Revisiting the Mike Wallace Signing

The Miami Dolphins have never been a team to shy away from making a splashy move in the offseason.

Oftentimes, those moves don’t pay off the way that fans hope.

Last week, I wrote about the time the Dolphins traded for David Boston and how he made zero impact due to unfortunately timed injuries. This week, I’ll write about a wide receiver who actually managed to see playing time after the Dolphins backed up the Brinks truck for him, but still is remembered as a disappointment. 

Before there was Tyreek Hill, there was Mike Wallace, both speedy wide receivers known for their flashy plays while playing with a future Hall of Fame quarterback. Wallace was a third-round pick out of Ole Miss, where he put up solid but not jaw-dropping numbers, tallying 101 receptions for 1,910 yards and 15 touchdowns in 3 seasons. His relatively high draft slot wasn’t due to production but instead his blazing speed as he ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.

As such, the Steelers took a flier on him and were rewarded as he put up 1,257 yards in his second season and 1,193 in his third.

In total,l he caught 235 passes for 4,042 yards and 32 touchdowns during his four seasons in black and gold. 

Due to his speed and great production, he was regarded as the top free-agent wide receiver available in the 2013 offseason. That’s where the Dolphins come in as they signed Wallace to a 5 year deal worth $60 million with $30 million guaranteed. To set the scene for the signing, this was the second year under head coach Joe Philbin and the second year for quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Brian Hartline was the leading receiver the previous season with 74 receptions, 1,083 yards, and one touchdown. That was a solid statline, but not the statline of a number 1 receiver. So, in order to give Tannehill the best chance at success, they brought in what they believed was a legitimate number 1 to pair with Hartline. The hope was that this would allow Miami to get over the hump and into the playoffs. 

That first season was decent; the addition of Wallace bumped Tannehill’s numbers up as he finished with 3,913 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. Hartline was still the leading receiver, notching another 1,000-yard year, and Wallace was okay, finishing with 73 receptions for 930 yards and five touchdowns. The team was hardly any better, improving from 7-9 in 2012 to 8-8 in 2013 and missing the playoffs once again. 

Those of us who were more optimistic thought that it was possible Wallace just needed a year to learn the new offensive system and that 2014 would truly be his time to shine. That wasn’t the case, however, rookie receiver Jarvis Landry would emerge as a favorite target of Tannehill, catching 84 passes for 758 yards and five touchdowns. Wallace would again put in an okay year of work, posting a statline of 67 receptions for 862 yards and 10 touchdowns.