polamalubeast
04-22-2012, 10:11 PM
If you were left perplexed by the lack of an offer from another team for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace when he was a restricted free agent, you weren't alone.
Wallace is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and is just entering his prime at 25. He's an established playmaker who stretches the field and finds the end zone. Beyond that, the Steelers' precarious cap situation meant he could've been had with a front-loaded deal.
So what happened? As it turns out, the restricted free agency system itself hurt Wallace. Players once moved regularly in this system, but now it's near extinction. According to ESPN.com's Andrew Brandt, between 2003 and 2008, 20 RFAs changed teams via an offer sheet. But since 2009, just one player -- running back Mike Bell -- has done so.
read more
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82883704/article/is-restricted-free-agency-heading-toward-extinction?module=HP11_content_stream
Wallace is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and is just entering his prime at 25. He's an established playmaker who stretches the field and finds the end zone. Beyond that, the Steelers' precarious cap situation meant he could've been had with a front-loaded deal.
So what happened? As it turns out, the restricted free agency system itself hurt Wallace. Players once moved regularly in this system, but now it's near extinction. According to ESPN.com's Andrew Brandt, between 2003 and 2008, 20 RFAs changed teams via an offer sheet. But since 2009, just one player -- running back Mike Bell -- has done so.
read more
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82883704/article/is-restricted-free-agency-heading-toward-extinction?module=HP11_content_stream