Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports
What is Mike Wallace‘s deal? He hauled in five touchdown passes this year and thinks he should have had four to five times that amount. According to the Miami Herald, Wallace thinks he should have set a new NFL record. Wallace said, “Definitely have got to get the deep ball going. That’s the difference between winning and losing a couple games. I should have had 15 or 20 more touchdowns. And that’s being modest. If you press me, you have no shot to cover me. Once I get you to stop your feet, it’s over.”
Wallace is right about one thing, Miami has to get the deep ball going in 2014, and for the numbers that he envisions himself having, they better get it going a lot. To put Wallace’s numbers in perspective, Randy Moss set the all-time receiving touchdown record back in 2007 with 23, so Wallace clearly thought he should have broken that.
When Wallace signed a five-year, $60 million contract with the Miami Dolphins, there was no doubt that there was a big target put on his back. At the end of his underwhelming first season with the Dolphins, he decides to proclaim that he should have put together one of the finest seasons by a wide receiver. Granted, Wallace could have over exaggerated his comments in the heat of the moment, but he had no reason saying what he said after his performance this season. He just made that target on his back much bigger with his comments.
Given his sub-par performance this past season and recent strange comments, fantasy owners should try and understand what type of player Wallace is. Throughout his entire career, he has been viewed by most as a “one-trick pony,” a deep threat that prefers to catch against his body than relying on his hands.
The reason he was so successful during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers is that he had a mobile quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, who had a knack for extending plays with his feet. This would allow Wallace to use his speed to get around defenders. However, in Miami, Wallace has Ryan Tannehill throwing him the ball, and he is not the same type of quarterback as Roethlisberger.
Wallace appears to be the type of player that will only fit into certain offensive systems, and Miami doesn’t appear to be that place for him. The Dolphins will keep seeing a minimal return on their investment, and fantasy owners who draft him will suffer the same fate. Fantasy owners may have over-drafted on Wallace in 2013, simply because he got a large multi-year deal.
In 2014, fantasy owners should avoid Wallace at all costs; he will become more of a headache than he’s worth.
Alexander Muir is a writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @AmuirAlex, “Like” him on Facebook or add him on your network on Google.
