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The Steelers open their Training Camp in less than 2 weeks at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. The biggest story surrounding the Steelers seems to be the possible absence of WR Mike Wallce. The WR has yet to sign his Restricted Free Agent Tender and no progress has been reported on the Steelers and Wallace reaching an agreement to a long term contract. Some "insiders" say that Wallace will report to camp without a deal in hopes that the organization will then give him the money he wants and thinks he deserves. He also could pull a Chris Johnson and sit out the entire preseason and training camp and try to insert himself into the lineup before the regular season (technically he could sit out regular season games as well). As a Steeler fan the question is, will it matter if Wallace is absent from training camp and the preseason? It most certainly will matter. He has yet to be around the new offensive coordinator and the chances of him picking up an entire new offense in a short period time screams "developmental delays", which leads to mistakes on the field. Rumors swirled around Wallace and what teams might go after him and give up a 1st round pick for him. The Ravens, Bengals, and Patriots were 3 of the many who were reportedly interested in the speedy receiver. To me, the most important signing for the Steelers this offseason was Jerricho Cotchery. The veteran reciever reminds me of Hines Ward 5 years ago. He has speed, is a savvy veteran, and is able to make plays when they need to be made. In my humble opinion, the Steelers could be lethal with the following WR core: Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, Jerricho Cotchery, as respective 1, 2, and 3. Throw in Mike Wallace and that group goes from good to great. Wallace's ability to stretch the field and open up things underneath for guys like Brown are extremely important. Notice to fans that say "Wallace had a horrible 2nd half of the season last year"...he was being keyed on and double covered the second half of the season. His lack of production lead to Antonio Brown's increased production. Sure, Wallace dropped some passes that should have been caught, but he is still a young receiver who needs to develop. If you ask me what is going to happen with Wallace, I think he might miss SOME of training camp, but will agree to a contract extension with the Steelers and will report and get up to speed before the regular season starts. If the Steelers want to make a run this year, they need him on the outside. As much as I try to convince myself that they can go without him, he is a key member of what the Steelers do on offense. Then again, the offense could have a totally new look this year...but that is a discussion for another time!
What does Steeler Nation think will happen with Mike Wallace in the next few weeks?
He needs to get off his high horse and get to camp on time. They can work out the dollars and cents while he is getting prepared for the season. I don't think he is worth the money he is asking for, but I do hope they can work something out. He is a good deep threat that requires a safety over the top...that opens up the under neath routes.
ReplyDeleteI'm not seeing a long term deal with Wallace happening. I'm thinking he either plays this year for the one year tender and walks OR the Steelers will offer a 2 to 4 year deal at a figure that will not hurt the team. Colbert & Omar will look two to three years out and offer Wallace a contract that allows them to operate "as normal". If that dollar amount doesn't satisfy Wallace and his agent the Steelers will let him test free agency next year and he will be gone. The Steelers will continue to be the Steelers and Wallace may or may not benefit.
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