Baltimore Ravens: Is Mike Wallace a Good Fit in Free Agency?

With the recent news that the Pittsburgh Steelers will almost certainly have to let Mike Wallace leave via restricted free agency, the Baltimore Ravens immediately came to mind on the short list of teams that would be probably be interested.

First of all, understand that the Steelers will certainly put a first-round tender, and more likely a first- and third-round tender, on Wallace. That means that for the Ravens to get Wallace, they'll have to part with at least a first-round pick.

The Ravens have generally been hesitant to part with draft picks for players, but in this case it might be wise to make an exception.

Mike Wallace will only be 26 years old this year, so he has at least five very good years left. He is an immense talent who, along with deep threat Torrey Smith, would cause serious matchup problems for defenses.

On talent alone, Wallace is worth a first-round pick to some team.

Also, anything that hurts the Steelers helps the Ravens. The Steelers' passing game will not be nearly as good without Wallace, and further, Wallace might be extra motivated against the Steelers. This would bring extra fire to an already bitter rivalry, and it could tip the scales of this rivalry in the Ravens' favor.

The main reason, though, that the Ravens should consider Wallace is because there almost certainly will not be a value pick at the end of the first round. This draft is not particularly deep with first-round talent, so the Ravens will likely be forced either to trade down or to pick a less than ideal player.

With this in mind, the Ravens need to determine how they can get the best value for that first-round pick. Mike Wallace is the best player the Ravens could possibly get with that first-round pick.

The Ravens still have to take care of some business, though, to make this happen. They do have cap room, but Joe Flacco and Ray Rice will both be getting big contracts. They will need to do some smart maneuvering to fit Wallace under the cap.

Also, signing Wallace does not fit into the Ravens' strategy. The Ravens are very cautious in free agency, usually signing role players rather than big names. A team that prefers to build through the draft, like the Ravens, could have qualms about dealing a first-round pick.

They also need to determine whether investing the money in Wallace is something worth doing. The Ravens have noted that while they want to build their offense, they don't want to do so at the expense of their defense. Hypothetically, with Wallace, Rice and Flacco all getting big deals, the defense could be left to suffer.

Finally, the Ravens could determine there is more value in the draft than with Wallace. The Ravens could trade down, or they could get lucky and have Peter Konz or Michael Floyd fall within range of a trade up.

Still, Wallace is the best receiver available. No one expected him to be seriously available, but the salary cap intervened on the Ravens' behalf.

The path to a championship is clear. The last three Super Bowl champions have all had a dynamic passing game with a deep and talented group of weapons.

If the Ravens want to be the next in that line, they will need to take a risk and bring some explosion to Baltimore. Wallace fits that bill.