Mike Wallace: Should He Stay or Should He Go Now?

A scenario has been brought up on numerous occasions where the Steelers tender Mike Wallace as a Restricted Free Agent and subsequently get a 1st Round pick from some team in need of a deep threat, like San Fran, Baltimore, New England, and Cincinnati. At first I shot this down as nonsense, but the more I think about the more doing so makes sense:

1. Mike Wallace’s Production

Wallace’s production took a steep decline in the second half of the season. In the first 9 games of the season, the speed demon got 868 yards and 6 Touchdowns from 47 receptions. After that Wallace collected 325 yards and 2 touchdowns from 25 receptions. The two touchdowns came against Cincinnati, so Wallace went 5 straight games, including the playoffs, without scoring a touchdown or coming close to a 100 yard receiving game. Some will argue that this lack of production was the direct result of Ben Roethlisberger’s injury, but all things considered, defenses began game planning against Wallace which made him relatively invisible. One can argue Bruce Arians' system could have been impacting Wallace’s production, but overall Wallace stalled in the second half and getting a first round pick from a player with declining production that seemingly lacks a complex route tree would not be all that bad.

2. Antonio Brown Stepped Up

Wallace’s production dipped and Antonio Brown kept this offense moving. He received team MVP for a reason. Some will contend that Brown did well because teams game planned to stop Wallace allowing Brown the opportunities, but I have two problems with that argument. First, some of the catches Brown was forced to make were so acrobatic and in the midst of such tight coverage that I find it hard to believe he was given free roam. Second, Brown demonstrated that he is willing to lay out and be the receiver this team needs. I do not always see that same spark in Wallace, at least not as strong as I see it in Brown. Also, if the Wallace decoy argument is to be accepted, do we really want to shell out a long term contract to a decoy?

3. The Cap Situation

The Steelers cap situation is DIRE. We currently have no money to spare. I am given to understand that James Harrison and Ben Roethlisberger are going to restructure to free up some room and the Ward situation will be sorted out, but I cannot imagine there being enough room to pay for Wallace to get a Franchise Tag and still field a contending team next season. In any other season I would say Mike Wallace’s return would be a lock, but with our money being tight I could easily see us trying to use the RFA Tender and living with the consequences.

4. The Holes on this Team

Now, I do not want to lose Mike Wallace. He is a game changing talent that most assuredly makes an impact on any roster. However, the Steelers cap situation being what it is combined with the critical holes we have at other positions make a situation in which we lose Mike Wallace not as detrimental as many think. For instance, any team that decides to sign Wallace has to give us a First Round Pick. That would give us two first round picks which I think would be a first for the Steelers. Given that Max Starks, Willie Colon, and Casey Hampton all suffered critical injuries last season who knows if/when they will be available and at what level they will play at. In addition Farrior’s play dropped off a bit last year as evidenced by the fact that Ryan Clark was our leading tackler. We also have a piecemeal offensive line which at the very least will see a replacement at LG when Chris Kemo is cut. So to run down the starting positions we may have to replace on the field: LT or RT (pending where Gilbert goes), LG, NT, ILB. That’s four critical position needs that have to be addressed by a team with little available cap space. By letting Wallace garner a 1st round pick we can attempt to take care of two positions with high end draft picks (we could couple those picks and move up to get Decastro as well). Also, the cap space not used on Wallace’s long term deal could be used to bring in a few under the radar free agents, like ILB Dan Connor from Carolina, to reload this roster for a championship run.


5. Todd Haley’s Typical Wide Receiver

In Dallas, Todd Haley had the tall and physical Terrell Owens. In Arizona, he had the tall and physical Larry Fitzgerald. In Kansas City, he had the tall and physical Dwayne Bowe, who matured under Haley’s system. Haley even drafted Jonathan Baldwin, a tall physical wide receiver. Mike Wallace is not tall and comparatively not physical. If Haley has a type, Wallace certainly does not match that type. Saving some money now might allow the Steelers to bring in the prototype wide receiver Haley would want to get his offense moving. Who knows, maybe even a cheap Randy Moss could be an option for a Steelers team strapped for cash and in need of a tall wideout/replacement decoy. (I don’t think T.O. would work given his history with Haley)

In summation, losing Mike Wallace is not the end of the world that some Steeler fans will stipulate. Mike Wallace’s production dropped, he featured as the #2/decoy to team MVP Antonio Brown, we don’t have the money to franchise tag Wallace right now, the 1st round pick would help us reload this roster, and Wallace does not appear to be the best fit for Todd Haley’s offense. Now, I do not necessarily want to see Mike Wallace leave. He is a stand-up, young, dynamic receiver who demands considerable defensive attention. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Mike Wallace as a Steeler and I hope to continue to enjoy doing so. That being said, if Wallace ends up leaving, for these reasons previously stated, I will not be upset. Rather I will enjoy seeing what the Front Office has planned for an offseason that will not be forgotten as the Steelers become a team different in many ways from the team of the 2000’s.