Before training camp began, Mike Wallace did not have a lot of leverage in contract talks with the Steelers. However, the Steelers made it clear that they wanted to sign him to a long-term deal. Various reports indicate that Wallace turned down an offer of between $9-10 million per year. If Wallace thought that he could get more money by failing to report to camp, he seriously misjudged the situation and is obviously ignorant about the organization's history of contract negotiations with players who do not report. In fact, some reports indicate that Wallace himself decided not to report, and that such a decision was not made by his representatives. Now that the Steelers have signed Brown, it would appear that it is less likely than ever that Wallace will get a long-term deal in Pittsburgh. No matter what Wallace does at this point, there is risk involved. If he sits out the first 10 games, he risks not getting the top-dollar deal that he wants. His production dropped in the second half of 2011, and some teams may want to see how he does in 2012 before deciding whether and how much money to offer him next year. So sitting out could easily hurt his value. On the other hand, if Wallace plays and sustains a serious injury, he almost certainly will not get a big time long-term deal. Either way, there is risk involved. My prediction is that Wallace will sit out 10 games out of fear of injury.