposite him. Sanders needs to stay healthy. Too many questions to let an impact player leave. Granted, we as fans may have no choice in the matter. But I just don’t see how losing an impact player that opposing defenses must answer for every week can be any help to our team.
DrGeorge
February 24, 2012 at 10:47 am
The NFL is all about playing the money game intelligently. If Wallace gets a mega-offer elsewhere, we will let him go and get a #1 pick and cap space. That isn’t a bad deal. Brown, Sanders, Cotchery, and Ward make a very nice receiving corps without him, and we will probably find another veteran WR to join them. There are no guarantees with the draft, as Mike notes, but this year’s class of wideouts is deep. We’ll find talent if Wallace leaves — not with his world class speed perhaps, but good enough. Remember when D. Rooney fired S. Holmes, and he went to the Jets? Or N. Washington left for the Titans? Everyone is replaceable. No player should be kept “at any cost.” We need to rebuild the defense. That is a much higher priority than keeping Wallace.
Mike
February 25, 2012 at 10:46 am
You want to compare the possible loss of Wallace to Nate Washington? Really? Ask the Titans management if they could take back the contract that they signed him to. Washington was never going to be more than what he is now. A nice complimentary player. Come on, now. You can do better than that.
Mike
February 25, 2012 at 10:36 am
Yes, unfortunately player personnel decisions are linked to the salary cap therefore there is an obvious need to be wise with your spending. However, linking past practice may be the wrong road to travel when discussing the status of the WR position. The loss of Santonio Holmes was not as detrimental BECAUSE of the emergence of Wallace. The loss of Burress was not as significant as some might think because the fans knew he was going to command a huge salary and quite frankly was never the difference maker that Wallace is. He simply was never worth it. Nice player but never great. Add his poor attitude and I don’t think you will find one Steeler fan that was heart broken when he left for NY. Didn’t NY win a Super Bowl without him? Burress is a bad example. I believe that you become a championship quality team by keeping your big play makers and then adding to areas of weakness through the draft and free agency. I don’t mean to put Wallace in the class of Megatron or Fitgerald, but think of what he has done already in his brief career. I always say if you need to overpay, then overpay for your own players. You know everything you need to know about them. Wallace as weapon for Haley is a nice thought. And I think if you ask Brown if his job will be easier if Wallace is starting opposite him, he will be on board as well.
Mark
February 25, 2012 at 5:05 pm
Giants won a Super Bowl with Buress. He had the game winner that beat the then undefeated Pats. But I agree with Mike. Steelers really never missed Burress. If the Steelers can replace a Burress with a Cedric Wilson and win a Super Bowl, Im sure they can replace a Mike Wallace and continue to be successful. As long as there is a Ben Roethlisberger, the team will contend. Hell, the Pats brought NOTHING to the table except a great Tom Brady and look where they were in February. Brady has been the 1 constant in New England and if Ben is the constant in Pittsburgh, then the team will be ok.
Ironhead
February 25, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Steelers won that SB XL because the team was red hot at the right time. They were the sixth seeded team going into the playoffs. A wild card team. We won as a team. It wouldn’t have mattered if Burress was there or not. Even with with Plax’s TD catch, ask any Giant fan and they will tell you it was all about Manning and Tyree. Gotta say they will miss Wallace more than they would ever miss Burress.