The Miami Dolphins are coming into the 2014 season with high expectations after missing the playoffs last year and the team is hoping Mike Wallace can step up for Ryan Tannehill, as he did not have a good first season with the Fins and after being shopped in trade rumors, he is looking to bounce back in this year and if not, a trade could go down in the future from GM Dennis Hickey, who also shopped Dion Jordan in trade talks this offseason.
Miami needs Tannehill to develop into a top quarterback to be successful and while he doesn't need to be Tom Brady, he must be better than last season and Wallace could be the key to all of that. Last season Wallace did not get off to a good start after signing his $60 million deal and he came in with high expectations and did not live up to them and that is one reason why Hickey shopped him this offseason. Hickey was not the man that signed him and that means he is not as tied to him as Jeff Ireland was and if he doesn't bounce back this season, he could be on the block again.
Tannehill is a solid player and he clearly has talent, but he needs more help from Wallace and Brian Hartline, who was the leading receiver for the team last season. Wallace had 73 catches for 930 yards and five touchdowns and with his blazing speed, he should be putting up much better numbers. Wallace is durable and has not missed time in his career apart from one game, but his numbers have not been as good as they were a few years ago in Pittsburgh. Wallace had back to back 1,000 yard seasons in 2010-11, but since he has not gone over that mark.
The rushing attack will help Tannehill and by design Wallace as well, since a more consistent rush game will open things up in the pass. The team signed Knowshon Moreno after ranking 26th in the league in rushing last season and now they should be much better off this year. The team has Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas as well and after signing Brandon Albert and drafting Ja'Wuan James, the offensive line should be much better after allowing 56 sacks last season on Tannehill, the most in the league.
Last season the Dolphins went 8-8 as they missed the playoffs and they also dealt with a number of controversies, including everything that happened between Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin. The team has put a focus on the offensive side of the ball this offseason and they are hoping that some of the moves they made and the signings will help Tannehill develop into a more consistent quarterback.
