If you follow me on Twitter, you know a couple things. One, I've been on vacation and I'm not tweeting an awful lot about sports. Two, you know that I thoroughly dislike the Randy Moss signing on multiple fronts. And lastly, you know that I'm clinging tight to the possibility that our San Francisco 49ers make a push to sign Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace.
The signing of Randy Moss doesn't change that, as the guy is more or less a low-risk (if you believe that he won't immediately poison Alex Smith in his sleep or something along those lines) move for the team and isn't likely to be making any big dollars. If he ends up making some serious scrilla, prepare for a major BF on my part, oh my goodness. But anyway - back on track. Mike Wallace. Mike Wallace.
I'm a little obsessed, if you couldn't tell. A receiver like Wallace doesn't often hit free agency, and in a way - he's not. Seeing as how he's a restricted free agent and all, the 49ers would have to cough up a first-round pick on top of the boatloads of money they'll attempt to drown him in. I'd argue that the tender is a moot point, and aside from the fact that Wallace is 25 years-old and a highly productive No. 1 receiver, I'll go ahead and list a couple names to prove a point.
Kentwan Balmer, Joe Staley, Manny Lawson, Rashaun Woods, Kwame Harris, Mike Rumph, Ahmed Plummer, Reggie McGrew, Jim Druckenmiller and R.W. McQuarters. Aside from the fact that that this is a serious cesspool of incompetence and failed potential (outside of Staley and, to a lesser extent, Lawson), these are all late first-round draft picks from the 49ers since the mid-nineties.
Maybe you have more faith in this front office - I know I do - but there's one barrier I think many of you have yet to get past. I think too many of you are thinking "first round draft pick" and immediately thinking "Aldon Smith." Let's get away from that for a minute and look at those names again. I'll list some of them again, just because. Kentwan Balmer, Kwame Harris. I really only need those two.
Listen - if there ever was a time to submit to a first-round tender, it would be while picking at No. 30, one season removed from picking at No. 7, with a No. 1 receiver in his prime sitting in your lap WHILE you have the cap space. Before people really go off on the cap space, remember that every team in the NFL should make room to sign a No. 1 receiver. Every. Single. Team. Also, don't bother listing particular draft-able wide receivers as viable options. Nothing is guaranteed in the draft.
And Wallace really is a No. 1 guy. He's fast, powerful and has a propensity to make some pretty great catches. Despite his size, he's great jockeying for position and is a reliable, reliable target. I like the idea of Wallace as No. 1, Josh Morgan as the No. 2 (by position) and Michael Crabree working the slot. Moss, at this stage, will get his opportunities. He can work his way onto the field if he earns it, as it should be.
But he shouldn't be the one in the headline. He's not at that level anymore and he hasn't been for a long time. So yeah. Mike Wallace.