Dolphins sign Wallace (1 Viewer)

[heidbrink]

My link

 

[Shawn]

Bump Tannehill???

 

[BigSteelThrill]

65 million?

That's like 1/11 of a teams entire space?

 

[lod01]

$30M guaranteeed for the 2nd best WR on the 2012 Steelers. This is what stupid GMs do.

 

[ChuckLiddell]

Lets see how good the Steelers "number 1" WR is this year without Mike Wallace striking fear into the minds of every DC, CB, and S on every down.

There are 40 Antonio Browns in the NFL. At least Miami overpaid for a rare commodity. The Steelers are about to find out that they gave the wrong guy all the money.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

$30M guaranteeed for the 2nd best WR on the 2012 Steelers. This is what stupid GMs do.

????who was the best, enlighten us

 

[DropKick]

65 million?That's like 1/11 of a teams entire space?

I like it. I think they overpaid somewhat - but I like it. I've watched them blow money and really get nothing accomplished; I finally get the feeling there's something to get optimistic/excited about.Sometimes you have to be aggressive but I like Wallace much better in Miami that I would in, say, New England.

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Sometimes you have to be aggressive but I like Wallace much better in Miami that I would in, say, New England.

I agree with this. Tanny appears to have a really strong arm with good touch on his deep throws.

 

[irish eyes]

Lets see how good the Steelers "number 1" WR is this year without Mike Wallace striking fear into the minds of every DC, CB, and S on every down.There are 40 Antonio Browns in the NFL. At least Miami overpaid for a rare commodity. The Steelers are about to find out that they gave the wrong guy all the money.

I love to see comments from people who clearly did't watch any Steeler games last year. There is no way he was their best receiver. They overpaid for a rare commodity???? Someone who runs a 4.2 40 and can't catch, ok i guess that qualifies.

 

[irish eyes]

Bump Tannehill???

Bump Tannehill, um why exactly. He still sucks.

 

[ChuckLiddell]

Lets see how good the Steelers "number 1" WR is this year without Mike Wallace striking fear into the minds of every DC, CB, and S on every down.There are 40 Antonio Browns in the NFL. At least Miami overpaid for a rare commodity. The Steelers are about to find out that they gave the wrong guy all the money.

I love to see comments from people who clearly did't watch any Steeler games last year. There is no way he was their best receiver. They overpaid for a rare commodity???? Someone who runs a 4.2 40 and can't catch, ok i guess that qualifies.

Right. 4000+ yards and 32 TDs in his first 4 seasons, plus the impact he has on every offensive player around him are irrelevant compared to your assessment that he cant catch.I watched plenty of Steelers games. If you watch football, its impossible not to. I have seen Mike Wallace drop a few (albeit not nearly as much as Brandon Marshall did), but I have also seen him burn defenses pretty regularly.I think Steeler fans that are blowing this off as irrelevant are taking for granted the impact that he had on the offense. I can tell you, it has been over a decade since Miami had anyone who could take the top off a defense, and the offense has been putrid, at least partially because of this for a long, long time. Mike Wallace is a difference maker. You will see it this year when you get to know your punter and FG kicker a whole lot better than you want to.

 

[irish eyes]

Lets see how good the Steelers "number 1" WR is this year without Mike Wallace striking fear into the minds of every DC, CB, and S on every down.There are 40 Antonio Browns in the NFL. At least Miami overpaid for a rare commodity. The Steelers are about to find out that they gave the wrong guy all the money.

I love to see comments from people who clearly did't watch any Steeler games last year. There is no way he was their best receiver. They overpaid for a rare commodity???? Someone who runs a 4.2 40 and can't catch, ok i guess that qualifies.

Right. 4000+ yards and 32 TDs in his first 4 seasons, plus the impact he has on every offensive player around him are irrelevant compared to your assessment that he cant catch.I watched plenty of Steelers games. If you watch football, its impossible not to. I have seen Mike Wallace drop a few (albeit not nearly as much as Brandon Marshall did), but I have also seen him burn defenses pretty regularly.I think Steeler fans that are blowing this off as irrelevant are taking for granted the impact that he had on the offense. I can tell you, it has been over a decade since Miami had anyone who could take the top off a defense, and the offense has been putrid, at least partially because of this for a long, long time. Mike Wallace is a difference maker. You will see it this year when you get to know your punter and FG kicker a whole lot better than you want to.

64 catches 836 yards 13.1 avg 8 TDs......yep looks like $13 million a year stats to me. That 52 yards a game avg really is really impressive. And he now has tannehill throwing to him not roethlisberger.

 

[ChuckLiddell]

Lets see how good the Steelers "number 1" WR is this year without Mike Wallace striking fear into the minds of every DC, CB, and S on every down.There are 40 Antonio Browns in the NFL. At least Miami overpaid for a rare commodity. The Steelers are about to find out that they gave the wrong guy all the money.

I love to see comments from people who clearly did't watch any Steeler games last year. There is no way he was their best receiver. They overpaid for a rare commodity???? Someone who runs a 4.2 40 and can't catch, ok i guess that qualifies.

Right. 4000+ yards and 32 TDs in his first 4 seasons, plus the impact he has on every offensive player around him are irrelevant compared to your assessment that he cant catch.I watched plenty of Steelers games. If you watch football, its impossible not to. I have seen Mike Wallace drop a few (albeit not nearly as much as Brandon Marshall did), but I have also seen him burn defenses pretty regularly.I think Steeler fans that are blowing this off as irrelevant are taking for granted the impact that he had on the offense. I can tell you, it has been over a decade since Miami had anyone who could take the top off a defense, and the offense has been putrid, at least partially because of this for a long, long time. Mike Wallace is a difference maker. You will see it this year when you get to know your punter and FG kicker a whole lot better than you want to.

64 catches 836 yards 13.1 avg 8 TDs......yep looks like $13 million a year stats to me. That 52 yards a game avg really is really impressive. And he now has tannehill throwing to him not roethlisberger.

If you just focus on last year - a year in which he missed all of training camp when a brand new offense was being installed - then yes, it looks like he was massively overpaid. How about looking at the 2 years prior, when there was a bit more normalcy in his offseason. Or just look at all 4 of his seasons which include his rookie season and last year's mess. He still averaged 1000+ yards and 8 TDs per year, including many back-breaking long TDs.Tannehill can never reach the level of Roethlisberger if he is not given the weapons to do so. Big Ben has always had a burner, whether it was Holmes, or Wallace. It makes a difference. Also, not to be nit-picking, but the $13M per year report appears to have been false. The deal is now being reported as 5 years, $60M. Not arguing that its not a boatload of dough, but its better for the team than it originally appeared.

 

[SSOG]

Insane money. I like Wallace, but would want no part of him at that price. I think there are probably 10 receivers worth that contract, but Wallace isn't one of them.

Bump Tannehill???

Bump Tannehill, um why exactly. He still sucks.

3300 passing yards and 6.8 YPA for a guy who probably could have been the best WR on his own roster? Amazing start to his career, way ahead of expectations. I'm not ready to anoint him the next big thing, but I'm excited to give him another year to see if he can continue his clear upward arc.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

Lets see how good the Steelers "number 1" WR is this year without Mike Wallace striking fear into the minds of every DC, CB, and S on every down.There are 40 Antonio Browns in the NFL. At least Miami overpaid for a rare commodity. The Steelers are about to find out that they gave the wrong guy all the money.

I love to see comments from people who clearly did't watch any Steeler games last year. There is no way he was their best receiver. They overpaid for a rare commodity???? Someone who runs a 4.2 40 and can't catch, ok i guess that qualifies.

Right. 4000+ yards and 32 TDs in his first 4 seasons, plus the impact he has on every offensive player around him are irrelevant compared to your assessment that he cant catch.I watched plenty of Steelers games. If you watch football, its impossible not to. I have seen Mike Wallace drop a few (albeit not nearly as much as Brandon Marshall did), but I have also seen him burn defenses pretty regularly.I think Steeler fans that are blowing this off as irrelevant are taking for granted the impact that he had on the offense. I can tell you, it has been over a decade since Miami had anyone who could take the top off a defense, and the offense has been putrid, at least partially because of this for a long, long time. Mike Wallace is a difference maker. You will see it this year when you get to know your punter and FG kicker a whole lot better than you want to.

64 catches 836 yards 13.1 avg 8 TDs......yep looks like $13 million a year stats to me. That 52 yards a game avg really is really impressive. And he now has tannehill throwing to him not roethlisberger.

still the best WR numbers on the team, and IMO Tannehill>>>Batch & Lefty who played some games too

 

[B-Deep]

You have to see what other WRS make to know if they overpaid

You have to comapre this year's market to this year's market

here was percy's contract:

Harvin's new deal will be worth $67 million over six years with $14.5 million fully guaranteed. Another $11 million is guaranteed only for injury. While the deal will still make Harvin among the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL, it will put him well behind the average salaries of Johnson and Fitzgerald. An average annual salary of $11.17 million would make Harvin the fifth-highest paid wide receiver,

again 5th highest paid is misleading, because some below him would make more if they signed this year. Every year the contracts go up.

 

[SSOG]

You have to see what other WRS make to know if they overpaidYou have to comapre this year's market to this year's markethere was percy's contract:Harvin's new deal will be worth $67 million over six years with $14.5 million fully guaranteed. Another $11 million is guaranteed only for injury. While the deal will still make Harvin among the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL, it will put him well behind the average salaries of Johnson and Fitzgerald. An average annual salary of $11.17 million would make Harvin the fifth-highest paid wide receiver,again 5th highest paid is misleading, because some below him would make more if they signed this year. Every year the contracts go up.

Wallace's 5yr/$60m/$30guaranteed can be directly compared to Harvin's 6/$67/$24. Also, the cap increase this year was small enough that I think VJax's 5/$55/$27 is a fair comp, too. Wallace's deal is worth more than either both in terms of annual salary and guarantees. Also, it remains to be seen how Wallace's was structured, but VJax's was structured so that the first two years were guaranteed and after that TB could terminate his contract at any time without a cap hit, which is pretty team friendly. Either way, it's looking clear that Wallace's contract is the most lucrative of the bunch, and given my belief that he's handily the worst of the trio, it seems pretty clear that based on the established market for #1 receivers, Wallace got overpaid. I wouldn't want any part of him at that price. Knock of $10 mil guaranteed and maybe $2 mil annually and I'd be intrigued (say, 5 years, 50 mil, 20 mil guaranteed).

 

[B-Deep]

You have to see what other WRS make to know if they overpaidYou have to comapre this year's market to this year's markethere was percy's contract:Harvin's new deal will be worth $67 million over six years with $14.5 million fully guaranteed. Another $11 million is guaranteed only for injury. While the deal will still make Harvin among the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL, it will put him well behind the average salaries of Johnson and Fitzgerald. An average annual salary of $11.17 million would make Harvin the fifth-highest paid wide receiver,again 5th highest paid is misleading, because some below him would make more if they signed this year. Every year the contracts go up.

Wallace's 5yr/$60m/$30guaranteed can be directly compared to Harvin's 6/$67/$24. Also, the cap increase this year was small enough that I think VJax's 5/$55/$27 is a fair comp, too. Wallace's deal is worth more than either both in terms of annual salary and guarantees. Also, it remains to be seen how Wallace's was structured, but VJax's was structured so that the first two years were guaranteed and after that TB could terminate his contract at any time without a cap hit, which is pretty team friendly. Either way, it's looking clear that Wallace's contract is the most lucrative of the bunch, and given my belief that he's handily the worst of the trio, it seems pretty clear that based on the established market for #1 receivers, Wallace got overpaid. I wouldn't want any part of him at that price. Knock of $10 mil guaranteed and maybe $2 mil annually and I'd be intrigued (say, 5 years, 50 mil, 20 mil guaranteed).

BUTOn top of Harvin's contract he cost them 3 picks including a first round. I think that makes him significantly more costly to the team. I like Harvin better than Wallce as well, for the record.I think they paid a lot for Wallace, maybe too much. But I am not ready to just look at the initial numbers we see and kill them for itPLUS, sometimes you pay a premium to fill a need

 

[B-Deep]

I guess my bottom line is

Dolphins fans are going to be up on this, it is expected

Steelers fans should lighten up on the guy, he thought he was worth X and thought some team would pay him X, he was right on the second part. Hard to fault the guy when he got what he wanted. Now if you think this got in his head last year and hurt his performance I can see being a little angry, but then it is hard to use last year's stats to say he will suck.

He was not a good fit, he moved on, just let him go.

I personally like the Miami is trying to get better, but the jury is still out on if these moves will work.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

I guess my bottom line is Dolphins fans are going to be up on this, it is expectedSteelers fans should lighten up on the guy, he thought he was worth X and thought some team would pay him X, he was right on the second part. Hard to fault the guy when he got what he wanted. Now if you think this got in his head last year and hurt his performance I can see being a little angry, but then it is hard to use last year's stats to say he will suck. He was not a good fit, he moved on, just let him go.I personally like the Miami is trying to get better, but the jury is still out on if these moves will work.

It is hard to fault him for holding out and eventually getting what he wanted. That part of it is fine, I don't begrudge him dime 1.What it's easy to fault him for, however, is the fact that he made his own bed and then didn't want to lie in it. Every report I read out of their negotiations last year indicated that the Steelers were offering a long-term deal right around what SSOG astutely estimated his value to be : 5 years, between $50-55 million with about $20M guaranteed. Wallace chose not to sign that deal and instead to play under the RFA tender of $3.7M. Fine, that's his prerogative. However, once HE made that choice, he then had an obligation to himself and his teammates to play his best football. Instead, he had easily the worst year of his career, then blamed it on his contract situation getting into his head.He could have had a 5-year deal that would have meant he was set for life financially, he chose to decline it with the promise of even more riches to come. Winners in that situation play big, are good teammates, and ensure that they maximize their value. Me-first guys like Wallace shrink from the pressure, and I'm a little bit bitter that he went out like a #####.I hope for his sake that he doesn't blow most of that cash on South Beach because once his straight-line speed diminishes and he can't run by everyone anymore, he's finished in the NFL. He has no other skills - average to bad hands, very little body control, middling agility and change-of-direction skills, lousy route-runner. Without 4.3 speed, he's not worth a damn. As long as he can torch DBs, he's valuable even if he doesn't get the ball because he commands defensive attention, but once his speed erodes or if he suffers an injury that leaves him as a 4.5-4.6 guy after rehab, he'll be out of the league in a year.

 

[Slapdash]

I guess my bottom line is

Dolphins fans are going to be up on this, it is expected

Steelers fans should lighten up on the guy, he thought he was worth X and thought some team would pay him X, he was right on the second part. Hard to fault the guy when he got what he wanted. Now if you think this got in his head last year and hurt his performance I can see being a little angry, but then it is hard to use last year's stats to say he will suck.

He was not a good fit, he moved on, just let him go.

I personally like the Miami is trying to get better, but the jury is still out on if these moves will work.

It is hard to fault him for holding out and eventually getting what he wanted. That part of it is fine, I don't begrudge him dime 1.What it's easy to fault him for, however, is the fact that he made his own bed and then didn't want to lie in it. Every report I read out of their negotiations last year indicated that the Steelers were offering a long-term deal right around what SSOG astutely estimated his value to be : 5 years, between $50-55 million with about $20M guaranteed. Wallace chose not to sign that deal and instead to play under the RFA tender of $3.7M. Fine, that's his prerogative. However, once HE made that choice, he then had an obligation to himself and his teammates to play his best football. Instead, he had easily the worst year of his career, then blamed it on his contract situation getting into his head.

He could have had a 5-year deal that would have meant he was set for life financially, he chose to decline it with the promise of even more riches to come. Winners in that situation play big, are good teammates, and ensure that they maximize their value. Me-first guys like Wallace shrink from the pressure, and I'm a little bit bitter that he went out like a #####.

I hope for his sake that he doesn't blow most of that cash on South Beach because once his straight-line speed diminishes and he can't run by everyone anymore, he's finished in the NFL. He has no other skills - average to bad hands, very little body control, middling agility and change-of-direction skills, lousy route-runner. Without 4.3 speed, he's not worth a damn. As long as he can torch DBs, he's valuable even if he doesn't get the ball because he commands defensive attention, but once his speed erodes or if he suffers an injury that leaves him as a 4.5-4.6 guy after rehab, he'll be out of the league in a year.

Obviously you watch more Pitt than I, but it seems like the offense change last year was pretty dramatic. They were focused on the short passing game much more and didn't have as strong of a rushing attack. Don't you think that has as much if not more impact on his stats? Afterall, his catches and TDs were pretty in line with previous years. It was his yards per catch that fell off.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

some butt hurt steeler fans out there, its obvious they dont like the guy.

Mike Wallace isnt a possesion WR, never will be, hit him deep and hit him often

 

[B-Deep]

I guess my bottom line is Dolphins fans are going to be up on this, it is expectedSteelers fans should lighten up on the guy, he thought he was worth X and thought some team would pay him X, he was right on the second part. Hard to fault the guy when he got what he wanted. Now if you think this got in his head last year and hurt his performance I can see being a little angry, but then it is hard to use last year's stats to say he will suck. He was not a good fit, he moved on, just let him go.I personally like the Miami is trying to get better, but the jury is still out on if these moves will work.

It is hard to fault him for holding out and eventually getting what he wanted. That part of it is fine, I don't begrudge him dime 1.What it's easy to fault him for, however, is the fact that he made his own bed and then didn't want to lie in it. Every report I read out of their negotiations last year indicated that the Steelers were offering a long-term deal right around what SSOG astutely estimated his value to be : 5 years, between $50-55 million with about $20M guaranteed. Wallace chose not to sign that deal and instead to play under the RFA tender of $3.7M. Fine, that's his prerogative. However, once HE made that choice, he then had an obligation to himself and his teammates to play his best football. Instead, he had easily the worst year of his career, then blamed it on his contract situation getting into his head.He could have had a 5-year deal that would have meant he was set for life financially, he chose to decline it with the promise of even more riches to come. Winners in that situation play big, are good teammates, and ensure that they maximize their value. Me-first guys like Wallace shrink from the pressure, and I'm a little bit bitter that he went out like a #####.I hope for his sake that he doesn't blow most of that cash on South Beach because once his straight-line speed diminishes and he can't run by everyone anymore, he's finished in the NFL. He has no other skills - average to bad hands, very little body control, middling agility and change-of-direction skills, lousy route-runner. Without 4.3 speed, he's not worth a damn. As long as he can torch DBs, he's valuable even if he doesn't get the ball because he commands defensive attention, but once his speed erodes or if he suffers an injury that leaves him as a 4.5-4.6 guy after rehab, he'll be out of the league in a year.

if that is what you feel fine, but then one would think that last season was the aberation and odds are the Dolphins got a damn good WRYou seem to think he sucks, is going to suck, and is not worth the money. In that case he probably did not tank last year, he just sucks, and you should bear him no ill will.I don;t see how you can have it both ways. If last year was a poor effort than odds are the phins picked up a stud WR who will perform like his first 3 years and you can hate himIf he sucks, why be mad that he sucks and left your team?In the end he thought he could get more money and he did. He was right.And don't go into the set for life things, all of these free agents could take less money and be set for life. There world is different

 

[Evilgrin 72]

I guess my bottom line is

Dolphins fans are going to be up on this, it is expected

Steelers fans should lighten up on the guy, he thought he was worth X and thought some team would pay him X, he was right on the second part. Hard to fault the guy when he got what he wanted. Now if you think this got in his head last year and hurt his performance I can see being a little angry, but then it is hard to use last year's stats to say he will suck.

He was not a good fit, he moved on, just let him go.

I personally like the Miami is trying to get better, but the jury is still out on if these moves will work.

It is hard to fault him for holding out and eventually getting what he wanted. That part of it is fine, I don't begrudge him dime 1.What it's easy to fault him for, however, is the fact that he made his own bed and then didn't want to lie in it. Every report I read out of their negotiations last year indicated that the Steelers were offering a long-term deal right around what SSOG astutely estimated his value to be : 5 years, between $50-55 million with about $20M guaranteed. Wallace chose not to sign that deal and instead to play under the RFA tender of $3.7M. Fine, that's his prerogative. However, once HE made that choice, he then had an obligation to himself and his teammates to play his best football. Instead, he had easily the worst year of his career, then blamed it on his contract situation getting into his head.

He could have had a 5-year deal that would have meant he was set for life financially, he chose to decline it with the promise of even more riches to come. Winners in that situation play big, are good teammates, and ensure that they maximize their value. Me-first guys like Wallace shrink from the pressure, and I'm a little bit bitter that he went out like a #####.

I hope for his sake that he doesn't blow most of that cash on South Beach because once his straight-line speed diminishes and he can't run by everyone anymore, he's finished in the NFL. He has no other skills - average to bad hands, very little body control, middling agility and change-of-direction skills, lousy route-runner. Without 4.3 speed, he's not worth a damn. As long as he can torch DBs, he's valuable even if he doesn't get the ball because he commands defensive attention, but once his speed erodes or if he suffers an injury that leaves him as a 4.5-4.6 guy after rehab, he'll be out of the league in a year.

Obviously you watch more Pitt than I, but it seems like the offense change last year was pretty dramatic. They were focused on the short passing game much more and didn't have as strong of a rushing attack. Don't you think that has as much if not more impact on his stats? Afterall, his catches and TDs were pretty in line with previous years. It was his yards per catch that fell off.

I saw a guy who looked like he was dragging ### and playing not to get hurt rather than to win. I even commented a couple of times in the Steelers thread here during the season that it almost looked like he was half-###ing it on purpose. A ton of drops, failure to keep his feet in bounds on sideline throws, trapping long balls off the ground, etc. His numbers actually would have been fine had he not blown so many easy chances to pad them. He actually had more targets last season than any previous season in his career. While your point is well-taken that some targets that had been vertical routes in prior years became short to intermediate routes last year, which adversely affected his YPC, that should also have the opposite effect on his catch %. Yet,2009 - 54.2%

2010 - 61.2%

2011 - 63.7%

2012 - 53.0%

So, if you're going to blame the offense for limiting his yards, you have to give him twice the blame for that abyssmal catch rate. Brown posted a 62.3% catch rate and Emmanuel Sanders a 60.0% rate (and Sanders posted that rate with a higher YPC than Wallace) which are more in line with Ben's 63.3% completion percentage.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

some butt hurt steeler fans out there, its obvious they dont like the guy.Mike Wallace isnt a possesion WR, never will be, hit him deep and hit him often

He pretty much quit on the team and mailed in his last season. Is it all that surprising that Steelers fans would have some ill feelings over that? You're right though, send him down the sideline and chuck it up to him. That's what he's good at. Or get him the ball in space with blockers in front of him. Don't expect him to make people miss, but if all he has to do is outrun the defense, he'll score TDs.

 

[B-Deep]

I guess my bottom line is

Dolphins fans are going to be up on this, it is expected

Steelers fans should lighten up on the guy, he thought he was worth X and thought some team would pay him X, he was right on the second part. Hard to fault the guy when he got what he wanted. Now if you think this got in his head last year and hurt his performance I can see being a little angry, but then it is hard to use last year's stats to say he will suck.

He was not a good fit, he moved on, just let him go.

I personally like the Miami is trying to get better, but the jury is still out on if these moves will work.

It is hard to fault him for holding out and eventually getting what he wanted. That part of it is fine, I don't begrudge him dime 1.What it's easy to fault him for, however, is the fact that he made his own bed and then didn't want to lie in it. Every report I read out of their negotiations last year indicated that the Steelers were offering a long-term deal right around what SSOG astutely estimated his value to be : 5 years, between $50-55 million with about $20M guaranteed. Wallace chose not to sign that deal and instead to play under the RFA tender of $3.7M. Fine, that's his prerogative. However, once HE made that choice, he then had an obligation to himself and his teammates to play his best football. Instead, he had easily the worst year of his career, then blamed it on his contract situation getting into his head.

He could have had a 5-year deal that would have meant he was set for life financially, he chose to decline it with the promise of even more riches to come. Winners in that situation play big, are good teammates, and ensure that they maximize their value. Me-first guys like Wallace shrink from the pressure, and I'm a little bit bitter that he went out like a #####.

I hope for his sake that he doesn't blow most of that cash on South Beach because once his straight-line speed diminishes and he can't run by everyone anymore, he's finished in the NFL. He has no other skills - average to bad hands, very little body control, middling agility and change-of-direction skills, lousy route-runner. Without 4.3 speed, he's not worth a damn. As long as he can torch DBs, he's valuable even if he doesn't get the ball because he commands defensive attention, but once his speed erodes or if he suffers an injury that leaves him as a 4.5-4.6 guy after rehab, he'll be out of the league in a year.

Obviously you watch more Pitt than I, but it seems like the offense change last year was pretty dramatic. They were focused on the short passing game much more and didn't have as strong of a rushing attack. Don't you think that has as much if not more impact on his stats? Afterall, his catches and TDs were pretty in line with previous years. It was his yards per catch that fell off.

I saw a guy who looked like he was dragging ### and playing not to get hurt rather than to win. I even commented a couple of times in the Steelers thread here during the season that it almost looked like he was half-###ing it on purpose. A ton of drops, failure to keep his feet in bounds on sideline throws, trapping long balls off the ground, etc. His numbers actually would have been fine had he not blown so many easy chances to pad them. He actually had more targets last season than any previous season in his career. While your point is well-taken that some targets that had been vertical routes in prior years became short to intermediate routes last year, which adversely affected his YPC, that should also have the opposite effect on his catch %. Yet,2009 - 54.2%

2010 - 61.2%

2011 - 63.7%

2012 - 53.0%

So, if you're going to blame the offense for limiting his yards, you have to give him twice the blame for that abyssmal catch rate. Brown posted a 62.3% catch rate and Emmanuel Sanders a 60.0% rate (and Sanders posted that rate with a higher YPC than Wallace) which are more in line with Ben's 63.3% completion percentage.

in that case he is a #### and you are right to be angrybut don;t go saying the phins over paid, because the years before when he wasn't dragging ### he was good!

and steelers fans loved him up till contract time

and i am not ripping steelers fans, I get it

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

some butt hurt steeler fans out there, its obvious they dont like the guy.Mike Wallace isnt a possesion WR, never will be, hit him deep and hit him often

He pretty much quit on the team and mailed in his last season. Is it all that surprising that Steelers fans would have some ill feelings over that? You're right though, send him down the sideline and chuck it up to him. That's what he's good at. Or get him the ball in space with blockers in front of him. Don't expect him to make people miss, but if all he has to do is outrun the defense, he'll score TDs.

players who get toyed around with when it comes to their money dont play well, vincent jackson, mike wallace, etc.etc.etc. He dogged it, it was obvious and he still put up the best WR stats on Pitt with charlie & Lefty playing some games.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

I guess my bottom line is Dolphins fans are going to be up on this, it is expectedSteelers fans should lighten up on the guy, he thought he was worth X and thought some team would pay him X, he was right on the second part. Hard to fault the guy when he got what he wanted. Now if you think this got in his head last year and hurt his performance I can see being a little angry, but then it is hard to use last year's stats to say he will suck. He was not a good fit, he moved on, just let him go.I personally like the Miami is trying to get better, but the jury is still out on if these moves will work.

It is hard to fault him for holding out and eventually getting what he wanted. That part of it is fine, I don't begrudge him dime 1.What it's easy to fault him for, however, is the fact that he made his own bed and then didn't want to lie in it. Every report I read out of their negotiations last year indicated that the Steelers were offering a long-term deal right around what SSOG astutely estimated his value to be : 5 years, between $50-55 million with about $20M guaranteed. Wallace chose not to sign that deal and instead to play under the RFA tender of $3.7M. Fine, that's his prerogative. However, once HE made that choice, he then had an obligation to himself and his teammates to play his best football. Instead, he had easily the worst year of his career, then blamed it on his contract situation getting into his head.He could have had a 5-year deal that would have meant he was set for life financially, he chose to decline it with the promise of even more riches to come. Winners in that situation play big, are good teammates, and ensure that they maximize their value. Me-first guys like Wallace shrink from the pressure, and I'm a little bit bitter that he went out like a #####.I hope for his sake that he doesn't blow most of that cash on South Beach because once his straight-line speed diminishes and he can't run by everyone anymore, he's finished in the NFL. He has no other skills - average to bad hands, very little body control, middling agility and change-of-direction skills, lousy route-runner. Without 4.3 speed, he's not worth a damn. As long as he can torch DBs, he's valuable even if he doesn't get the ball because he commands defensive attention, but once his speed erodes or if he suffers an injury that leaves him as a 4.5-4.6 guy after rehab, he'll be out of the league in a year.

if that is what you feel fine, but then one would think that last season was the aberation and odds are the Dolphins got a damn good WRYou seem to think he sucks, is going to suck, and is not worth the money. In that case he probably did not tank last year, he just sucks, and you should bear him no ill will.I don;t see how you can have it both ways. If last year was a poor effort than odds are the phins picked up a stud WR who will perform like his first 3 years and you can hate himIf he sucks, why be mad that he sucks and left your team?In the end he thought he could get more money and he did. He was right.And don't go into the set for life things, all of these free agents could take less money and be set for life. There world is different

I never said he sucks. I said his entire game and his effectiveness is predicated on elite straight-line speed. I don't hate him, I just think he could have put forth more effort last year instead of lolly-gagging because he was only making ~$4M. I don't think the Dolphins got a crap player, I think they overpaid for a very good, not great player.I also said it was his prerogative to hold out for more money. However, turning his back on a long-term deal and playing for less in order to cash in down the road was HIS choice. It's fine to make that choice, but then to use the lack of a long-term deal as an excuse for subpar play like it's someone else's fault is kind of a b##ch move.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

I guess my bottom line is

Dolphins fans are going to be up on this, it is expected

Steelers fans should lighten up on the guy, he thought he was worth X and thought some team would pay him X, he was right on the second part. Hard to fault the guy when he got what he wanted. Now if you think this got in his head last year and hurt his performance I can see being a little angry, but then it is hard to use last year's stats to say he will suck.

He was not a good fit, he moved on, just let him go.

I personally like the Miami is trying to get better, but the jury is still out on if these moves will work.

It is hard to fault him for holding out and eventually getting what he wanted. That part of it is fine, I don't begrudge him dime 1.What it's easy to fault him for, however, is the fact that he made his own bed and then didn't want to lie in it. Every report I read out of their negotiations last year indicated that the Steelers were offering a long-term deal right around what SSOG astutely estimated his value to be : 5 years, between $50-55 million with about $20M guaranteed. Wallace chose not to sign that deal and instead to play under the RFA tender of $3.7M. Fine, that's his prerogative. However, once HE made that choice, he then had an obligation to himself and his teammates to play his best football. Instead, he had easily the worst year of his career, then blamed it on his contract situation getting into his head.

He could have had a 5-year deal that would have meant he was set for life financially, he chose to decline it with the promise of even more riches to come. Winners in that situation play big, are good teammates, and ensure that they maximize their value. Me-first guys like Wallace shrink from the pressure, and I'm a little bit bitter that he went out like a #####.

I hope for his sake that he doesn't blow most of that cash on South Beach because once his straight-line speed diminishes and he can't run by everyone anymore, he's finished in the NFL. He has no other skills - average to bad hands, very little body control, middling agility and change-of-direction skills, lousy route-runner. Without 4.3 speed, he's not worth a damn. As long as he can torch DBs, he's valuable even if he doesn't get the ball because he commands defensive attention, but once his speed erodes or if he suffers an injury that leaves him as a 4.5-4.6 guy after rehab, he'll be out of the league in a year.

Obviously you watch more Pitt than I, but it seems like the offense change last year was pretty dramatic. They were focused on the short passing game much more and didn't have as strong of a rushing attack. Don't you think that has as much if not more impact on his stats? Afterall, his catches and TDs were pretty in line with previous years. It was his yards per catch that fell off.

I saw a guy who looked like he was dragging ### and playing not to get hurt rather than to win. I even commented a couple of times in the Steelers thread here during the season that it almost looked like he was half-###ing it on purpose. A ton of drops, failure to keep his feet in bounds on sideline throws, trapping long balls off the ground, etc. His numbers actually would have been fine had he not blown so many easy chances to pad them. He actually had more targets last season than any previous season in his career. While your point is well-taken that some targets that had been vertical routes in prior years became short to intermediate routes last year, which adversely affected his YPC, that should also have the opposite effect on his catch %. Yet,2009 - 54.2%

2010 - 61.2%

2011 - 63.7%

2012 - 53.0%

So, if you're going to blame the offense for limiting his yards, you have to give him twice the blame for that abyssmal catch rate. Brown posted a 62.3% catch rate and Emmanuel Sanders a 60.0% rate (and Sanders posted that rate with a higher YPC than Wallace) which are more in line with Ben's 63.3% completion percentage.

in that case he is a #### and you are right to be angrybut don;t go saying the phins over paid, because the years before when he wasn't dragging ### he was good!

and steelers fans loved him up till contract time

and i am not ripping steelers fans, I get it

He was good... very good, in fact. It's the Dolphins choice to give him that contract, if they think he's worth that kind of money, fine. I'm just saying that in my opinion, if you're going to dedicate that much of your salary cap to a wide receiver, he had better be a real impact guy. Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, Larry Fitzgerald, A.J. Green. Those guys are beasts. Wallace is a burner but does little else, and whenever his speed goes, whether it's a year from now, 5 years, 15 years...whenever, it's curtains for him. I personally wouldn't sign him to a deal that effectively makes him uncuttable for 3-4 years, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Coeur de Lion]

For those thinking the signing was a good one for Miami, I'm curious to see what kind of numbers you are expecting for $12 million per? The 1000/8 he averaged for the Steelers doesn't justify that amount of $ against the cap. Not even close.

There's a whole lot of reasonable middle ground between "he sucks" and "he's the 3rd best WR in the NFL."

 

[ChuckLiddell]

For those thinking the signing was a good one for Miami, I'm curious to see what kind of numbers you are expecting for $12 million per? The 1000/8 he averaged for the Steelers doesn't justify that amount of $ against the cap. Not even close.There's a whole lot of reasonable middle ground between "he sucks" and "he's the 3rd best WR in the NFL."

This is a fair point. I do think though that it is not just his numbers that validate the contract. It is the impact that he has on the offense as a whole. Every offense in today's NFL would benefit overall by having someone who demands that kind of respect from the safeties. Wallace may not put up personal numbers that validate the money if you just look at the stats, but if it goes as planned, his impact overall will be what justifies it in the minds of the Dolphins and their fans.

 

[BigSteelThrill]

some butt hurt steeler fans out there, its obvious they dont like the guy.

Mike Wallace isnt a possesion WR, never will be, hit him deep and hit him often

He pretty much quit on the team and mailed in his last season. Is it all that surprising that Steelers fans would have some ill feelings over that? You're right though, send him down the sideline and chuck it up to him. That's what he's good at. Or get him the ball in space with blockers in front of him. Don't expect him to make people miss, but if all he has to do is outrun the defense, he'll score TDs.

players who get toyed around with when it comes to their money dont play well, vincent jackson, mike wallace, etc.etc.etc. He dogged it, it was obvious and he still put up the best WR stats on Pitt with charlie & Lefty playing some games.

Getting a 50 million dollar offer is "toyed" with? ####

 

[Evilgrin 72]

For those thinking the signing was a good one for Miami, I'm curious to see what kind of numbers you are expecting for $12 million per? The 1000/8 he averaged for the Steelers doesn't justify that amount of $ against the cap. Not even close.There's a whole lot of reasonable middle ground between "he sucks" and "he's the 3rd best WR in the NFL."

This is a fair point. I do think though that it is not just his numbers that validate the contract. It is the impact that he has on the offense as a whole. Every offense in today's NFL would benefit overall by having someone who demands that kind of respect from the safeties. Wallace may not put up personal numbers that validate the money if you just look at the stats, but if it goes as planned, his impact overall will be what justifies it in the minds of the Dolphins and their fans.

He will DEFINITELY have a positive impact on the Miami offense. I don't think anyone who's saying the Dolphins overpaid don't think that will be the case, I know I don't. Whether or not he's "worth it" really depends on how much his contract ultimately limits the Dolphins' ability to make moves at other positions down the road. They can afford to dedicate this much cap space to him right now because they have Tannehill on a rookie contract, but if he develops this year as Miami fans hope Wallace will help him do, they're going to have to extend him sooner rather than later. If he gets an 8-figure per year deal, and they have all this money tied up in Wallace with a massive signing bonus acceleration hit to their cap if they cut him, it's going to tie their hands across the board when it comes to helping out the defense and the offensive line. Weighing that impact vs. Wallace's overall impact on the offense might be very difficult to do, but that's where the rubber really meets the road on this whole deal.

 

[werdnoynek]

just saw a couple of tweets saying Mike Wallace's father has said that Wallace turned down MORE money from the Vikings and signed with the Dolphins instead. interesting move.

 

[BigSteelThrill]

just saw a couple of tweets saying Mike Wallace's father has said that Wallace turned down MORE money from the Vikings and signed with the Dolphins instead. interesting move.

No state income taxes in Florida. 60 million = 65 million. Now Florida ☀ vs. Minnesota ☃ .I doubt Minny offered 70 million.

 

[JustinHawkins]

I think Wallace is going to surprise a lot of people this year. From what I could tell last year, Tannehill is willing to chuck it, and has an arm. Both bode well for Wallace IMO.

 

[Faust]

Mike Wallace not a one-trick pony for Miami DolphinsBy Chris Wesseling

Around the League Writer

Cleveland Browns general manager Michael Lombardi once labeled Miami Dolphins wide receiver Mike Wallace the fastest player he has ever seen on tape. Wallace's career average of 17.2 yards per reception ranks fourth among active receivers. Since entering the NFL four years ago, Wallace leads the league with 27 receptions of 40-plus yards.

No deep threat takes the top off a defense quite like Wallace.

The criticism on Wallace is that he's not a complete receiver, doesn't run a full route tree and is unreliable as a go-to target. That hasn't proven to be the case with the Dolphins.

"It's not, 'If I can't get the deep ball, I can't do anything else,' " cornerback Brent Grimes told The Miami Herald. "He has good hands, can run other routes. He's not a one-trick pony."

Dolphins quarterbacks also have noticed on film that Wallace is more than just a vertical "go" route specialist.

"What was impressive to see was what he can do with the ball (on short patterns)," Matt Moore said, via the Miami Herald. "Everyone talks about the deep routes, but Ben Roethlisberger would sometimes get him the ball quickly and just let him go."

The Pittsburgh Steelers frequently used Wallace on quick screens and slants. With one missed tackle, he's a threat to hit paydirt. According to ESPN.com's KC Joyner, Wallace led the NFL two years ago in average yards per target on throws of 10 yards or less.

ESPN analyst and ex-NFL coach Herm Edwards recently parroted the canard that Wallace is a one-dimensional receiver who needs to learn routes, leading film buff Ron Jaworski to retort, "He can run patterns!" Dolphins cornerback Richard Marshall attested that Wallace "runs better patterns than some might think."

Before Todd Haley installed a quick-hitting, dink-and-dunk offense with the Steelers last season, Wallace was fourth in touchdown rate and first in yards per reception among all receivers over the past decade. As one of less than a dozen NFL receivers capable of drawing double teams and still producing elite numbers, Wallace could be the most important pickup of the 2013 offseason.

Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.

 

[Faust]

Mike Wallace backlash quietly begins for Dolphins

By Gregg Rosenthal

Around The League Editor

It took three days of Miami Dolphins training camp before the first negative report about Mike Wallace came out. Perhaps the only surprise is that it took so long.

From the South Florida Sun Sentinel's Omar Kelly: "We're three days into training camp and the Mike Wallace factor hasn't been felt so far.

Kelly continued: "Wallace hasn't roasted any cornerbacks deep.... YET. Without hitting we really can't tell his run-after-catch skills.....YET. And to be completely honest, Wallace doesn't have great chemistry with quarterback Ryan Tannehill....YET.

"That was evident the entire offseason."

It goes on from there, with Kelly comparing Wallace unfavorably to Brandon Marshall's first days in Miami. Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes regularly has gotten the better of Wallace. Kelly said Wallace is only the "fourth or fifth" most impressive new Dolphin this offseason.

"Speaking of Grimes, the former Falcons' coverage of Wallace since (organized team activities) either proves Grimes is back to his Pro Bowl status, or the Dolphins have paid way too much money for Wallace," Kelly wrote.

Kelly's article was written after three days of training camp and only one day of full-padded practices. Real football hasn't started. Saying it's a little early to evaluate would be a massive understatement. Kelly noted that Wallace hasn't caught a long pass from Ryan Tannehill during 11-on-11s dating back to OTAs and minicamps, which is surprising. But it's July 24. None of this really matters.

The most interesting part of the article is that it was written at all. Wallace is a target now. Not just for opposing defenses, but a rabid media and fan base that quickly could turn offseason hype into premature disappointment.

Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

Mike Wallace anticipates seeing situational snaps in the slot with Miami.
In theory, it's a nice idea to get the receivers moving around, decreasing snap-to-snap offensive predictability, but Wallace will have to clean up his routes to make this work. Perhaps it's just a training camp experiment. "I will be inside a little more," Wallace claimed. "I had primary things to do in Pittsburgh. Here I’m switching a little bit more and doing a little bit more of everything."


Source: Miami Herald

 

[ConnSKINS26]

It's kind of baffling that so many people are high on Tannehill in dynasty, and yet Wallace's ADP keeps falling.

I just took him at 5.05 in a 14 team PPR start-up and I feel really good about it.

 

[Slapdash]

It's kind of baffling that so many people are high on Tannehill in dynasty, and yet Wallace's ADP keeps falling.

I just took him at 5.05 in a 14 team PPR start-up and I feel really good about it.

It will take a while for them to get on the same page.

 

[FF Ninja]

It's kind of baffling that so many people are high on Tannehill in dynasty, and yet Wallace's ADP keeps falling.

I just took him at 5.05 in a 14 team PPR start-up and I feel really good about it.

That is straight thievery.

 

[threeputt]

Sounds to me like this guy had a bone to pick or just wanted to reel some readers. Three days is hardly enough time to make a judgement call on a guy who is new to the team. Now Wallace will be - like someone else has already eluded to - as an immediate under the microscope guy. That typically never ends well for the majority.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

It's kind of baffling that so many people are high on Tannehill in dynasty, and yet Wallace's ADP keeps falling.

I just took him at 5.05 in a 14 team PPR start-up and I feel really good about it.

That is straight thievery.

That's what I thought, but I kind of had the feeling that if I hadn't taken him, he would have fell a little further. There definitely weren't guys clamoring to trade up for him there, that's for sure.

What's even better is that I had just taken Witten at 4.11 (TE premium league) knowing someone else wanted him badly, and that guy traded me the 5.05 and his future 1st for Witten.

So I sent Witten for Wallace and a future 1st.

 

[Faust]

NFL Network's Jeff Darlington reported on Total Access Wednesday that Ryan Tannehill and Mike Wallace's on-field chemistry has been "a little bit slow to develop."
Per Darlington, the Fins are "not really concerned about that right now," and have their "fingers crossed." Coaches are optimistic Tannehill and Wallace will find themselves more on the same page when they begin playing together in the preseason. Miami faces Dallas in the Hall of Fame Game Sunday night.

 

[Faust]

Report: Dolphins won't explain why Mike Wallace didn't practice

By Josh Katzowitz | NFL Writer

August 1, 2013 11:50 am ET

Mike Wallace did not practice with his teammates on Wednesday night. Instead, the Dolphins high-priced free agent acquisition stood on the sidelines and watched. That would seem normal in most situations.

The receiver also didn't participate in a scrimmage Monday. That also seems somewhat normal for a team which is already struggling with injuries in the receivers room and has the Hall of Fame game coming up this weekend.

But considering the Dolphins aren't saying why Wallace isn't practicing, well, that's not quite as normal. That actually could be construed as a bit strange.

As the Miami Herald writes, coach Joe Philbin refused Wednesday to discuss Wallace's status, and on Monday, he declined to meet with the media. Instead, as PFT points out, the team's PR department sent out his quotes in a press release. Wallace, not surprisingly, was not mentioned in those remarks.

Wallace, it should be noted, took part in individual drills on Wednesday, and the Herald writes that he appeared to be moving normally. But still, there he was on the sidelines Wednesday.

Meanwhile, receiver Brian Hartline is dealing with what appears to be a lower leg issue and wasn't around for the scrimmage either. He told reporters that his absence from the scrimmage “was coach's decision -- nothing to do with me.”

Other injured Dolphins receivers include Rishard Matthews, leaving Brandon Gibson and Marvin McNutt as Miami's temporary first-team receivers.

Either way, quarterback Ryan Tannehill seems content with the current lineup, despite all the injuries thus far and despite with whatever's going on with Wallace.

“Those guys will be back when they're ready,” Tannehill said. “To have some time to spend with our four and five receivers is a good thing.”