Smear, Wallace has stated that he won't attend workouts until he has to. Does that sound like a happy camper to you? Just because he hasn't publicly stated his unhappiness, it's obvious to most everyone that he intends to hold out at least until Camp starts and maybe longer. If he doesn't get the contract that he desires, he will take the 2.7m, play out this year and sign elsewhere as a free agent next year. Unless he comes to his senses and signs a deal that the Steelers can afford. If you can't see that, just keep snoozing until it's announced in the PG.

Totally disagree here. Wallace will sign the tender in July prior to the date the Steelers can cut his offer from the 2.7 million to somewhere around half a million. He's posturing right now for a contract, it's not a big deal. Just the business part of the game playing itself out. Next year has the potential to be much more dramatic.

Blood, the Steelers could cut Wallace's pay to $577,000 on June 15th but probably won't.



NFL Rumors: Mike Wallace Must Attend Steelers' OTAs to Enhance Team Chemistry
By :
Ryan Phillips

Mike Wallace appears determined to hold out until he gets a long-term deal from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With Todd Haley now on board as the team's new offensive coordinator, Wallace should swallow his pride, sign his restricted free-agent tender and get on the field with his teammates for OTAs.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that Wallace still has not signed the one-year, $2.74 million tender he was offered as a restricted free agent. The paper is also reporting that, while general manager Kevin Colbert would prefer to sign his Pro Bowl receiver to a long-term deal, talks have gone nowhere.

For the first time since 1999 the Steelers will have an offensive coordinator hired from outside the staff. Haley will bring a new system, with new terminology, and everyone on the offense will be starting from scratch. If Wallace misses time, he will be behind everyone else on that side of the ball.

OTAs are typically not a big deal, but they are for the Steelers this year.

Having a new coordinator changes the entire offseason schedule. They will use OTAs not to just stay sharp and get some workouts in, but they'll use them to actually install the new offense.

If Wallace wants to be able to earn a big, long-term extension, he will need to have a big season in 2012. If he's not filled in on the new offense, he won't be able to do that.

Per league rules, if the 25-year-old Wallace doesn't sign by June 15, the Steelers will be able to reduce the amount of the tender to 110 percent of his 2011 salary. That would set his 2012 salary at $577,000.

Having to sign the one-year restricted free-agent tender isn't ideal, but it's part of being in Wallace's position.

Yes, a long-term deal is certainly what he wants, but given Pittsburgh's cap situation and the team's coaching situation, he should just be a good teammate and get on the field.

And when does he "have to" report? OTA's? Training Camp? Week 10? Until he starts missing mandated team activity, or until we hear something about his contract from someone other than an un-named source, this is all speculative BS. If he does start holding out, then i'll gladly jump in line to criticize him. But i will not condemn somebody based purely on media speculation.

BTW, the PG has not reported that "talks have gone nowhere" and posting an opinion piece from Bleacher Report doesn't really add to your case.

Ok it's June then. Even better.

Wallace will report. To do differently jeopardizes his immediate income this season, and potentially his next contract wherever he ends up at. No matter what he does, he must have a productive season in order to get big bucks next year. The best chance of doing so is to report on time and work hard.

Smear, check out paragraph 5. It would be nice if you got your facts straight before you criticize.

Wallace, top picks to miss Steelers OTAs
May 20, 2012 12:21 am
By Ed Bouchette / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Todd Haley will showcase his new offense on the field for the first time Tuesday, and he'll do so without one of the Pro Bowl players expected to make it go, and two possible new starters on the line.

Wide receiver Mike Wallace has not signed the one-year, $2,742,000 tender offered him as a restricted free agent, and various reports say he will not do so before the Steelers open their organized team activities, commonly called OTAs.

Wallace is not required to sign the tender and the only thing required of any of their players -- provided they are under contract -- is to attend minicamp June 12-14, which will end these spring sessions.

Come June 15, however, the Steelers are permitted to change the amount of that tender to 110 percent of Wallace's 2011 salary. That would reduce his '12 salary to $577,000. Sources say they will not do that, at least not before training camp opens.

General manager Kevin Colbert has stated consistently that the Steelers prefer to sign Wallace to a long-term contract. However, those negotiations have gone nowhere.

Two rookies possibly being counted on to start on the line cannot report for OTAs either. The top two draft picks, guard David DeCastro and tackle Mike Adams, cannot attend until the semesters end at their schools. That means Adams, of Ohio State, will miss through the first week of June. DeCastro will miss all of OTAs and minicamp because Stanford's spring quarter goes through mid-June.

Missing OTAs can be a negative for rookies, especially those expected to play quickly. However, there were no spring workouts/practices for NFL teams last year because of the lockout and that did not stop rookie tackle Marcus Gilbert from starting 14 games, beginning with the second game of the 2011 season.

These practices for the Steelers take on more importance because, for the first time since 1999, when Bill Cowher hired Kevin Gilbride, the Steelers will have an offensive coordinator from outside the staff.

Haley, the first coordinator change under coach Mike Tomlin, tossed out the playbook the offense had followed under previous coordinator Bruce Arians since 2007, and one with basically the same terminology since Mike Mularkey was promoted to the job in 2001. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger estimated that the new offense will be 90 percent different than that of Arians with new terminology.

The veterans have been digesting Haley's offense for three weeks in classrooms and now will get a chance to put it to work on the field, although, by rule, with no pads in these sessions.

The new 10-year CBA negotiated last year, which ended the lockout, reduced the number of OTAs from 14 to 10, plus a minicamp.

The Steelers have seven of their nine rookies under contract, with only DeCastro and third-round pick Sean Spence, a linebacker, not signed. Spence, though, is permitted to attend OTAs.

While not required, OTAs are usually well attended, with players missing a few here or there for various reasons. There are some exceptions; Troy Polamalu often does not attend until minicamp, preferring to work out with his personal trainer in California.

Practices are not open to the public.

Fair enough, i never saw that article. Now if you can just post where Wallace is on record demanding Larry Fitzgerald type money and where he threatened to hold out then we'll be in business.

Now Flako is in the last year of his contract and wants to be paid as an elite quarterback. The list keeps getting longer for the Ravens.
All this contention could produce a down year for the Rats. The Bungles may be our biggest competition in the North this year.

Wallace also wants to be paid as an elite receiver. He's trying to squeeze as much as possible from the Steelers. I don't fault him for that. But there is only so much money to go around and we've also got Brown to take care of next year. These guys have to have lowered egoes and expectations.

Schefter: No progress in Ray Rice talks
The Ravens and running back Ray Rice continue to talk, which is a positive sign. But the sides have not made any progress toward a new deal, a source familiar with the talks told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The deadline for Rice and the Ravens to strike a new deal is 56 days away. If he doesn't sign a contract by July 16, he will play under the $7.7 million franchise tag.

The fact that there's been a lack of progress shows the struggle to find a middle ground. Rice probably believes he deserves a contract closer to the one given to the Titans' Chris Johnson (six years with $30 million guaranteed). In fact, Rice has had more total yards over the past three years than Johnson.

But the Ravens are likely trying to get the money closer to the deals recently signed by Arian Foster (five years, $43.5 million with $20.75 million guaranteed) and LeSean McCoy (five-year, $45 million with $20.76 million guaranteed). Baltimore can argue that is now the market value for running backs.

Until the sides can bridge a $10 million difference in the guaranteed money, there will be no progress made toward a new deal.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/pos...ray-rice-talks

Spewing media driven bullshit as an answer is worthless. Believing everything you read is even worse.

DON'T buy into everything you read. Lets discuss June 16th.