At this point, it appears like the Front Office and #17 will not budge on coming together for a new contract, and #17’s best and most logical card to play might be to sit and wait to sign his RFA tender until Week 11.  Because of #17’s recent actions, and the Front Office’s staunch stance on the situation, many have clamored for the trade of #17 and/or the pickup of another Wide Receiver as insurance if he decides to make the couch his home until November.  With these things in mind, I felt that I would address the aforementioned topics this evening and give my own thoughts, comments, and concerns on the matters at hand.

#17 is on a slippery slope right now. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE

Trading #17: Does it Make Sense?  Will it Happen?

For everybody on the “Trade #17 Bandwagon,” let me state that I am with you, have been with you since April, and it would be awesome to send #17 to “N.F.L. purgatory” like Jacksonville, Miami, Cleveland, etc..  An experience like that would not only show #17 that the “grass is not always greener,” but that sometimes the grass has been “burned, earth has been salted, and guys like Blaine Gabbert, Ryan Tannehill, etc. are allowed to start under center, become skittish when pressured, and throw inaccurate passes.”

As nice of a scene and as totally helpful to the organization (salary cap wise, and rebuilding wise) that a move like trading #17 would be, it is almost impossible at this point.  And as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.com recently reiterated, the points which I have made for months will probably render the attempts to move #17 and get something of equal value in return fruitless:

One of the biggest reasons why trading #17 will probably not happen has to do with Pittsburgh’s asking price.  Pittsburgh would likely be looking to receive at least a 1st Round pick (what they would have received if his tender was signed by another this past offseason), or two 2nd Round selections, or possibly a 2nd and a 3rd plus another contributing player for #17’s services.

Colbert and Co., because they understand what a return on an investment is, will likely not move #17 for anything below the bench-mark I discussed above.  Especially since they will receive a 3rd Round compensatory pick in the 2014 Draft if/when he leaves via Free Agency.  Plus, teams already passed on #17 a few months back when they could have acquired him for only a 1st Round pick, so it is highly questionable that they would take run at him now for an exorbitant amount.  Granted, the Steelers might decide to take far below the market value just to move their disgruntled Wide Receiver (a la Sansmokio Holmes for a 5th Rounder in 2010), but because #17 has not had disciplinary issues and does not face a suspension, Pittsburgh’s Front Office will probably not pull the trigger if a team offers a 5th Rounder, or even a 4th and 5th Round selections.

High asking price also ties into the other factor which might cause teams to shy away from #17: signability long-term.  If another organization truly wants to give up those amounts of draft picks on a Wide Receiver, they have to understand that he will only be signed through the 2012 season.  With that in mind, the ability to lock-up #17 long-term will be of the utmost importance because of what it will take to acquire him, and #17 might have already tipped his hand as to what he wants long-term (>$50 million).  If the price-tag is too high, and will be for quite a few teams, #17 might have priced himself out of the market.

Thus, any intelligent organization would see that it would be better to wait for #17 to hold out for most of the 2012 season, possibly drive his price tag down, not give up any important draft selections, and go after him as a UFA early in 2013.  But hey, we have seen some teams make ridiculous moves before, so it will be interesting to see what the market for #17 will end up being during Training Camp and the Preseason.

Possible Free Agent Options

If the #17 continues his “defiant” sit-down, and Pittsburgh cannot move him for the right price, Colbert and Co. should consider signing a cheap option pass-catching for one year with whatever cap money they can scrape together.  One player which might be able to help in the pass-catching department is Mike Williams, a guy Craig discussed a few weeks back.

After Williams resurrected his career in 2010 and racked up 65 Catches, 751 Yards and 2 TD’s, his production dropped off last year and was deemed expendable by the rebuilding Seahawks.  At this point, the 28 year old Williams could at worst be a nice stop-gap player (if he can be had cheaply) until Pittsburgh can develop Toney Clemons or they draft a tall field-stretching WR early next season.  Williams most importantly possesses great size (6’5” 225 lbs.), can help take some pressure off of the inside receivers, and I am sure he likely jump at the chance to play for a contending team if he does not receive any lucrative offers elsewhere.

If #17 sits, Plaxico might be a viable option for the Black & Gold to turn to this season. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-US PRESSWIRE

The other player which could be a wild-card of an intriguing option would be none other than everybody’s favorite gun-safety spokesman and the first ever draft pick made under the Colbert regime: “Plaxico Burress.”

When one considers the fact that Burress put up an 45 Catch, 612 Yards, and 8 TD’s season with noodle-arm Sanchez throwing him the ball, and missed the previous two years because he was living “The Longest Yard” for real, it is conceivable that Plaxico has a year or two of productive football left in the tank.  Also helping the situation is that Burress expressed a desire to suit up for the Steelers again last season, and might be willing to meet Pittsburgh’s asking price to play with Big Ben again.  While the veteran’s age (35) might be a bit of an issue, his size (6’5” 225 lbs.) is something which this Receiving Corps desperately needs.  And while Plax might not be able to stretch the field with his speed like #17, he could be a solid option in the Red Zone and take at least a bit of heat off of the inside pass-catchers with his presence.

Final Thoughts 

It is truly a shame if this is indeed how #17’s career ends with the Black & Gold, but he should have done his homework on the situation first, and realized that confronting the Rooney’s and the Front Office is like “bringing a knife to a gun fight.”

This whole situation will depend on #17’s attitude over the coming weeks and it will be interesting to see how everything transpires.  If the Front Office gets the impression that he will not accept what they offer him, does not want to sign his RFA tender until November, and will thus be leaving via Free Agency if he is not Franchise Tagged for a large amount next season, then they will explore any and all options to either replace him in the short-term with a veteran or do what is best for the club by getting something in return to build with down the road.

I am sure it will be an “As the World Turns” type of atmosphere surrounding #17 and the Steelers this season, so we had better ready ourselves for the soap-operaness of it all.

Now its time to share your thoughts readers:  Is #17 worth over $50 million?  Should the Steelers go after a veteran?  Or are you comfortable with the players they have on the roster?  Without #17, will this Offense go completely to pieces?  Or will they respond to replace him somewhat in the statistical/matchup aggregate?

Stats Courtesy of: Pro Football Reference.com

For all your Steelers news and discussions follow us on Twitter @nicepickcowherC, follow me on Twitter @DominicDiTolla, and like us on Facebook.

Swapping Mikes. Could Mike Williams replace someone like Mike Wallace? Credit: Rob Grabowski-US PRESSWIRE

The Steelers may not be able to come to terms with their young speedster receiver, Mike Wallace.  And if by chance that happens, the Steelers may (or very well may not) be on the market to pick up a viable #2 or #3 receiver to compete against the rest of The Core while in camp or even someone who could come along post-Wallace era.

While constantly thinking about the Steelers, I get to play a lot of ‘what if’s’ in my head.  Some are pleasant, some would make a person shudder.  The ‘what if’ currently swirling around the ol’ noggin’ is the Steelers deciding to let Wallace hold out AND take it a step further by looking for another receiver to compete in camp.  There’s one in particular who’s available because his former team showed him the door this past Friday.  The other potential receiver is not likely to sign a long term deal with his current team and will be forced to play with a franchise tag this year.  Without that new deal, he will probably be a free agent next season and may get a good glance by the Steelers were it to come to that.  But which one of these receivers – Mike Williams or Wes Welker – would be a viable option over Mike Wallace?

Mike Williams would be entering his 6th season in the NFL were he to play for another team.  Williams had a shaky start to his career for the first few years and all but completely disappeared by 2007 when on the Tennessee Titans’ roster.  But former college coach and now head coach of the Seahawks, Pete Carroll, signed Williams and got him back in action after Williams missed the 2008 and 2009 seasons.  Williams quickly reached a potential everyone could get behind after catching 65 passes for 751 yards in his first season back.  After Seattle snagged Sydney Rice from the Vikings, most folks thought that Rice and Williams would be a duo to fear.  Williams is 6’5″ and runs a 4.5 40.  Not lighting fast, but on par with most receivers.  That tall frame and decent hands could snag bomb after bomb if given the chance.  However, as most things that come Tavaris Jackson’s way, Williams had a hard time connecting with his QB.  Williams’ production fell in 2011 by 500 yards and was shown the door this past Friday.

Williams could be an effective and make an immediate impact for the Steelers were they to sign him to a one year deal by camp.  It certainly would show Mike Wallace that the Steelers are playing hard ball and playing for keeps.  Everyone is replaceable.  Sure, it could sour relations immensely between Wallace and the Steelers, but I can only assume that things aren’t really that great right now with Mike and the FO over this contract stalemate.  Williams has a big frame and could be a nice compliment to Antonio Brown on the other side of the field.  He’s not as fast as AB, but his size would play a huge advantage.  Were the Steelers offense to have a formation that included Williams, AB, Leonard Pope and Heath Miller – that’s 3 out of 4 guys over 6 feet for corners and linebackers to cover.  A recipe for big gains over the middle with quick screens and in-curls.  Who needs to go big down the field when you can keep peppering a team with 15-20 yard gains every passing down?  I think that Williams is far from being washed up.  He had the potential in 2010 when he was with Matt Hasselbeck.  You have to look at the context of his next season when playing with Tavaris Jackson – who is simply awful.  Little Doug Baldwin was their best receiver with over 700 yards.  The next top receiver had barely over 400 yards.  Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst just killed the offense for these Seahawks.  Williams can still cut it in the league and very well could be a good addition to the Steelers if they decide to ‘move on’ from Mike Wallace.  Williams was supposed to get $3 million in 2012 and would be a steal.

Should Mike Wallace not sign a long term deal and only play one season with his tender (or no season at all), I could certainly see the Steelers deciding to call it quits with Wallace and not go after him as an unrestricted free agent.  At that point, they will have no leverage.  If Wallace doesn’t play at all, then we know he is dead set on big money and the Steelers will never offer it up to a guy who hasn’t deserved it yet.  So who could be out there as a replacement.  Well, regardless of Mike Williams being in the picture or not, there’s a current (and soon to be former) New England Patriot who could take Wallace’s roster spot.

Wes Welker has averaged over 1,000 receiving and averaged 6 TD's per season since 2007. Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Wes Welker got slapped with the franchise tag this offseason by the Patriots.  Welker has been trying to work on an extension with the team this whole time and has until 4pm on Monday to get a deal done.  If that doesn’t happen, then he will be forced to play 2012 with his tendered tag of $9.5 million guaranteed.  My feeling is that if a long term doesn’t get done by then, then Welker probably won’t get signed at the end of the season by the Pats.  There might be a bit of bad blood from all those drops against the Giants in the Super Bowl.

Should Welker be available and the Steelers boot Mike Wallace into the big ocean of free agency, then I think the Steelers could sign Welker to a one year deal.  Worth something close to $6 million.  It’s a bit pricey and Welker is getting up there in years – will be 32 by next offseason – but, he has yet to show any signs of slowing down.  Welker runs a 4.6 40 yard, but his size plays a huge advantage in slants and crossing routes.  He is a very good technique football player and, aside from those drops in SB XLVI, has very good dependable hands.  He is another version of Hines Ward minus the blocking.  And, I would say he’s a cut above Jerricho Cotchery who plays a very similar game.  At least right now he is.

I’m sure it’s a bit of a hard pill to swallow to think that the Steelers would sign a guy just like Hines Ward and almost just as old when the Steelers decided to release Ward.  Depending on how Cotchery continues to pan out, and depending on how this offense evolves this season without Wallace (for the sake of this post), then Welker could be a good addition and short term solution.  There’s no way the Steelers would sign him to anything more than a one year deal, but he could be worth the single season investment.  It might be just the thing they need to be Super Bowl bound again.  They just may want to bench Welker in February…. I kid I kid.

I honestly think that Williams is the better investment.  Bigger frame, younger, and faster are three of his advantages over Welker.  Which one would the Steelers go with?  Hard to say since we are looking at two different periods in time.  But, having to guess which one fits the Steelers offense better and could act as a better replacement over Mike Wallace – I’d have to go with the other Mike.  I’m kind of sick of the Wallace ‘thing’ and wouldn’t mind the Steelers going with someone like Williams as a different option.  Some sources think Williams could go to the Vikes – God love the irony, right Sydney?  As always, we’ll see what happens in the coming weeks.

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