Starkey: Steelers need Wallace

By Joe Starkey

You can call Mike Wallace delusional, selfish, greedy and flat-out wrong.

You might have pumped your fists and cheered when the Steelers signed their other top receiver instead of Wallace.

Maybe you laughed at him then the Steelers flashed their might in that over-the-top news conference for Antonio Brown (how come LaMarr Woodley didn’t get a news conference when he signed a big deal at last year’s camp?)

You can talk about how nobody stares down the Steelers and lives to tell about it, and you might be justified in all of that.

But don’t forget this: The Steelers need Mike Wallace more than he needs them.

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Hmmmmmm .....

Quote :

The other fact that somehow gets lost in all this is that Wallace is really good. A game-changer, actually.

I keep hearing that he is a “one-trick pony,” which I guess is true if the trick is catching lots of passes for lots of yards and lots of touchdowns.

Everybody knows about Wallace’s crazy speed. He’s also highly productive and durable. He has never missed a game.

As a story on Grantland.com pointed out, the only receivers in the past 30 years who’ve had more yards and touchdowns than Wallace in their first three seasons were Randy Moss and Jerry Rice.

Quote :

Here are Wallace’s first three seasons compared to Larry Fitzgerald’s:

• Fitzgerald: 230 catches, 3,135 yards, 24 touchdowns.

• Wallace: 171 catches, 3,206 yards, 24 touchdowns.

I'm starting to get nervous about Wallace. I thought, for sure, he would have arrived at Training Camp by now.

The "one trick pony" name -- blame Tomlin. It came out of his own mouth.

I don't 100% agree that we will die without Wallace. I still don't believe that Wallace will make or break the Steelers this year.

I STILL want him back, though.

Gingerchip wrote:

I don't 100% agree that we will die without Wallace. I still don't believe that Wallace will make or break the Steelers this year.

Yeah, I agree Ginger. We'll be fine without him (barring injuries). But it sure would be great to have him.

Of course I want him back, but with each and every day he misses camp, I care about him less and less. If he isn't at least suited up Thursday in Philadelphia, I could give a shit about him. Hell, at that point, I HOPE we trade his ass. His speed and Ben's arm is what got him those statistics, and unfortunately, speed doesn't last forever, and it RARELY lasts the entire length of a career. I wouldn't pay him more than i'd pay Rice of Moss in their prime. No way.

But, please keep in mind that anything I say about him is biased, as i'm not happy with him at all.

I'm quickly losing my patience with him. I've defended him all summer. But if he's not on the field for the first preseason game, then I'm done defending him.

Wallace108 wrote:

I'm quickly losing my patience with him. I've defended him all summer. But if he's not on the field for the first preseason game, then I'm done defending him.

That's where i'm at, although I was ready to crucify him the minute he missed training camp day one.

NFL network's Mike Lombardi is predicting game 3 in preseason. By then the chances of him learning Haley's offense are not good. He has to know the FO wants him back,hell they left the tender offer on the table even after signing Brown. To me they're telling him we want you here long term but you have to get your ass to camp son!!!!

solardave wrote:

NFL network's Mike Lombardi is predicting game 3 in preseason. By then the chances of him learning Haley's offense are not good. He has to know the FO wants him back,hell they left the tender offer on the table even after signing Brown. To me they're telling him we want you here long term but you have to get your ass to camp son!!!!

If it waits until game three of the preseason, i'll be rooting for his demise and trade.

solardave wrote:

He has to know the FO wants him back,hell they left the tender offer on the table even after signing Brown.

They can't reduce the tender now. They had only one day to reduce it, June 15th.

bayz101 wrote:

If it waits until game three of the preseason, i'll be rooting for his demise and trade.

And then after he starts lighting it up, you'll be going out and buying a Wallace jersey.

No. Pretty sure Dave wouldn't want a jersey that'll only be worth anything for a year.

bayz101 wrote:

No. Pretty sure Dave wouldn't want a jersey that'll only be worth anything for a year.

HAHA. Quote fail. Fixed it.

sonofabitch

Wallace's duties within the offense, even among the receivers, are less complicated than most, so a late arrival to training camp will be unlikely to have a significant impact on anything, and, in addition, you can rest assured that there will be somebody at his side catching him up at every waking moment. As long as he arrives some time in August, I don't see a problem.

And that time in August better be four days, or i'm done with him. Working out at home isn't the same as working with the team, and i'm not the only one who thinks that. Pretty sure Rooney's one of them, and Polamalu seemed to come to the understanding of it this year as well. I'm still holding out hope that he'll participate in the first preseason game, and if he doesn't, i'm done giving a shit. Running out of fucks to give, if you know what I mean.

bayz101 wrote:

and Polamalu seemed to come to the understanding of it this year as well.

Good, now maybe Troy will finally reach his true potential.

For every freakin' player we've ever NEEDED, there has been one more to silently pick up the slack and prove - the Steelers don't need any one player, more than they need a nucleus. That nucleus is in place. Wallace can either be part of it or he can sit on the sideline and watch it change without him in it.

His call, I'm not cheering for Wallace, I'm cheering for THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS!