Steelers, Mike Wallace continue to make progress on new deal

[Atlanta Dan]

Originally Posted by steelfury02

must be gettin real close here

Maybe not

Mike Wallace took another stand when he did not report to training camp on time, and now apparently the Steelers will take one of their own as the contract impasse between the two sides takes a new turn.

The Steelers will suspend negotiations on a multiple-year contract until Wallace signs his one-year tender and reports to the team, a club source said. ...

The stance of ending negotiations for a holdout has been taken by the team before, most recently when Hines Ward held out for the first two weeks of the 2005 training camp. However, Ward had one year left on his contract at the time and was pressing for a new one. After ending his holdout, negotiations resumed and he received a four-year extension three weeks later

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/...ations-646152/

Mods - might want to change the title to this thread

[Fire Arians]

man, here i was getting all optimistic and shit.

wallace needs to be careful, the rooneys are the wrong family to play hardball with

[jiminpa]

So what happens if they just cut him now? He needs to be in camp learning the new offense, period! I know that he wants to look out after his own interests, just like anyone else, but that cuts both ways. It is in the team's interest for him to be in camp now without busting the cap or future caps for him.

[Steel_Bus_24]

after the season starts they quit negotiations don't they???

If hes not back by the 2nd Pre-Season game then thats really when its going to start hurting the team at that point......And the whole team should be ready to roll by that 3rd game

I want Mike to get a good deal a lot....praying this can get sorted before then

[pete74]

he will be signed within the week

[steelfury02]

as article states via Hines Ward's 05 situation - I'm hoping at some point Mikey realizes that he will be the one losing out, not the Steelers

He doesn't come in and perform well this season there is no "big" contract with another team

PATIENCE MIKEY - get your butt to camp and the Steelers will help you take care of the rest . . .

[TheVet]

I gotta believe that he'll be in camp soon, tender signed, with negotiations ongoing. The strange thing about this situation is that it seems to be in the best interests of both parties for Wallace to report. For Wallace to achieve his goals, he needs to come to an agreement with the Steelers, or else have a great season this year. All the positive outcomes seem to require that he be in camp, learning this offense.

[Atlanta Dan]

Originally Posted by TheVet

I gotta believe that he'll be in camp soon, tender signed, with negotiations ongoing. The strange thing about this situation is that it seems to be in the best interests of both parties for Wallace to report. For Wallace to achieve his goals, he needs to come to an agreement with the Steelers, or else have a great season this year. All the positive outcomes seem to require that he be in camp, learning this offense.

This is where the absence of veteran leaders may show. In 2005, Bettis, with an assist from Cowher, was a broker in getting Ward in to camp so negotiations could resume


Jerome Bettis, I'm told, is a big reason that Hines Ward is back with the Steelers today.

Those lines of communications that were kept open? Bettis, with a helping hand from Bill Cowher. Bettis kept talking to Ward, urging him not to do anything drastic that would either hurt himself or the team.

As you may have seen the day after the AFC championship game in January, Ward has tremendous respect for Bettis. So, while many were ripping the Bus for what he told me in Sunday's story regarding Ward's contract holdout, it was Bettis who helped end it.

What happens now? Ward said all the right things last night, and I believe a contract will happen over the next two weeks. He'll have to give a little, but I think what he did yesterday will move the team off its previous stance and he will benefit by it.

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/...return-595915/

With Ward gone, Ben would be the most likely vet to persuade Wallace to get into camp to jump start negotaitions, but I have no clue if there is any bond between #7 and #17.

[TheVet]

Hopefully someone will fill that role. Isn't Wallace fairly tight with Ike Taylor? Ike certainly has the experience and perspective to step in.

[Dodens Grav]

Steelers' Wallace no shows opening of camp; team expected to suspend negotiation

When Mike Wallace said back in April that he will not show up “until he has to”, as originally reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he apparently meant it. The restricted free agent, who received a first round tender from the Pittsburgh Steelers worth over $2.7 million for the 2012 season, failed to report as the team opened camp today, with the 4 PM reporting deadline having passed.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ed Bouchette, a club source has stated that “the Steelers will suspend negotiations on a multiple-year contract until Wallace signs his one-year tender and reports to the team”.

Because Wallace has not signed his tender, he is technically not under contract, and thus cannot be fined by the team for not appearing. Wallace, in fact, cannot report until he is under contract, which would require either signing his one year tender offer or reaching an agreement on a long-term deal with the Steelers.

With the organization unwilling to negotiate until he reports, however, he will be forced to sign his tender and report before his goal of a long-term contract can be reached. The Steelers have a long-standing policy of not negotiating with holdouts, the most notable in recent years being with Hines Ward, who recently retired as the Steelers’ all-time leading receiver in numerous categories.