Mike Wallace turned down better offers to join the Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles newest wide receiver Mike Wallace confirms that he took less money to join the team.
The Philadelphia Eagles are not only getting rings for winning the Super Bowl. They are starting to receive perks from veteran free agents now as well. For the last week or so, the Eagles were in the market for another veteran wide receiver to fill in the void for Torrey Smith. The opening week of free agency came and went, and the Eagles were still left without their guy.
But as always, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman remained patient and got a stellar prospect for a team-friendly deal. It was announced on Thursday night that the Eagles were bringing in ten-year veteran Mike Wallace on a one-year deal.
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Looking at the statistics from last season combined with salary figures, the Eagles are getting a more productive receiver for a lower price. But was Wallace’s asking price actually around $2.5 million when he was entertaining plenty of other teams?
Wallace wants to win…
Mike Wallace says he chose Eagles because he wants to win a Super Bowl. He says earlier in his career, free agency was about money. Not now. “I had to secure the bag 💰Now I’m trying to secure a ring”
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) March 23, 2018
He says 99% of his decision to come here was because of Carson Wentz pic.twitter.com/adRgz0DWxx
That’s what happens when a veteran sees a team with some real potential. Clearly, the Eagles do not have the image as a one-and-done team. As they just kept on building strengthening their roster, more veteran players saw that this team is legit. So Wallace has decided that if the Eagles were interested in him, he would issue a discount for his asking price.
Now the Eagles have a brand new receiver to work with. Wallace was very excited during his introductory press conference with the Eagles on Friday. He also made it very clear that Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz had a lot to do with his decision. Stating that Wentz’s success over the last season made him 99-percent sure he wanted to play for the Eagles.
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We can’t leave out the pull that Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery had though, either. Wallace stated that Jeffery talked very highly of the Eagles chemistry in the locker room. Apparently, with Wallace’s mind being set more on winning than money, it was a no-brainer decision to come and join the Eagles. Welcome to Philadelphia, Mr. Wallace.