Antonio Brown's Contract Does Not Mean the Steelers Will Tra

I am not sure if this has been posted yet, but I still found it interesting to read.

From Steelers Digest:

Antonio Brown's contract has little bearing on what the Steelers will or will not do with Mike Wallace.
Andrea Hangst
(AFC North Lead Blogger) on July 30, 2012

The Pittsburgh Steelers gave wide receiver Antonio Brown a five-year, $42.5 million contract extension on Friday, prompting many to have a knee-jerk reaction that this spells trouble for Mike Wallace, who is currently holding out of Steelers training camp.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said Brown's contract meant there wouldn't be one coming for Wallace. Mark Madden of the Beaver County Times agrees with that assessment, adding that the deal the Steelers recently pulled off the table would have paid Wallace just $50 million over five years—not much more expensive than Brown's deal.

But the most pervasive reaction to Brown's deal is that the Steelers could be—or should be—looking to trade Wallace before the regular season begins. And though team general manager Kevin Colbert told ESPN'S Ed Werder that that isn't an option, it still has others adding on the qualifier, "Unless the price is right."

130149517_crop_exact The only message that Brown's contract sends to Wallace is that if he shows up, he'll get paid.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images

However, there is no right price. There are no caveats. The Steelers simply will not be trading Wallace—not today, not next week and not in October.

For all those who believe that the Brown extension was in some ways a message to Wallace, it wasn't, at least not completely.

Obviously, the Steelers want it to be made known, publicly, that the team is more important than just one player and that the show will go on, with or without Wallace in the fold. But ultimately, giving Brown a five-year extension is actually just the normal way the Steelers conduct business.

As CBS Sports' Jason LaCanfora explains, the Steelers' approach to contracts is to try to get them done at the start of camp with players who are heading into the final year of their rookie contracts. It's not unlikely that a similar announcement could come soon about another receiver, Emmanuel Sanders, considering he's in the same situation as Brown just was.

The Steelers didn't get a deal done with Brown in order to throw it in Wallace's face or to show him how replaceable he is. They did it because that's how they approach players in Brown's situation. And it hardly matters that they pulled Wallace's latest offer off the table—the two moves are only barely related.

132688339_crop_exact In 2005, Hines Ward sat out the first two weeks of training camp; once he reported, he had a new contract three weeks later.
Grant Halverson/Getty Images

It's as simple as this: The Steelers and Wallace cannot and will not continue negotiations until Wallace signs the $2.7 million first-round tender and reports to camp. And if they cannot come to an agreement, then Wallace will play for Pittsburgh for $2.7 million this year.

If no contract comes when the season ends, Wallace will be an unrestricted free agent and he can get his payday from one of a number of teams that will likely be bidding for his services.

But there is no chance that the Steelers will be trading Wallace, no matter what an interested team puts on offer.

Yes, the Steelers are crushed for cash, but they likely have the money (and a plan for it) on reserve for when negotiations with Wallace restart. LaCanfora believes that the right deal for Wallace should be the five-year, $50 million the Steelers had offered Wallace before camp and that as long as it has around $25 million guaranteed, he should take it.

But for that to even happen, Wallace needs to swallow what must be quite the large ego, sign the tender and come to camp. The Steelers aren't trying to play games with Wallace—when they said that negotiations will continue when he signs and reports, they meant it.

95609140_crop_exact Mike Wallace's holdout is not a reason to trade him; the Steelers trade players for behaving like Santonio Holmes, not for wanting a contract.
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

They aren't going to make him sign it and then say, "Oh, sorry, never mind, we'd rather not extend your deal." There's no trap here, no bait and switch that Wallace needs to worry about. He's already powerless in this situation—the only time he had any real leverage was before the spring deadline for teams to make an offer for him, and no one did.

At this point, Wallace is only hurting himself and his teammates by continuing his holdout. But that doesn't mean he's drawn enough of the front office's ire for them to seriously consider trading him.

Wallace is still the Steelers' best receiver, and he is an integral part of their offense's plans. He's not a locker room cancer or a self-absorbed prima donna like Plaxico Burress or Santonio Holmes—he's simply a highly talented player without a contract.

There is zero reason for the Steelers to trade Wallace to any team. This is a frustrating time for the team and for fans, but to trade Wallace simply because he has yet to report to camp is the kind of impulsive act that the Steelers, as an organization, would never consider making.

If Wallace wants to get paid this year, he has to sign the tender and report to camp. He can refuse any offer the Steelers give him after that point, sure, and he can choose instead to move on after the season is up. However, there is no chance that Wallace isn't wearing black and gold on the field this year.

By extending Brown, the Steelers aren't engaging in a game of chicken with Wallace, nor does it indicate that they will not pay him. He just needs to show up. And he will.

 

Re: Antonio Brown's Contract Does Not Mean the Steelers Will

I've thought all along if we signed Wallace to a big deal we would likely lose Brown unless he gave the Steelers a discount, I think the same thing in reverse.

 

Re: Antonio Brown's Contract Does Not Mean the Steelers Will

Frankly, anything less than a first round pick and we would be getting the short end of the stick. Even then, it would have to be from the right team (someone likely to finish with a high draft pick). And no team will offer a first round pick + all the money when it seems like there's a really good chance they could simply wait a year and get him without sacrificing a pick. The trade isn't happening.

I'm frustrated about all this too, but I feel like with all the hate (some of it based on feelings, some of it fabricated like the attacks on his hands) I have no choice but to constantly defend him. I'm glad she pointed out that he's not a problem player; not a cancer, doesn't cause problems with players or whine to the media or get into trouble. He's just trying to get his pay day like anyone else. True, most guys don't wind up holding out, but most guys aren't in his situation. Un/fortunately, we have a log jam at the receiver position with young fast wideouts looking for a second contract. I think the $50 million is a good fair number, and I think that's ultimately around what we'll get him for. A lot of times guys who have made a stand, like he has, feel the need to save face. I wouldn't be surprised if he ultimately gets signed for something like $51M or $52M, with some knick-knacks thrown in for the Steelers, in order to offset the difference. I remember a few years ago a couple of CBs got signed in the same offseason (maybe Revis and Robinson, but I don't really remember), and they were all boasting about being the highest paid player at the position. One had the highest total number, one had the highest per year salary, one had the most guarenteed money, whatever... Wallace just needs something he can point to and feel good about. As a player, he's done everything you could ask. One of the best beginnings to a career in NFL history and he's never been hurt or missed a game. There's no reason to not want to keep him long term. And contrary to what most people think, I don't think he's done anything to warrant anger from the team. He's being overly stubborn to maximize his money. That's all. Why are we acting like he's spitting in the face of the organization and fans? He's not like Holmes. If he signed today, the entire organization would welcome him back with open arms, and there'd be no more squabbles. So I think we can stop freaking out.

To me, the worst of the worst is the players that hold out immediately after getting the contract they wanted (Revis, Chris Johnson, MJD, Reggie Wayne I think). Uh, you just signed a 5 year, $50 million contract. I know you just had a good season. That's why we signed you to that contract, remember? We did it ahead of time. You don't get to do this every year... Next thing they'll be wanting new contracts after ever INT or TD.

Also, does anyone think that the reporters like Bouchette, Lolley, Wexell, etc. who came out saying that Wallace was absolutely not going to get signed now that Brown was signed were jumping the gun a little bit? I think that's a pretty bold statement.

 

Re: Antonio Brown's Contract Does Not Mean the Steelers Will

Good responses. I think we all are just frustrated that he is not in camp. I do think he would make our team better if he was here. I also just cannot understand what he is thinking by not being here. He has to know the way that the Steelers do business and negotiate contracts. He knows that he has to sign the tender to have any shot at bigger money. He understands that if he only play six games and does not have good numbers because he does not know the system well, it will hurt his big pay day. It just does not make any sense why Wallace is not here. I get it he is unhappy. Who cares? This is not his concern right now and it is definitely not the way that grown men act.

 

Re: Antonio Brown's Contract Does Not Mean the Steelers Will

Yeah, I agree with what your saying HugeSnack and I understand his want for a quality contract. What I can't get past is the fact that he is either too stubborn, getting bad advice or doesn't trust the front office because he is not signing the tender. Everyone in the world knows the organization wont deal with him until he's at camp and I'm sure he knows it. He is not a cancer and is a good player, however, I question his motives, at this point.

 

Re: Antonio Brown's Contract Does Not Mean the Steelers Will

I agree with all of you (at least the last three posts...). I am extremely frustrated by Wallace and his Diva like behavior. Get your *ss in camp!

 

Re: Antonio Brown's Contract Does Not Mean the Steelers Will

I really wasn't referring to you. I understand being frustrated with him. I am too. However, I also think people are coming down way harder on him than they did on Hines, or Ben. Ben was holding out at an even worse time: he was a rookie and a quarterback. How much training camp could he afford to miss? He may have only missed 3 or 4 days, but people have been ragging on Wallace holding out too long for months. Months before it even meant anything, he was holding out too long. Because he should just take whatever the team gives him. Of course I agree that any multi-million dollar contract should be plenty. All he does is play football. But even at $50 million, which to me personally actually seems like too much for him, we should be aware of the fact that he could get more elsewhere when we judge him. Just by staying with us at all, he is likely taking a pay cut of unknown degree. People seem to not be realizing that, or just disregarding it. It seems like everyone around here just says, "He's no Larry FitzGerald! How dare he!" and leaves it at that. When it comes to asking for FitzGerald money, I can't think of a simpler negotiating tactic than asking for too much in order to get more than you were going to. People think he's spitting on the Steelers by not playing their game, but I'm sure he feels like they're spitting on him because they aren't paying him what Dallas or Oakland or Cincy or ____ would. Maybe they aren't doing it on purpose to hurt his feelings, but the result is the same for him: less money. As much as he is hurting the fans right now, he is in a bind. Being a receiver on the Steelers is like being a running back on the Patriots, or a defensive end on the -- well, Steelers. As much fame and fortune as you may get with Pittsburgh, you will never get the stats, recognition, or money that you could get elsewhere. That's a clear bind for Wallace. With Brown it was less of a bind, because he got his mega contract after only one year of play, which Wallace didn't. There was no guarantee that Brown had bigger money than that waiting for him elsewhere (most fans of the league still don't know who that guy is). If I was Wallace, I'd be in camp. Because I'm the kind of guy that would rather shoot myself in the face than be the center of attention like this. But for someone willing to sacrifice his name a bit and some time in camp (which could be a much bigger deal to us than to him and the team -- let's be honest, we have no idea how long it will take him to catch up), it could be well worth it to gain a few extra million dollars. We are talking about millions of dollars, after all. As team-first as I am, when I think about it that way, I'm inclined to say, "Screw this, I'm maxing out." I know several causes that could do amazing things with millions of dollars, and they are all greater than a couple of weeks of training camp. Not that Mike would donate any extra money to charity, but the point is money means something to everyone when you really think about it. Would you give up millions of dollars to be at camp on time and "behave like a grown man"? My whole life I've thought yes, but not when I look at my local animal shelter or the non-profit I used to work for. It makes training camp for my oldest passion, football, look real stupid, real fast. As a speedy wide receiver (as opposed to a quarterback, punter, kicker, offensive lineman), this will be his biggest and best and possibly last chance at a major pay day. He knows that.

What really gets me is all the people on this board that completely revise history in their posts about his play. They look at his game-by-game stats and all of a sudden he can't get open, can't catch, and my personal favorite: "defenses have figured him out." Because you know, there have never been fast receivers before, and it took 2 1/2 seasons to learn what to do with this one, but now they got it and they shut him down... If you point out the fact that he still torched defenses deep in all or most of those games, sometimes several times a game, sometimes getting 5+ yards of separation, but either did not get the ball thrown his way or received an unacceptably poor throw that no receiver can be expected to catch, then all of a sudden he doesn't have the desire to catch the ball and will only bother trying if it's a perfect throw, and if it was ____ he would have caught it. Or better yet, we should stop throwing the deep ball because it's hard to complete. So now he's worthless. It's just people making crap up.

 

Re: Antonio Brown's Contract Does Not Mean the Steelers Will

He got his "pay day" Snack, $50 million of them and he turned it down. Hard to feel bad for the guy.

 

Re: Antonio Brown's Contract Does Not Mean the Steelers Will

Thanks for reading.

 

Re: Antonio Brown's Contract Does Not Mean the Steelers Will

What took you so long to respond??

 

Re: Antonio Brown's Contract Does Not Mean the Steelers Will

I have a life, you know. I take a five minute break from this board every day!

Back to what you said, I think my response can be found in the post you responded to. And I don't feel bad for him, I just think people are not looking at the whole picture. I think it's an unfortunate situation. I'm not excusing him, I just think most people are not considering all angles.

 

Re: Antonio Brown's Contract Does Not Mean the Steelers Will

I'm with you on the end of what you said Snack. I don't get the, all the sudden, questions about his game. Personally, I love what the kid does. Even when he isn't catching the ball he is causing something positive to happen because he has to be accounted for. I don't recall the game but one game he was under thrown to, in the endzone, with defenders covering him and still came up with the football. It was a catch, and an indication of things to come, that not many receivers could make. There is no questions, and I mean NO question about whether he is a good receiver or not. You can debate what he is worth all day but leave the bashing of his skills out of it or you lose credibility!

 

Re: Antonio Brown's Contract Does Not Mean the Steelers Will

I don't question his abilities, but I question what his current hold-out can actually accomplish. He has nothing to gain by holding out at this moment. It will not get him more money, it only hurts him and the team right now. He is at a point where not reporting gains him nothing at all. If he wants any chance at a good long term deal with the Steelers, he needs to sign the tender, report to camp and let his agent resume talks. If he has decided he wants to test the market as a F-A (could be franchised though), holding out now only hurts his chances of having an eye-catching season. Guys who know the plays and routes are often more valuable than guys who have more talent but are not sharp on that other stuff (See Chand Johnson in NE). There is no winning right now by holding out.

 

Re: Antonio Brown's Contract Does Not Mean the Steelers Will

the only thing he gains, if you want to put it that way is if he gets hurt in camp. he could get 2.74 mil. and lose any chance at a bigger contract next year by the steelers or anyone else. do you think we would franchise him next year if he tears an achilles and it take his strongest part of his game and ruins it? i'm not defending him or them. this is their business to handle. i see both sides of this coin. it's just ashame it hurts the team on the field right now. i also agree that his skills are just fine and we could use them.