NFL Free Agency: New England Patriots Have Pieces To Sign Mike Wallace

Imagine Mike Wallace joining Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker in Tom Brady's weapon arsenal—pretty scary, right?

The Pittsburgh Steelers' lethal wide receiver is a restricted free agent and he acknowledged that he could very well leave Pittsburgh and hit the free-agent market if a deal isn't agreed up by the kickoff of free agency on March 13. 

With Wallace's tender up in the air, any team that wants to steal Wallace away from the Steelers is likely going to have to be willing to cough up a first-round pick. New England certainly could do that as they have two picks in the first round—that is, if the Steelers don't franchise tag the 25-year-old. 

As Pittsburgh is struggling with their salary cap—they just restructured Ben Roethlisberger's contract—Wallace becoming available is a certain possibility. 

Wallace had a stellar season this past year for the Steelers, as he finished with 72 receptions for a whopping 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns. 

The 6'0" wide receiver may be a speedster and a deep-threat, but he's developing into a well-rounded No. 1 wide receiver—something that the Patriots need badly. 

Rather than bringing back the aging Deion Branch, signing Brandon Lloyd or drafting a rookie receiver, New England could have a top tier No. 1 wide receiver that still has huge upside. 

It's no secret that the time to win is now for the Patriots, as Brady will be turning 35 this August and time is certainly running out in the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era in New England. With that said, bringing in a guy like Wallace would not only be a good long-term option, but he would also be an immediate impact player that would help win games now. 

If the Patriots are willing to pry Wallace away from the Steelers then teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals would be as well. 

Wallace is the best option for New England if they want to make a splash like they did back in 2007 when they acquired Randy Moss and Welker. Signing Wallace and placing their franchise tag on Welker would be just as "splashy" and incredibly beneficial for their playing level next season and for years to come. 

Be sure to check out Tony Santorsa's blog: PatriotsPlus