| When Wallace finally shows up they're will be no hard feelings. (US PRESSWIRE) |
It's been 19 days since Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said that the team would no longer negotiate with Mike Wallace and that the wide receiver would have to sign his restricted free-agent tender for $2.7 million and report to camp for long-term contract talks to resume. Then last week during a radio appearance, Colbert admitted that "there's really no contact" between the Steelers and Wallace and that the organization's stance hadn't changed.
While there may have been no official contact, cornerback Ike Taylor has been in touch with one of the team's best players. According to Taylor, Wallace is now in Orlando working out with noted trainer Tom Shaw. Taylor knows this because Wallace is staying at his Orlando home and driving his car to workouts.
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“I don't do that with too many people,” Taylor said according to CBSSports.com's Dan Scifro. “He's from the city. We're from the same area. I told Mike, 'If you're going to go down there to work out, you ain't gotta worry about no car, you ain't gotta worry about no place to stay.'"
Wallace, who averaged 18.7 yards per reception during the first three years of his career and strikes fear in the heart of defensive coordinators because of his blazing speed, is looking to cash in on his success. There were negotiations prior to training camp but in typical Steelers fashion, were shelved once camp began and Wallace held out. Instead, the organization signed No. 2 wideout Antonio Brown to a shiny new deal, perhaps in part to send a message to Wallace about how things are done in Pittsburgh.
A recent ESPN report suggests that Wallace will show up before Week 1 (something CBSSports.com's Pat Kirwan wrote last week) because as we've noted on previous occasions, he has little leverage. Pittsburgh won't restart contract talks until Wallace signs his tender, and in the meantime the team appears content to move forward with Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, Jerricho Cotchery and, well, that's about it -- the depth behind those players is comically thin. While Wallace takes this unit from good to scary, in the organization's mind it's not reason enough to cave to his demands.
So for now, the team prepares for its preseason meeting with the Colts and Wallace remains in Orlando keeping himself in shape. When he'll end his holdout remains a mystery but this much is certain: his teammates will gladly welcome him back.
“Mike is taking care of Mike right now,” Taylor said. “As long as he's working out, getting ready for football, that's all that matters. … He's working hard (in Orlando). Whenever he gets back, we're going to congratulate him with open arms."
Which is pretty much the response we're expecting from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and offensive coordinator Todd Haley.
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