Mike Wallace Negotiations

Dwindling Free Agent Market Could Speed Up Negotiations

 

The Pats signed Brandon Lloyd for their deep threat so hopefully that puts them out of the running.

 

This will be a good indicator of whether or not Wallace is a "Steeler" or a rent-a-player in a Steeler uniform. Players who choose to stay with the Steelers know that they are a "team-first" organization and they will not mortgage their future to make him happy with Vincent Jackson money. If he signs long-term for less money than he might want, I would say he gets it. If not - he's just another rent-a-player who puts self above team. We'll see....

 

yikes..that dude is pretty good.

 

He has played for 5 teams in 8 years and has a reputation as a malcontent but Belichick usually does well with those kinds of players (incentive laden contracts)

 

Now's the time to sign him for some years, so we don't have to deal with this next year in the FA market. That would be even worse as potential suitors wouldn't have to give any pck away to lure him. They would just load the upfront cash so Steelers couldn't match, and it doesn't matter in the end cuz we would have no right of refusal. If I were his agent I would have him a sign a one year deal w/ us. Hope that doesn't happen.

Sign him to a long term deal or else. We have to deal w/ both Brown and Sanders next year and Brown is the one I'm afraid of losing. He must be saved at all cost. Get Brown signed after Wallace.

 

We still have to worry about the Bengals, no?

 

And they just signed Donte Stallworth so they're pretty much done picking up WR's. I worry about Denver though. I believe they still have plenty of cash and a fairly low 1st rd pick (25).

 

Didn't Stallworth play for them a few years ago as well? Sad, really, yhis guy used to be a legitimate threat in the receiving game. Since leaving NO, he seems to have bounced around teams and produced little.

I have no stats to back that up, though.

 

Denver is the only team left that makes sense to me...

But if the Steelers do extend Wallace, I hope they are thinking ahead at what they're going to do next year. Brown will probably want a contract that's as big as Wallace's if he has the same kind of season he just did.



I know some players don't get involved in contract situations, but if I were Ben I might give Wallace and call (and Brown next year), and be like look... we've got something special here... I'm in my prime and the two of you are coming into yours, we could be the mostly deadly combo in the NFL...

They could be Warner when he had Holt and Bruce.

 

Match what? Matching another teams signed offer only applies to RFAs. Without a new contract, Wallace is an UFA next year and can go where he wants regardless of what the Steelers do.

 

Yep that is correct.....Next year we have 2 options ,the Franchise Tag or Contract......IMO it won't be good either way as the tag will probably be 12 Mil or so which will cost us other talent on the Team...Or he has a bad year and still wants a bigger contact than we are willing to pay...Or the worse case he has a great year and wants even more money than he does right now...

Being he hasn't signed a reasonable deal already I think it will be for the best to get another pick this year for him....IMO the odds are low he plays here next year unless it's under a Tag and I don't think the Team can afford to Tag anyone with a Salary that high for a few seasons....

 

They also signed Gonzales and Stallworth....some will stay...some not...Belichek way

 

Matching another teams offer is not only for RFAs, that's part of negotiating period. In the RFA world we have to match or lose, i.e. right of refusal. As a FA, since another team doesn't have to give up any draft pick, particularly a #1 they could just offer him so much money that the Steelers couldn't match or respond with a competitive offer back.

Free agency does not forego the home team from matching a competitors offer to retain services.