Teams Still Showing Interest In Acquiring WR Mike Wallace?

Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that his sources have mentioned that “handful of teams” have shown interest in trading for Steelers WR Mike Wallace before the upcoming draft.

Yesterday, reports mentioned that Wallace has no intentions of signing his first-round tender and could holdout of offseason activities, which Kaboly suggests is part of a well timed strategy by Wallace and his representation.

Kaboly believes that this could end up being similar to what transpired with WR Santonio Holmes a few years ago. Wallace would obviously net them a much better return than Holmes did, while preventing them from getting locked into a long-term deal that could cause even more financial issues for them in the coming years.

The problem is that they would be giving up, arguably, the games beset deep-threat while he’s still only 25 years old. The fact that Wallace is looking for a deal that would pay him $10 million per season is most likely a sticking point for any trade. Whoever acquires him will have to be willing to sign him to a huge contract as soon as the deal is completed because they’re essentially ceding leverage to Wallace once they send a draft pick to the Steelers.

Pittsburgh has said that they’re going to do everything they can to keep him, but his contract demands and a potential holdout could really force their hand in the situation.

The Steelers will have to address a number of players next season as well considering that WR Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, RB Rashard Mendenhall and TE Heath Miller will all be free agents.