Skip to content

Free Agency

Mike Wallace Wants Matrix Money

  • by

By Hennessy

The San Francisco 49ers were the first team to express interest in Pittsburgh Steelers superstar Mike Wallace. Given their combination of a late first round draft pick and need for a playmaking wide receiver, the Niners were a logical suitor for his services. Rumor has it no offer was made because Wallace’s agent is telling teams that his client wants a Larry Fitzgerald level deal to lock him up past the 2012 season. In other words, Wallace thinks he’s worth a contract in excess of $15 million a year.

Is he out of his friggin’ mind? He’s been gulping down Blue Pills if he thinks he’s in the same league as LarryFitz.

By tendering the third leg of Young Money a $2.7million offer, Pittsburgh was saying “we are willing to lose a proven superstar, but not without getting something big in return.” That something being a first round draft pick, which any team signing Wallace would have to surrender to the Steelers. Even at that steep price, the Niners, Patriots, Bengals and perhaps even the Ravens were possible suitors. All those teams have late first rounders (or, in the case of Cincy and New England, two firsts) and a need for a big play wideout. However, none of them are going to make a play for Wallace unless they’re assured of signing him to a multi-year contract first.

At $8 million per season, all those teams can afford to go after Wallace. $9-10 per and NE and Baltimore likely drop out due to cap issues. When you hit $15 million per, that’s even too expensive for the Niners to afford. If Wallace truly expects LarryFitz money, the only team that could fit him under their cap are the cheapskate Bengals and their $38 million cap surplus. While it would be a strategic play to weaken the armor of their long-standing conference juggernaut, I don’t see the Cats making that move.
Read More »Mike Wallace Wants Matrix Money

Is Mendenhall Tip-Toeing Out Of Pittsburgh?

  • by

ProFootballTalk is reporting that the Pittsburgh Steelers may cut ties with starting running back Rashard Mendenhall. Actually, this news is being reported by Ed Bouchette of the Post-Gazette but unless you have a puppy in need of paper training you’re unable to read this information since they’ve chosen to put it behind their insipid pay wall. Please allow me to save you that $3.99 so you can spend it on a more worthy item, such as a triple cinnamon dulce non-fat latte at Starbucks or a pack of Big Red.

To recap what we already know, Mendy tore his ACL in the season finale against Cleveland. Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, making the rounds of the local talk shows, has said an ACL tear takes about a year to heal. While a player may physically return to the field sooner, it is his opinion (and mine) that a player doesn’t begin to approach their old form until at least a full year has passed. Keeping this in mind, most had assumed Mendenhall would begin the 2012 season on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list with the team having the option to activate him later in the campaign. Now it seems the injury was either more serious than originally thought or Mendy’s rehab is progressing slower than expected because Uncle Eddy is hearing from inside sources that we may have seen his last carry in the Black and Gold.

I’m not terribly surprised. Running backs are like racehorses. When a racehorse breaks his leg, they have to put him to sleep. When a running back pulls up lame, his career is over. Oh, they may come back and they may even still have a few semi-productive seasons but once a RB blows out a tire, they’ll never be the same player again. What I’m saying is, if you have the second pick in your fantasy football draft, stay the hell away from Adrian Peterson.

Considering Mendy wasn’t any great shakes before tearing his ACL, I can’t imagine he’ll blossom into an elite back in 2013. The only thing that separated Mendenhall from undrafted free agent Isaac Redman was his big play break-away speed. If his ACL costs even .1 second on his 40 time, that advantage is basically gone. And as we’ve seen time and time again, he’s too soft either mentally or physically (or both) to be a tough yardage lower-your-shoulder grinder.
Read More »Is Mendenhall Tip-Toeing Out Of Pittsburgh?