With a lot of room to make more than one big move through free agency, the Miami Dolphins have the luxury of targeting the more expensive names in free agency, with Mike Wallace of the Pittsburgh Steelers probably being their number one target.
Not everyone agree about a number of things – that Wallace should be the Dolphin’s premier wide receiver target in the upcoming free agency period, with names like Greg Jennings or trading for Percy Harvin also in the air. There are others who think that using their draft pick on Cordarrelle Patterson coming out of Tennessee would be the best way to improve their receiving core.
Not everyone agree on the fact that Mike Wallace is the top deep threat in the NFL, especially after having a down 2012 year, with more dropped passes and fewer missed tackled than ever before, while accumulating 64 catches for 836 yards and 8 touchdowns (after two seasons of 1100+). Some might say that it had a lot to do with a new offensive coordinator and a new offensive system that hurt Wallace’s chances of going deep. Ben Roethlisberger not being at his best, or even healthy all the time, was bound to have some effect on Wallace’s production.
Wallace is productive and obviously a blessed addition to any receiving core, but at what cost? He turned down a $55 million, 5 year deal from the Pittsburgh Steelers, which means he is probably looking for $60 million for five-years (he’s 26), meaning $12 million a season. Wallace doesn’t have the best hands in the world, and some might say that his impressive four-year career so far is due to Big Ben, but only four other receivers have scored more touchdowns than him since he has entered the NFL.
No free agent is perfect, otherwise the Steelers would be doing everything possible to keep Wallace in Pittsburgh. His personality (diva-esque) is another issue, some suggest, but his production and his 17.2 yards per reception numbers speak for themselves. Signing Wallace means guaranteeing the 2011 Pro Bowler somewhere between $24-30 million. The only question remains – how much do the Dolphins believe they can make it work with him?