There has been plenty of speculation regarding the future of Mike Wallace in Miami. The wide receiver was the big free agent signing for the Dolphins two years ago and has created more headlines for his lack of production than touchdowns on the field. Wallace has not been the same receiver he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers which has caused tension between he and the rest of the coaching staff. With a heavy salary cap hit, is Wallace on the outs in Miami?
Wallace was better in 2014, but not worth his salary. He did put up 10 touchdowns, but created tension after hinting that Ryan Tannehill was simply not good at getting the ball downfield to him and the coaches were not allowing him to be the deep threat that he can be. There was also the benching incident in Week 17 where reports surfaced that Wallace and Joe Philbin had an argument over the move.
Salary cap issues hurt Wallace's future more than his inconsistent production. The wide receiver is set to earn $3 million of his $9 million guaranteed to him in 2015 if he is on the roster at the start of the new calendar year for the Dolphins. That is a lot of money to commit to the wide receiver as Miami has several holes that need filling. This has caused Mike Tannebaum to stress that the Dolphins will be careful when determining Wallace's future.
"I want to go down there and be a good listener. Two sides to every story. We'll make the most responsible decision for us possible," Tannenbaum said on WQAM, via theSouth Florida Sun-Sentinel.
There will certainly be a market either via a trade or release if Wallace is available. Plenty of teams would be willing to put him on the roster despite the up and down numbers. The Dolphins benefitted from the rise of Jarvis Landry, the rookie that proved to be a worthy investment. They also have Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson that may or may not be around.
While Wallace is facing uncertainty in his future, Knowshon Moreno is under the same pressure. The running back came to South Beach after a career-high year in Denver and promptly spent a majority of the time injured. Moreno signed just a one-year deal meaning he will once again be a free agent. However, the rise of Lamar Miller means an offer from Miami might not come.
