Cost is probably the only factor.

 

Just because Peter King says we are the only team in the running doesn't make it true. Many other outlets have reported other teams are interested.

 

I can tell you right now that there are 4 teams after Wallace, if my buddy is to be believed. Same guy who led me to believe Starks was our #1 target for re-signs (look at my post history) and I think he was right there. Franchise Tag and all.

Word is, there are four teams after Wallace, all of whom have the money to pay him. There you have it. Now, my question is - is this an honest question or are you trying to make a point in the form of a question?

 

It was also reported he wants to play for a warm weather team.

 

I think it is more that teams see we will spend on him,d ont think they can outbid us and dont want want to get used to drive price up

 

This and the Steelers are up against it cap wise and cannot afford to sign him.

 

Peter King also guaranteed Miami was going to draft Andy Dalton. I believe nothing he says.

 

I'd believe him if he said Cinnabon makes the best cinnamon rolls.

 

Your buddy maybe right about 4 teams after Wallace, and with all due to respect to his inside source, saying Starks was the #1 consideration to resign wasn't anything all that hard to figure out. I have no inside sources and just looking at the pending UFAs he jumped out to me as the most logical one to tag. That 4 teams are interested in Wallace seems really pretty logical to me too, for that matter. I'd guess off the top of my head, besides Miami and Minnesota, that Cleveland and Indy do too.

 

Well, he is my "source". His sources are simply people he meets from his job, working for NFL Network in a behind the scenes role. It all depends who he ends up talking to at that particular time.

 

I'd imagine having to top pay him top 3 money while he isn't a top 10 WR might play a part in it.

 

I think the majority of teams feel like they can't compete given our cap space and desire to apparently overpay for the guy.

 

Perhaps he would like to finish his career catching passes from Luck?

 

Miami has a HUGE need for a #1 WR and also has a lot of cap money to spend. Wallace wants to play in a warm climate and he wants a lot of money to sign with another team. Perhaps because the Dolphins meet the criteria set by Wallace and he is a true #1 WR in the NFL, the Dolphins would appear to be the team most likely to sign him.

There just aren't a lot of teams which have the cap space to sign Wallace and that is why it appears not a lot of teams have an interest in him. I'm sure if a team had a big need for a #1 WR and they had the cap space, Wallace would be their number one target in this free agent group of wide receivers.

 

From PFT: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ngs-may-offer-mike-wallace-13-million-a-year/

According to this the Dolphins expect the Vikings to get involved. Could drive the price up to $13m per.

 

I call Jennings, 13 million is to much!

http://nfl.si.com/2013/03/11/2013-free-agency-best-fits/?sct=hp_t11_a4

 

well, I guess the optimist hopes that Wallace's "down year" was due to his feeling slighted by the Pittsburgh regime. coming to Miami (or Minny) and getting the money may remove the distraction and bad taste from his mouth and he gets back to his old form.

 

Yep, theres a good chance that we could get Jennings and a solid TE for the same cap hit as Wallace. I'd rather go that route instead.

 

Personally, I hope the Vikes do outbid us.

I know, I know, the following will never happen, but hear me out......

We can go with a cheaper Jennings (I don't believe the reports about his asking price earlier).

Then we a have solid veteran WR corp this year, allowing us to stock the hell up on an even better WR corp with Austin, Bailey & Swope in the draft. That will give us a dynamic and explosive WR set for years to come as they all grow together. You have Austin & Bailey who were teammates in college continuing their redonkulessly effective pairing. You have Swope being the former teammate and friend of Tanny who knows the offense already. And those WRs and Tanny could all develop together.

If we did that, by the year after this one coming up, we could already have an offense equal on paper (or close to it), to Green Bay.

 

Local station here said Cleveland was told Wallace wanted to goto south beach so the Browns began looking elsewhere.

Worse places to be a 26 year old millionaire.

 

Probably because we are the easiest destination for the media to speculate early, and hope they are right later. we have tons of cap space, desperate for a WR, and Wallace is available.

If he ends up wanting something like 13 million per year... I'd rather go after Jennings, and one of the high end TE free agents too. Draft two WR's fairly early, and see what happens from there. I'd rather not handcuff the franchise to a WR who's productive when he wants to be, and who has speed, but isnt the greatest route runner.

 

I think this is why Peter King reported us as the only suitors. We're not, or weren't, as such but other teams have decided to not get seriously involved because Miami are willing to match Wallace's asking price and Wallace has said he wants to go to us.

Whether that has now changed with Minnesota I don't know. I hope, if it has, that we don't up our offer just because another team is interested.

 

Would you go to Minnesota for an extra $1M a year? I wouldn't. :) Plus I think Minnesota has a personal income state tax of 7.85% compared to 0% in Florida.

If the bidding is at $13M a year, I'd call Jennings instead. We could conceivably get Jennings and Keller for a couple of million more.

 

Peter just wants too sound smart

If Wallace is so intrigued by the climate, I doubt an extra 2M won't make him go live in a place like Minnesota.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

One thing I do notice is some Steeler fan's welcome his release, and refer to him as Stone Hands. Take it for what it's worth but when we are happy a player is leaving there is definitely a reason.

 

Fans being fans. You have guys here that are happy that Long/Smith/Bush/Fasano are leaving and fans upset that we resigned Hartline.

Probably a case of they are unhappy with how much money he's wanting as they don't think he's worth it. I'd bet the majority of fans here that are saying so long to someone like Smith would be clambering to resign him if the price was $5M a year instead of $7.5M a year.

 

I understand it's possibly money, but not every player is talked down by fans just because they want money. Where there is smoke there is fire.

 

I wouldn't sleep on the Patriots, either. They're the type of team that would just lie in the weeds and come up with a late offer. They supposedly considered taking a run at Victor Cruz until he changed agents.

 

I personally don't see a great fit with Wallace and Ponder, but you never know.

 

For your scenario to be plausible Austin, Bailey and Swope would all have to pan out, which is unlikely. You can't really count on the draft to fill immediate needs, with the exception of linemen, maybe.

 

Sure it is.

Also, I didn't say they'd fill immediate needs. In fact, i said Jennings would fill an immediate need and would give the draft picks time to grow.

But hey, why read what I wrote, when you can just argue it.

 

Wallace had an awful game vs. the Bengals this year, but for the most part Steelers fans should probably be put on an island than the island set on fire.

 

Neither do I, he's not got the arm to make the most of Wallace's strength.

 

Well...Im not a football expert...but if the guy avgs 68 catches and 1,014 yds and 8 TDs....over the last two seasons, (I believe he actually averages 8 TDs a year for his entire career)...then stone hands he is not...

And then...how do you quantify how having someone like Wallace on the outside...improves players like Hartline? Or...causes the defenses to soften their run defense. Its not like we are talking Ted Ginn where his speed really did not put any fear into a D, because, they knew we wouldnt go deep.

 

Right, and you'd still have to have all 3 work out to make your dream of becoming Packers south become reality. I imagine the odds of three receivers from a single draft class all becoming productive players is pretty low.