Mike Wallace anyone?

[UK Bengal]

Seeing as the steelers are cap f**ked and he's a restricted FA doubt they could match and we have a spare first that could be a serious threat along side AJ

[derekshank]

It won't happen... but you could certainly make an argument that offering him a contract is a win/win scenario.

If you manage to get him away from the Steelers, you've taken away one of their very best building blocks. On the other hand, if the Steelers commit to him, you can still run the price up on him and force the Steelers to continue mortgaging their future with their cap situation.

The Bengals have loads of cap space, and two first round picks. There has never been a more ideal situation to attempt to really screw the Steelers here... but it just doesn't seem like something that will even be attempted.

[derekshank]

Oh My My... Oh Hell Yes!

Schefter says the Bengals might be going after Wallace. And with $60 million in cap space, they can afford to offer him a $20 million roster bonus that would count against the cap. If the Steelers matched it, they would be screwed needing to cut a lot of players to make the numbers work. If they don't match it, they lose their best WR (and one of the best in the NFL)... not to mention being forced to face a Wallace/AJ Green combo twice a year.

Damn... I'm getting excited about this possibility.

I don't care that the Steelers would get the #21 pick. If Wallace was in this draft, knowing what we now know, he would be a top 5 pick... so the Steelers can have the #21 pick. That's a value selection... plus the Bengals would still have the #17 pick to address O-Line or CB.

[ArmyBengal]

On one hand I would absolutely LOVE adding a guy like Wallace and on the other hand i'm left wondering how much if anything more we could do in free agency. Could we still get a guy like Finnegan to man a corner spot ?? If not, i'm just wondering how many more holes we could fill that maybe more important?

I would still do it because of how it would have a huge negative impact on the Steelers.

[volcom69]

Really I'm not sure the bengals would even go for it, it's something they normally don't do! Then again I guess anything is possible

[Spor_tees]

I have to say no. Not because he isn't talented, or not because of how it would screw the Steelers, but no because it would mean too big of a cap hit against the Bengals this year that could be used to fill a lot more holes. The talking heads at ESPN are talking about a contract that has $5 million a year plus a first year roster bonus of over $10 million, for a total of $15 million toward the cap. That's too rich for my blood, and if it is a 3-4 year contract they are paying a guy a lot up front that could get hurt or become a flop. So no.

[HoosierCat]

I hate this idea passionately. I would be happy to see Wallace leave Pitt but I don't want to give up a first and I don't think the Bengals need to spend that much money to upgrade the WR spot. There's plenty of good wide receiver options out there.

[cincyhokie]

I doubt the Bengals would pull the trigger on this, though they could make it happen. In one move you would improve the passing game and hurt your division rival who is still in your way of the AFCN title (along with the Ravens). Not sure you'd want to spend that much on a WR but they'd still have the 17th pick overall. Also, looking at what they did with Bryant and Coles, this would look like a genius move.

Does Mike still like WR's? Got to say this is intriguing.

[kingwilly]

It won't happen... but you could certainly make an argument that offering him a contract is a win/win scenario.

If you manage to get him away from the Steelers, you've taken away one of their very best building blocks. On the other hand, if the Steelers commit to him, you can still run the price up on him and force the Steelers to continue mortgaging their future with their cap situation.

The Bengals have loads of cap space, and two first round picks. There has never been a more ideal situation to attempt to really screw the Steelers here... but it just doesn't seem like something that will even be attempted.

I like the concept but just would like a bigger guy. AJ stretches the field, and Dalton is on the edge of not being enough arm to maximize that. Wallace would do the dame thing.

It would make the offense vertically dangerous but there was no mid-range R who delivered this year. Caldwell regresed, Simpson was feast/famine and Hawkins, though quick, is a situational slot guy.

What I'd like to see them get is a bigger intermediate route guy with reliable hands. Colston or maybe Reggie Wayne. Both seem more versatile than Wallace, and IMHO wont cost as much. Colston is my ideal FA WR. Size, speed and versatility.

I'm not so worried bout the slot, with Hakins and Shipley.

If we start 2012 with Colston or Wayne, AJ, Shipley, and Gresh/Lee in the TE rotation, I will be a happy fan.

[ArmyBengal]

Whatever happened with Whalen ?? I remember seeing him for a while and then not. Was there an injury ??

[Spor_tees]

Whatever happened with Whalen ?? I remember seeing him for a while and then not. Was there an injury ??

Its a scary thought to think right now that other than AJ Green the Bengals WRs on the roster are Hawkins, Shipley (coming off injury), Binns, and Whalen. The Bengals need to bring in at least 3 new guys at WR, one being a vet, one a draft pick, and one an undrafted free agent. They might even bring in 2 vets, one star and one utility player.

[kingwilly]

Whatever happened with Whalen ?? I remember seeing him for a while and then not. Was there an injury ??

Its a scary thought to think right now that other than AJ Green the Bengals WRs on the roster are Hawkins, Shipley (coming off injury), Binns, and Whalen. The Bengals need to bring in at least 3 new guys at WR, one being a vet, one a draft pick, and one an undrafted free agent. They might even bring in 2 vets, one star and one utility player.

Go get Colston AND Wayne. Give Dalton some freakin hands to go to.

The upgrade from Simpson and Caldwell to Colston and Wayne is galactic. Heck, doing that you could make Cedric Peerman and Bernard Scott the RB's and they'd stomp just given the need to cover AJ, Colston and Wayne.

Jesus, this is not that tough to figure out.

[cincyhokie]

Whatever happened with Whalen ?? I remember seeing him for a while and then not. Was there an injury ??

Its a scary thought to think right now that other than AJ Green the Bengals WRs on the roster are Hawkins, Shipley (coming off injury), Binns, and Whalen. The Bengals need to bring in at least 3 new guys at WR, one being a vet, one a draft pick, and one an undrafted free agent. They might even bring in 2 vets, one star and one utility player.

Go get Colston AND Wayne. Give Dalton some freakin hands to go to.

The upgrade from Simpson and Caldwell to Colston and Wayne is galactic. Heck, doing that you could make Cedric Peerman and Bernard Scott the RB's and they'd stomp just given the need to cover AJ, Colston and Wayne.

Jesus, this is not that tough to figure out.

Obviously, that would be ideal to get them both but they want to be the number one WR's wherever they go. I could see us getting Colston and telling him he's going to be the "co-#1" WR with Green. No way Wayne would come here as a #3.

[Spor_tees]

Whatever happened with Whalen ?? I remember seeing him for a while and then not. Was there an injury ??

Its a scary thought to think right now that other than AJ Green the Bengals WRs on the roster are Hawkins, Shipley (coming off injury), Binns, and Whalen. The Bengals need to bring in at least 3 new guys at WR, one being a vet, one a draft pick, and one an undrafted free agent. They might even bring in 2 vets, one star and one utility player.

Go get Colston AND Wayne. Give Dalton some freakin hands to go to.

The upgrade from Simpson and Caldwell to Colston and Wayne is galactic. Heck, doing that you could make Cedric Peerman and Bernard Scott the RB's and they'd stomp just given the need to cover AJ, Colston and Wayne.

Jesus, this is not that tough to figure out.

Personally I would go with Floyd at #17 and Glenn at #21. Then bring in Dwayne Bowe. Floyd for 4 years and a middle aged Bowe would be better than an often injured Colston and an aged Wayne. I like Colston but not as much as Bowe.

[derekshank]

I hate this idea passionately. I would be happy to see Wallace leave Pitt but I don't want to give up a first and I don't think the Bengals need to spend that much money to upgrade the WR spot. There's plenty of good wide receiver options out there.

I guess it depends on whether or not a simple "upgrade" is enough to satisfy you. If all you want is a #2 that is better than Simpson, that can be accomplished on the cheap. Josh Morgan is available. But if you want a game changing talent... well, that's a bit tougher to come by.

The opportunity to obtain a true game changing talent is extraordinarily rare... and it's a perfect storm for the Bengals. An extra 1st round pick to spare... and the ridiculous amount of cap cushion they have to play with.

Do the Bengals have other needs that need addressing? Sure. But giving Dalton two of the best WRs in the NFL would certainly make up for a lot of those other issues. And if you pay Wallace a big portion of his money up front, there will be plenty of cap space to play with next year as well.

Add the juicy side note that it hurts a division rival equally as much as it helps the Bengals (I'd be only slightly less giddy if the Steelers match a big money offer and are forced to cut even more talent than they previously expected)... it's completely win/win.

The Bengals have a rare opportunity to either better themselves at a rival's expense, or at the very least, make that rival pay the consequences for poor spending habits over the last two seasons. And if it's the latter... Cincy can still go out and sign whatever other FA WR you're hoping for. So either way... that's a good business decision.

[derekshank]

I have to say no. Not because he isn't talented, or not because of how it would screw the Steelers, but no because it would mean too big of a cap hit against the Bengals this year that could be used to fill a lot more holes. The talking heads at ESPN are talking about a contract that has $5 million a year plus a first year roster bonus of over $10 million, for a total of $15 million toward the cap. That's too rich for my blood, and if it is a 3-4 year contract they are paying a guy a lot up front that could get hurt or become a flop. So no.

That is very short sighted.

I say give him $20 million toward the 2012 cap. It's just one year... and the Bengals have plenty of space. If they pay big money up front (they have $60 million in cap space), then Wallace doesn't hurt much against the cap for the remainder of the contract... and gives them added flexibility to add other FA's in the future as well as extend guys like Dunlap and AJ Green when the time comes.

[Spor_tees]

I have to say no. Not because he isn't talented, or not because of how it would screw the Steelers, but no because it would mean too big of a cap hit against the Bengals this year that could be used to fill a lot more holes. The talking heads at ESPN are talking about a contract that has $5 million a year plus a first year roster bonus of over $10 million, for a total of $15 million toward the cap. That's too rich for my blood, and if it is a 3-4 year contract they are paying a guy a lot up front that could get hurt or become a flop. So no.

That is very short sighted.

I say give him $20 million toward the 2012 cap. It's just one year... and the Bengals have plenty of space. If they pay big money up front (they have $60 million in cap space), then Wallace doesn't hurt much against the cap for the remainder of the contract... and gives them added flexibility to add other FA's in the future as well as extend guys like Dunlap and AJ Green when the time comes.

You have to think of how big a risk that is. $20 mil up front for the first year and then one play could blow it all up. Not only that, but what's to say he comes to Cincy and flops on his face. Sure there is no dead money in future years, but I would rather not take that chance and spread that money over a few guys than on just one.

[derekshank]

It would make the offense vertically dangerous but there was no mid-range R who delivered this year.

I think you'd be surprised if you watched where Wallace makes most of his hay. He caught 72 passes for almost 1,200 yards... but only 7 catches of 40+ yards. He caught a hell of a lot of passes in the mid-range you're looking for.

He's currently the best deep threat in the NFL... but he uses the defenses knowledge of that to his advantage. CB's play him soft so he won't get behind them... and that leaves a lot of underneath opportunities.

Plus, AJ Green on the other side will keep both safeties honest. Defenses putting 8 men in the box would be a thing of the past... so the running game gets instantly better before you even attempt to improve the depth chart at OG and RB.

[derekshank]

You have to think of how big a risk that is. $20 mil up front for the first year and then one play could blow it all up. Not only that, but what's to say he comes to Cincy and flops on his face. Sure there is no dead money in future years, but I would rather not take that chance and spread that money over a few guys than on just one.

A risk for whom? Mike Brown? Who gives a s**t?

If he flops, he flops. But that's a risk worth taking, because that $20 million comes off the cap in 2013. It's only one year. And you're dreaming if you think he's going to spend to the cap this year anyway... so the Bengals have very little to lose.

Wallace is also a lot less risky than using the #17 pick on Floyd. Wallace is a known commodity. Floyd? Who knows?

[Spor_tees]

You have to think of how big a risk that is. $20 mil up front for the first year and then one play could blow it all up. Not only that, but what's to say he comes to Cincy and flops on his face. Sure there is no dead money in future years, but I would rather not take that chance and spread that money over a few guys than on just one.

A risk for whom? Mike Brown? Who gives a s**t?

If he flops, he flops. But that's a risk worth taking, because that $20 million comes off the cap in 2013. It's only one year. And you're dreaming if you think he's going to spend to the cap this year anyway... so the Bengals have very little to lose.

Wallace is a lot less risky than using the #17 pick on Floyd.

Not even close. IF Floyd starts hanging out with Rey and they go on a bender together and get a DUI, what do the Bengals lose? $1 million? $2 million? It's not even close. For the money they would spend on Wallace they could sign Tolbert, Bowe, Grubbs, Mathis, Carr, and Griffin. Ok...maybe not all of them but at least 3 maybe 4.

[derekshank]

You have to think of how big a risk that is. $20 mil up front for the first year and then one play could blow it all up. Not only that, but what's to say he comes to Cincy and flops on his face. Sure there is no dead money in future years, but I would rather not take that chance and spread that money over a few guys than on just one.

A risk for whom? Mike Brown? Who gives a s**t?

If he flops, he flops. But that's a risk worth taking, because that $20 million comes off the cap in 2013. It's only one year. And you're dreaming if you think he's going to spend to the cap this year anyway... so the Bengals have very little to lose.

Wallace is a lot less risky than using the #17 pick on Floyd.

Not even close. IF Floyd starts hanging out with Rey and they go on a bender together and get a DUI, what do the Bengals lose? $1 million? $2 million? It's not even close. For the money they would spend on Wallace they could sign Tolbert, Bowe, Grubbs, Mathis, Carr, and Griffin. Ok...maybe not all of them but at least 3 maybe 4.

There you go again, talking about money, as if it is yours. Who gives a s**t? It's one year... and the money will either get spent or not. Mike Brown isn't going to bring in 3 or 4 big names like you mentioned... so put it out of your mind.

And when I compare Wallace to Floyd... I'm talking about on the field production. And Notre Dame doesn't usually produce top tier NFL talent anymore.

Bowe is not leaving KC. They need him desperately, and are one of the few teams that have more cap space than Cincy. Brandon Lloyd has said he's following Josh McDaniels. Colston is 29 and getting more and more injury prone. Vincent Jackson, Stevie Johnson, and DeSean Jackson are all divas and clowns.

That leaves the likes of Mario Manningham and Robert Meachem. Guys who have never proven themselves to be true #2 WRs... so they shouldn't even be in the same conversation when you're talking about a chance to add a guy like Wallace.

[Spor_tees]

There you go again, talking about money, as if it is yours. Who gives a s**t? It's one year... and the money will either get spent or not. Mike Brown isn't going to bring in 3 or 4 big names like you mentioned... so put it out of your mind.

And when I compare Wallace to Floyd... I'm talking about on the field production. And Notre Dame doesn't usually produce top tier NFL talent anymore.

Bowe is not leaving KC. They need him desperately, and are one of the few teams that have more cap space than Cincy. Brandon Lloyd has said he's following Josh McDaniels. Colston is 29 and getting more and more injury prone. Vincent Jackson, Stevie Johnson, and DeSean Jackson are all divas and clowns.

That leaves the likes of Mario Manningham and Robert Meachem. Guys who have never proven themselves to be true #2 WRs... so they shouldn't even be in the same conversation when you're talking about a chance to add a guy like Wallace.

I'm a Notre Dame fan and watch every single game I can. I have followed Floyd his entire career through good QBs and bad ones. The guy excels in every facet of the game. He rarely drops passes, and has a knack at making the great ones. He is a GREAT blocker and I have seen him pancake more than one DB. Floyd also has the speed to break the long one as well. There has definitely been a decline in recent years of NFL talent out of Notre Dame but that is going to change in the next few years. Look for Jonas Gray to be a decent mid round pick as well, Robert Blanton in the mid rounds, Tyler Eifert in the mid rounds, and Harrison Smith in the 2-3 round range. Not to mention all the linemen and T'eo coming out next year.

I do care about the money because not only is there a lot of holes to fill with free agents and draft picks, there are a lot of guys that are young and need to be locked up before they get into their last years. Atkins is tops on my list. Make the most efficient use of the money as possible. If the Bengals were to make any kind of run like you are mentioning at anyone, it should be after Ray Rice.

[cHaD711Johnson]

If we're going to go WR I'd rather get Kendall Wright. Cheaper and younger, but he will be the same type of Receiver.

[Scottishbengal]

I say go for Wallace. We have a spare pick to burn and plenty of leeway in the cap.

Pick up a draft WR and make him the No.3 with a right to prove himself and escalate up the pecking order. Add a bit of competition to the squad.

My only concern would be a front loaded contract. $10mill signing bonus in the first year plus $5mill per year. What after one season he wants away ?? I'd prefer to see the bonus spread over a couple of years at least, but hey that'd be up to the front office and the players agent to thrash out.

Does Wallace have any previous connections with Bengals coaches or players??? Just thinking if there'd be an X factor that may prove important to his decision making

[membengal]

The Packers weighing whether to sign FA Reggie White..."nah, what if he gets hurt? Better pass."

Is that seriously your position, spor tees?

Seriously?