According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, a “handful” of teams would be open to the possibility of trading for wide receiver Mike Wallace. There have been multiple reports suggesting that Wallace will not sign his one-year tender offer. Clearly, this shows that Wallace and his agent, Bus Cook, are not content, and are looking to lock up a long-term deal.
It has already been reported that Mike Wallace is looking for a contract that will pay more than $10 million per year. $10 million annually seems like the minimum. Realistically, Wallace is looking for a contract similar to Larry Fitzgerald’s 8-year, $120 million deal. Wallace and his representatives are trying to exert all the power they have, which means Mike Wallace is unlikely to show up for any of the Steelers’ offseason workouts.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review doesn’t name any possible suitors for Wallace, but teams like Seattle and Cincinatti have to be considered. I don’t think the Steelers will be able to re-sign Wallace, so it appears he won’t be returning to Pittsburgh. However, Pittsburgh has to act quickly because the market for Wallace will shrink significantly after the draft. As the Tribune-Review puts it, either Wallace gets traded this year, or he leaves via free agency next year. Teams will have to give up a third or fourth-round pick to get him, but given his talent, and the fact that he’s still young, it might be worth it.
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