Steelers To Protect Their Interest In Wallace, But Who From & How?

[stillers4me]

Steelers Depot:

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2012/02/steelers-to-protect-their-interest-in-wallace-but-who-from-how/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SteelersDepotBlog+(Steelers+D epot+Blog) (http://www.steelersdepot.com/2012/02/steelers-to-protect-their-interest-in-wallace-but-who-from-how/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SteelersDepotBlog+(Steelers+D epot+Blog))

[Austin87]

We need to lock Wallace up long term. I agree with Colbert that Wallace hasn't reached his full potential yet. It could be scary when he does reach his full potential. This is exactly why I hope we bring Ward and/or Cotchery back, our young WR's can still benefit from having a veteran or two around.

[suitanim]

Obviously it would be best to just lock him down with a 5-6 year contract. But I still don;t understand why people keep saying the Browns won't part with their 4th? They are not averse to spending a top 5 or 10 pick on a WR. They were in the Green/Jones sweepstakes last year. I don't see the Rats or Bungles making this move, but my worst nightmare is years of guys like William Gay lining to try and cover Wallace. If they don;t want RGIII, I think they might make a play.

[Iron Steeler]

My heart will drop if he becomes a patriot

[Bluecoat96]

I'm NOT advocating giving up Wallace for a 1st round pick, but should we get an offer, do we take it? Two 1st rounders would make it a little easier to trade up for someone like a DeCastro to help solidify the O Line. Just throwing something out there.

[suitanim]

I'm NOT advocating giving up Wallace for a 1st round pick, but should we get an offer, do we take it? Two 1st rounders would make it a little easier to trade up for someone like a DeCastro to help solidify the O Line. Just throwing something out there.

Hmmmmmm.....that does sound tempting. Especially if you're from the school of thought (as I am) that almost all of our offensive woes the last few years have been due to having the worst OL in the NFL. You could look at OL AND DL in the first round.

But I also don't believe for a second that Wallace has peaked or diminished. It's very hard to let go of a known quantity for an unknown one.

[SteelMember]

Obviously it would be best to just lock him down with a 5-6 year contract. But I still don;t understand why people keep saying the Browns won't part with their 4th? They are not averse to spending a top 5 or 10 pick on a WR. They were in the Green/Jones sweepstakes last year. I don't see the Rats or Bungles making this move, but my worst nightmare is years of guys like William Gay lining to try and cover Wallace. If they don;t want RGIII, I think they might make a play.

I get where you're coming from here, but if the Browns wanted a WR so badly, why did they trade their pick last year to Atlanta when they could have just as easily picked Julio Jones and filled that need?

You could come back with the "Wallace is the proven guy and well worth the money", but Jones is a talented guy who almost every scout had as being NFL ready going in.

The risk was well worth the reward in his case.

[suitanim]

I get where you're coming from here, but if the Browns wanted a WR so badly, why did they trade their pick last year to Atlanta when they could have just as easily picked Julio Jones and filled that need?

You could come back with the "Wallace is the proven guy and well worth the money", but Jones is a talented guy who almost every scout had as being NFL ready going in.

The risk was well worth the reward in his case.


I honestly think that Shurmur actually thought what he had last year was more serviceable than what it actually was. They started the year with Robiskie (who's not even on the team) and Massaquoi as their #1 and #2. Cribbs isn't a real WR, Greg Little has emerged as a potentially solid WR (but he was kind of a risky pick in the second), and then they have Jordan Norwood and Carlton Mitchell. That is not an NFL-caliber receiver corp.

I think their philosophy last year was simply to trade the sixth pick instead of picking up Jones because they had SO many needs and they wanted to stockpile picks (which they have done). Now it's time to use those picks and start stockpiling weapons. If they do NOT covet RGIII (and they may....who knows?), and they are sitting at 4 still, a lot of people have them taking Justin Blackmon. If it was my call, and I wanted a WR, would I select an unproven guy who many are starting to question his ability to separate at the next level, or a guy who I know can play, and who I would be stealing from my division rival? I'd take Wallace...

[YoungMoneyFam]

I would be devastated if we lost Wallace, but 3 first round picks sure would be interesting.

[BigNastyDefense]

The Patriots have to give Welker a new contract, and Brandon Lloyd wants to go there to get back with Josh McDaniels. I think if Lloyd were to choose to sign somewhere else they'd try to get Wallace, but I think by the time it came to that Wallace would be under some type of contract with the Steelers or another team. But I can see the Pats giving up the 31st pick for him by signing him to an offer sheet. They still have another first round pick and two second rounders.

There are a few theories on why the Browns didn't take Julio Jones in the draft last season. So many holes, it was better to stockpile draft picks and fill as many as possible. Shurmer felt that he had a better receiving corps than most thought. That they didn't think Julio Jones was going to be as good as people thought. That they'd rather wait until free agency and get a known commodity. No matter the reason(s), I don't see Wallace wanting to go there if they don't get a QB. He's a deep threat before he's anything else, but McCoy doesn't have the arm to get the ball to him deep. If he leaves Pittsburgh, he's going to go somewhere that he can be used properly. I also don't see the Browns being willing to give up the fourth overall pick for him by signing him to an offer sheet.

I don't think the Bengals are going to be interested. They have Green, and even though they will likely be without Simpson I don't think they'll want to give big bucks to another receiver also. They'll sign a second tier free agent or draft a guy in the middle rounds.

If the Steelers franchise him, nobody is going to touch him. Nobody is giving up two first round draft picks for him. If we don't franchise him, then we get a first round pick if another team signs him to an offer sheet and we don't match it because we will tender him the highest to ensure at least a first round pick. And then if we match the offer sheet, we get to keep him anyhow.

[polamalubeast]

The 49ers are also a serious threat for the Steelers.

[polamalubeast]

Ben (NJ)


Jamison, do you think it's a realistic chance that the Steelers lose Wallace? The Pats are a likely fit, but I don't think the Steelers prefer a late 1st round pick over Wallace. Thoughts?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN) (3:03 PM)


Ben: I don't think the Steelers are guaranteed of losing Wallace if they just put the first-round tender on him instead of the franchise tag. The two teams that should concern the Steelers are the Patriots and 49ers. If the Steelers can't match those offers, they would be left with either the 30th overall pick from the 49ers or the 31st on from the Patriots. That would be devastating.

[BigNastyDefense]

What everyone is forgetting is that Wallace has to sign their offer sheet for it to even be a problem. If he doesn't want to go to New England or San Francisco, then he doesn't sign the offers. If he chooses to sign the Steelers' offer sheet and work out something long term with them, then he's not going anywhere. Them just sending Wallace an offer sheet doesn't mean a thing if he doesn't sign it.

[Carolina Steelers]

I agree he dosent have to sign it but the Steelers are 11 million over cap, Example: Bengals got 60 Million to spend if they offered Wallace like 20 million dont know if Steelers could match that they would have to cut more players for that kind of cash it will be hard, and lets face it sometimes its about the money. If Bengals or Pats make an offer I believe Wallace would be bye bye. Wallace will have all the leverage

[Count Steeler]

We always have the franchise tag we can fall back on.

[polamalubeast]

I hope that the Steelers will have enough space in the cap to keep Wallace, if a team makes an offer to Wallace(49ers or pats).


it would be a horrible feeling, if the Steelers do not have space to keep Wallace.

[Dino 6 Rings]

I guess my question about the Wallace situation and possible Franchise Tag or Long Term signing would be...who is the last young elite type talent/player the Steelers had on the roster but Lost because of not signing them for enough money or because someone out bid us on our own guy?

[polamalubeast]

I guess my question about the Wallace situation and possible Franchise Tag or Long Term signing would be...who is the last young elite type talent/player the Steelers had on the roster but Lost because of not signing them for enough money or because someone out bid us on our own guy?<<


The reason I am very worried about the situation of Mike Wallace, is that the Steelers are in trouble for the salary cap right now.

and I heard a lot of rumors about Wallace today

[Dino 6 Rings]

Still, I'd like to know, in our recent past, say last 15 - 20 years, who is the young stud player that we "didn't get to keep" because of the Cap or because we tagged him and he got stolen away?

[polamalubeast]

I hope you're right and that the Steelers will be able to keep it!

I admit I'm nervous right now because of the rumors!

[ALLD]

Still, I'd like to know, in our recent past, say last 15 - 20 years, who is the young stud player that we "didn't get to keep" because of the Cap or because we tagged him and he got stolen away?

Alan Fanacea was the last player we lost and the last time we had a decent OL.

[Craic]

Alan Fanacea was the last player we lost and the last time we had a decent OL.

He said "young, stud" player. At the point Faneca left the Steelers, I considered him neither young, nor a stud. He was a source of locker room contention, a spoiled child that didn't get his favorite choice to be the coach, and a guy on the down side of his skill set. There's a reason why he only lasted three years in the league after he left us. Notice, the Jets picked him up for two years, then let him go for a second round draft pick AS SOON AS THEY DRAFTED HIM.

Arizona only gave him a one year contract and he retired after that.

No, I don't consider Faneca young, or a stud when he left the Steelers. Matter of fact, I think the Steelers letting him go was one more example of the front office knowing EXACTLY what they're doing when it comes to cutting or not resigning players.

[Shoes]

Wallace isn't going anywhere.....now stop chewing your fingernails. :chuckle:

[Steelersfan]

In my opinion, signing Wallace this year has less to do about Wallace and more to do about signing Antonio Brown next year. Which player is more important to the Steelers??? Brown, hands down!!! A better all-round receiver, a better all-round player.

I'm sure most, even in the Steelers organization, have the mind-set, worry about Wallace this year and we'll worry about Brown when the time comes. That would be wrong! I'm all for keeping Wallace, BUT NOT if it means losing Brown. No way we could or should we pay both receivers HUGE contracts. If we can't sign Wallace to an "able to sign Brown too" (friendly type contract) then good luck to him in New England, San Fran, Cleveland or Cinci.

Wallace doesn't make the Steelers who they are or will be in the future!!! Wallace needs the Steelers more than we do him, however can't blame the kid for wanting paid his worth.

[suitanim]

I'd like to keep them both. When you break up excellent 1/2 tandems, many times BOTH guys suffer. It's an oversimplification to say that Wallace just "disappeared"...

[Dino 6 Rings]

Chad Brown, that might be the last time we had a young stud guy that left us very early in his career who went on to have a pretty good career after leaving us.

Other than that, I can't think of any young talent that we "let get away from us"

I'm not too worried about losing Wallace. At all.

[86WARD]

I'd like to keep them both. When you break up excellent 1/2 tandems, many times BOTH guys suffer. It's an oversimplification to say that Wallace just "disappeared"...

QFT. It's worth keeping the two and letting a guy like Mendenhall walk.

[suitanim]

QFT. It's worth keeping the two and letting a guy like Mendenhall walk.

If I HAD to choose, I'd probably go that route.