Thread: RFA Mike Wallace for a First Round Pick?.....................

The more I think about it the more I would be happy with the move.

I would not make the move myself, but I would not fault the Bears for investing 1 st round pick in one of the best deep threats in the NFL. He is far less of a risk than a draft pick and he gives us a #1 WR.

I think everyone is overlooking a few things that are addressed in the first few responses on NFP's article page.

1)While Wallace is a clear 1st round value (and better than any WR available at #19), there is a contract cost to go along with signing him that could be too high given his performance and reputation.

2)Pittsburgh has a great front office and a history of reworking contracts/cutting guys to get what they want to do done. They are currently about $8million over the cap, which isn't too steep considering.

Tice wants a big play threat. Tice wants a #1 WR

Wallace is young and available. This would solve problems and we know what we get. Not every 1st Round pick will be what the Fans/Teams hope they become. If we draft Floyd, we would hope he would become nearly as good as Wallace is

Originally Posted by BearStuff

I think everyone is overlooking a few things that are addressed in the first few responses on NFP's article page.

1)While Wallace is a clear 1st round value (and better than any WR available at #19), there is a contract cost to go along with signing him that could be too high given his performance and reputation.

2)Pittsburgh has a great front office and a history of reworking contracts/cutting guys to get what they want to do done. They are currently about $8million over the cap, which isn't too steep considering.

I don't disagree that Pitt will try everything the can to keep him but that almost certainly entails extending his contract before FA starts. They're already $8 mil over and they can't add without cutting or reworking some deals. Maybe they should have let us sign Colon last year, LOL.

As Bowen also points out they have two more guys up for an extension next year and whatever the do to keep Wallace will set a benchmark for those deals as well.

FWIW he won't come cheap but I think it will be less than guys like VJax, DJax, and Bowe will be getting. I don't think he's quite at that level and you can subtract from that cost whatever we'd have spent on our first pick. Much less than Wallace will cost but if we really want a WR in the first he's a hell of a lot lower risk than anyone we could draft that high.

It's not all that likely he'll see FA anyway. He's pretty key in their passing game and it already sounds as if Ward won't be back. I think it's just an exercise in what if's to see how Bears fans might react to that kind of a deal and also to show the change in the CBA which knocks down the cost of that highest tender to just that 1st round pick.

I just wanted to see how everyone responded to the idea. It may be nothing more than a pipe dream.

Matt Bowen for National Football Post recently wrote an article about how the Steelers would be unable to resign Mike Wallace. He indicated that teams only need to give up a 1st round pick for top RFA instead of a 1st and 3rd. he mentions the Bears as a team that should look into him.

Would you make a run at Mike Wallace? | National Football Post

This Offseason is based on the projection by Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune that the Bears should start the offseason with 28 million in cap space.

Breaking down Bears and the salary cap - chicagotribune.com

Cuts/Restructuring [4 million saved]

OT Frank Omiyale [1.6 million]
RB Marion Barber [1.9 million]
DE Chauncey Davis [500K]

Re-Signing [10 million spent]

RB Matt Forte [4 years 32 million/20 guaranteed] [6/8/8/10]
A must resign and the most dynamic playmaker that the Bears have.

DE Israel Idonije [2 years 5 million/2 guaranteed] [2/3]
Idonije might not be the pass rusher that the Bears need across from Peppers he is a great run stuffer and a perfect rotational player.

TE Kellen Davis 2 years 5 milliion/2 guaranteed [2/3]

We need to see what we have with him, because physically has has all the tools.

S Craig Steltz [2 years 2.5 million/1 guaranteed] [1/1.5]
Steltz has been a consistent contributor and can hold up as a sport starter and a leader on special teams.

RB Khalil Bell [2 years 3 million/1 guaranteed] [1/2]
Bell in my opinion has earned the right to be the primary back up, he runs hard and catches the ball well out of the backfield.

Free Agent [15 Million Spent]

WR Mike Wallace [Pittsburgh] 5 years 45 million/22 guaranteed [7/8/10/10/10]

The Bears move aggressively to get a #1 WR that has truly game changing deep speed. Wallace may not have the size that the Bears want [6’ 200lbs.] but he has the speed and production to provide Cutler with a threat that he needs. In the last 2 season Wallace has gone for [1,257, 10TDs] and [1,193, 8 TDs] and has shown the ability to get behind defense and turn routine catches into scores. I know the label “a threat to score on any play” is over used, but he is truly the most dangerous weapon in the passing game that the Bears have ever had.


CB Richard Marshall [Arizona] 4 years 16 million/8 guaranteed [3/4/4/5]

The Bears need a starting CB opposite of Charles Tillman and Marshall provides more size [5’11” 195lbs] than Tim Jennings. What makes Marshall even more valuable is that he has played games for the Cardinals at FS adding versatility to the package. Marshall is a physical tackler that can come up in run support.


OT Anthony Collins [Cincinnati] 2 years 8 million/4 guaranteed [3/5]

Collins is a high potential, athletic OT that has starting experience in the NFL. Collins has been stuck behind a Pro Bowl player in Andrew Whitworth and comes to the Bears because he has a chance to start. Collins can push Webb and force him to play better or be replaced, something that Omiyale did not do.

Anthony Collins, OT for the Cincinnati Bengals at NFL.com

QB David Garrard [Jacksonville] 3 years 6 million/3 guaranteed [2/2/2]

The Bears were destroyed by their lack of a solid backup QB the last 2 seasons and they remedy that with Garrard. Garrard was holding out for a big money starting gig, but I do not see anyone giving that to him and in Chicago he can re-join Mike Tice and play for a team that really has a chance of winning. It would also provide him with a break for a body that has been beaten up in his career.

David Garrard, QB for the Jacksonville Jaguars at NFL.com

Draft

1[19] Traded to Pittsburgh for WR Mike Wallace.

2[50] DE Vinny Curry [Marshall] 6’3” 262lbs.

The Bears address their need for a big play #1 WR in the 1st round with the trade for Wallace. In the 2nd round they address their need for pass rush. The Bears should and I think will resign Idonije who is strong against the run and a team leader. Curry adds the pass rush that Idonije has not been able to provide. Curry might not have the physical ability of some of the DEs in this class, but he has a good first step and a relentless hustle to the QB.


3[74] OG Brandon Washington [Miami] 6’3” 325lbs.

The Bears interior OL may not be bad enough to warrant a 1st round pick, but NO one in the group is better than average. The Bears need to start re-tooling the OL with players that are more than just solid. Washington has dominant size and potential and has the nasty attitude to compete with Suh and Fairley. Spencer, Williams and Louis are free agents at the end of the season.


3[80] CB Leonard Johnson [Iowa St] 5’10” 205lbs

The Bears continue to add CB depth preparing for the eventual retirement of Charles Tillman. Johnson may not have the perfect height, but he is a physical monster in the secondary he beats up on WRs and tackles like a LB. Down the road he would be a nice compliment to Carr and provide the Bears with the strongest CBs in the NFL.


4. WR Marvin Jones [Cal] 6’2” 202lbs.

The Bears have addressed the need for a #1 WR and now they address their need for a taller WR with Jones. Jones might not be the physical mauler that many Bears fans want, but he showed at the Senior Bowl that he runs great routes and has very solid hands. He can work the underneath space that Mike Wallace creates.


5. LB Terrell Manning [NC State] 6’3” 225lbs.

The Bears LB core is aging and needs an infusion of youth. The nice thing about having veterans still playing at a high level is that you do not need to invest high picks right away. A 2nd round LB should be starting for your team. Manning provides the height and speed that the Cover 2 needs and he can be developed for a couple of seasons.


6. S Damien Jackson [Mississippi] 6’2” 198lbs.

The Bears continue to add youth, depth and speed to the secondary. The Bears appear to have their starting safeties in Major Wright and Chris Conte, but both have been injured and Wright has been inconsistent on the field. At a minimum Jackson adds to the special teams unit.


7. LB Chris Marve [Vanderbilt] 6’ 242lbs.

I was shocked when Marve did not get a combine invite. Marve may be limited by his size and speed, but he is a smart leader and tackles everything that moves. Marve has every intangible to make up for his lack of size and reminds me of Gary Brackett.


Depth Chart

QB: Cutler, Garrard, Enderle
RB: Forte, Bell, Allen, Clutts
WR: Wallace, Bennett, Jones, Sanzenbacher, Knox [Inj], Hester
TE: Davis, Spaeth, Adams
LT: Webb/Collins
LG: Louis/C. Williams
C: Garza, E. Williams
RG: Spencer/Washington
RT: Carimi

RE: Peppers, Wootton
DT: Melton, Paea
NT: Toenia, Adams
LE: Idonije/Curry
SLB: Roach, Traham
MLB: Urlacher, Dicico, Marve
WLB: Briggs, Manning
CB: Tillman, Marshall, Johnson, Moore, J. Moore
FS: Conte, Jackson, Walters
SS: Wright, Steltz

As good as wallace is, I think you'd still need another veteran in that situation. They could afford to load up at WR.

Originally Posted by soulman

I think we all do bro. Drake hasn't done it yet. Knox is about as close as it comes and he still hasn't broken him of his bad habits even to the point of wearing the right cleats so he doesn't fall on his ass and get our QB hurt. If we pick the right guy and use him efficiently we should be okay. I'm wondering if this kid Quick from that DivII school maybe another Jordy Nelson type and he's rated for the 3rd round right now.

I like Quick with our top-3rd pick no matter who we sign in FA. That looks like a high-ceiling/good-value situation there.

As for Wallace, I dunno....he's talented but the $ + a 1st makes him pricey.

I think if we were gonna go WR with the first round, it'd make more sense to trade for him, seeing as he'll be more effective than a rookie would be.

NFL.com news: Steelers WR Wallace openly flirts with 49ers, Patriots

Steelers WR Wallace openly flirts with 49ers, Patriots

Mike Wallace arguably is the greatest deep threat in football today, so you can safely assume he'll garner serious interest on the free-agent market if the Steelers can't lock up the wide receiver to a new contract.
Wallace visited SiriusXM NFL Radio on Wednesday to discuss his pending trip to restricted free agency. Specifically, he was asked if he'd be interested in playing for the 49ers or Patriots, two teams in dire need of a vertical threat like him.
"Most definitely. Those are two playoff-caliber teams. Super Bowl-caliber teams," said Wallace, who averaged 18.7 yards per catch in his first three NFL seasons. "I think that the right person or the right piece for those guys could put them over the top. All they need is one more piece ... most definitely, those are Super Bowl-contending teams."
But, Wallace later added, "I wouldn't want to go anywhere and leave the situation where I am at with a great quarterback, a great organization or go somewhere where I don't feel like I could succeed."
It's important to note Wallace didn't suggest San Francisco and New England as landing spots. He was asked a question about those teams, and he answered honestly. Nevertheless, this probably will cause all sorts of consternation in the Steel City, especially since Wallace also said "I definitely want to get my money," and Pittsburgh doesn't have the salary-cap room to use the franchise tag on him.
Meanwhile, the thought of Wallace effortlessly gliding under 60-yard bombs from Tom Brady just sent the majority of Jets fans into catatonic shock. Someone call Fireman Ed's emergency contact.