Could Mike Wallace end up a Cleveland Brown next season? That’s exactly what the Pittsburgh Steelers are afraid of.
The speedy wide receiver wants to be one of the highest paid players at his position in the NFL. Last off-season, he was franchise tagged by Pittsburgh and then held out for the same reason.
His holdout didn’t last long though, and he signed his franchise tag at the start of the season.
The NFL Network reports the Steelers are not planning to franchise Wallace again. Jason La Canfora says the organization fears that division rival Cleveland is his most likely landing spot.
For the Browns, signing Wallace would make a lot of sense. After hiring Rod Chudzinski as the head coach and Norv Turner as the offensive coordinator, Cleveland is likely to implement a vertical passing game based on speed.
The Browns also have the second most cap room to sign free agents this off-season. With a price tag expected to be at least $55 million, Wallace is easily in their price range.
The Steelers are $16 million over the salary cap.
If Cleveland does sign Mike Wallace like the Steelers fear, the question shifts to the quarterback position. According to NBC Sports, new Cleveland general manager Michael Lombardi says drafting Brandon Weeden was a “panicked disaster.”
A new quarterback could add a new dimension to a young and talented an offense, especially with the addition of an explosive new receiver.
Since the season ended, there have already been a number of rumors regarding the organization. At one point, it was reported that Chip Kelly was going to be the head coach. These new reports regarding Mike Wallace could end up being the same thing.
What do you think? Would Mike Wallace signing with Cleveland be a good move for the young receiver?
[image via Wikimedia Commons ]