NFL Free Agents 2012: The Mike Wallace Effect

by Ryan Van Bibber on Feb 22, 2012 10:22 AM CST in NFL Free Agents 2012

Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace could have a big impact on the free agent market this year.

The Pittsburgh Steelers face a tough situation with wide receiver Mike Wallace. The fate of "60 Minutes" could have a big impact on the 2012 NFL Draft, the free agent market and even the St. Louis Rams.

Allow me to explain.

Pittsburgh's salary commitments currently have them over the league's cap amount. Even with the expected shuffling they will be hard pressed to find enough space to use the franchise tag on Wallace, a move that would pay him $9.4 million. Their only option is to give a restricted free agent offer at the first-round level, which would pay him less than $3 million in 2012.

No problem, right? Wrong. The league is buzzing with the possibility of another team making Wallace an offer that the Steelers cannot match given their cap situation. The new CBA bans the practice of a poison pill contract, but any normal free agent offer for a player of Wallace's talent would be prohibitive for the Steelers to match.

A team could easily surrender a first-round pick for a player of Wallace's caliber, and there is no shortage of rumors about teams will to make such a move.

Jason LaCanfora of the NFL Network recently said to keep an eye on Baltimore and New England as two potential interlopers for Wallace. New England has two first-round picks, which would make it easy. There are other teams that could do the same.

With Wallace a de facto free agent, that potentially removes a landing spot for some of the other names available in free agency.

If New England were in the mix, that would end Brandon Lloyd's chances of reuniting with Josh McDaniels in New England. It would increase the Rams' chances for bringing him back.

Lloyd is not at the top of the free agent receiver class, but he is a solid deep threat, something the Rams have sorely lacked in recent years. With New England out of the mix, Lloyd might opt for the familiarity of playing in St. Louis again in 2012, and he would be a cheaper option than Vincent Jackson, allowing the Rams to add another receiver to strengthen the position in 2012.

Tweet Comment 14 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

how soon would a team have to make an offer?

by itsvon on Feb 22, 2012 10:31 AM CST reply actions

Makes me laugh

We talk about Brandon loyyd as a deep threat and how he has the speed to get open and all that, with the combine coming up we are all focused on Justin blackmons 40 time. People question his deep threat ability based on the fact he might not run a burning 40 time. Brandon loyyd ran a 4.62.

by miketrap3 on Feb 22, 2012 10:48 AM CST via mobile reply actions

Its interesting

think about it this way, signing loyd gives us the chance to take a speedester to develop in a later round because he is better than all the recievers we have combined.

by was2234 on Feb 22, 2012 10:59 AM CST up reply actions

Did we have a speedster from Clemsen....

that didn’t work out to well?

by Boofer on Feb 22, 2012 11:04 AM CST up reply actions

Funny how people think just cause we get a speedster

He will be a great deep threat, Oakland anyone?

Be careful who you can a child because if I'm a child you're a pedofile and I be damned if I stand here and get chewed out by a pervert..
- Peter Griffin

by RG31 on Feb 22, 2012 11:49 AM CST via mobile up reply actions

We had a speedster corner from Clemson.

Avery was out of Houston.

Been losing sleep over Rams football since 1999.
Steven Jackson is a beast, a legend, a HoFer and should be treated as such.

by Joe Mazzi on Feb 22, 2012 12:47 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

Great. Thats all we need.

Another WR to drafted in the later rounds to develop. Throw him in with the pile all the other wide receivers we’re developing. We’ll have some capable receivers in another 3 years or so.

by Da Rams! on Feb 22, 2012 4:31 PM CST up reply actions

I feel there are better "values" out there besides Lloyd & Jackson

I would take Pierre Garcon before I brought back Lloyd. Robert Meachem could be another “value” pick up.

Remember, Lloyd has little to no history with this coaching staff and has played/practiced very little with our “franchise” QB. I just do not see him as a “need” to re-sign with potentially better “value” (potentally cheaper and definitely younger with comparable skill sets) Free Agents out there.

by RBramfan on Feb 22, 2012 11:04 AM CST reply actions

Schefter said something about him several days ago too.

Looks like they’ll have to move him

Haikus are easy,
but sometimes they don't make sense.
Refrigerator.

Follow @Sergey_Konyshev

by sergey606 on Feb 22, 2012 11:21 AM CST reply actions

I love

WR’s that are so fast, they can’t catch the ball!

by OakCityRam on Feb 22, 2012 12:08 PM CST reply actions

?

New England accordingly doesn’t have the money to pay Welker and get Lloyd but they’re in the market for M. Wallace? This is over my head.

by Telephun on Feb 22, 2012 2:05 PM CST reply actions

Even if Lloyd comes back he's still not the long term solution.

Drafting Blackmon would allow the Rams enough time to get him up to speed with the offense so he can take over once Lloyd retires, is traded, or waived. The Rams will still need an extra wideout beyond those two players. If Blackmon turns out to be a true #1 then it lessens the need to draft another receiver in the 1st round again.

by Da Rams! on Feb 22, 2012 4:35 PM CST reply actions

yap

my buddy’s step-aunt makes $80/hr on the computer. She has been laid off for 7 months but last month her paycheck was $7382 just working on the computer for a few hours. Read more on this site… LazyCash10.com