The Miami Dolphins may look at a Mike Wallace trade this offseason if the receiver is unwilling to restructure his contract and after the release of Brian Hartline, the Dolphins likely will look at free agency for WR options and Jeremy Maclin, Cecil Shorts and Hakeem Nicks could be targets along with CJ Spiller or Mark Ingram at running back for Ryan Tannehill.
The Dolphins missed the playoffs once again last season and now head coach Joe Philbin will be under a lot of pressure to get into the postseason from ownership. Philbin was retained after the season despite rumors he could be ousted and the Fins brought in Mike Tannenbaum to help shore up the front office. Dennis Hickey remains, but the new front office structure is different and that could lead the team to make some major changes.
Brian Hartline was released this past week after just signing a contract a couple years ago and now the team could look at a trade with Mike Wallace. NFL.com and the Sun-Sentinel both reported earlier in the offseason that the Dolphins could be considering a trade with Wallace, as he has $9.9 million in salary and has been a disappointment overall since signing with the team. Tannenbaum said Wallace was under contract "for now" and that did not sound like a ringing endorsement for the wide receiver.
The crux of the issue likely will come down to money and the Sun-Sentinel reports that Wallace is "not willing" to restructure his deal. Wallace signed a five-year, $60 million contract a couple years ago he still has over $30 million left on the deal for the next three seasons. Ryan Tannehill is coming off of his best season and while it seems counter intuitive to get rid of two of his top three receivers, it also could free up the team to bring in more weapons.
Jarvis Landry stepped up last season as a rookie and with Hartline gone, he will be expected to have an even bigger role moving forward. Wallace has been a disappointment and also reportedly has had issues with Tannehill and that could make the Dolphins think he is not worth the trouble anymore, despite his talent. Wallace is one of the fastest players in the league and while he had 10 touchdowns last season, he has put up disappointing numbers based on his contract and his past performances in Pittsburgh.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Dolphins could chase after Jeremy Maclin in free agency if they move Wallace, as offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was previously with the Eagles. Maclin is coming off of a career season and he could be a good fit to replace Wallace, as they are about the same size and skill set, but Maclin is two years younger. Maclin has not been able to come to an agreement with the Eagles and the Dolphins could step up with a solid offer if they free up space by getting rid of Wallace.
Hartline was released as he was set to earn about $6 million in salary after signing a five-year, $30 million contract. Hartline frees up some space for the Dolphins and he was cut after a disappointing season of just 39 catches for 474 yards and two touchdowns. Hartline had been over 70 catches and 1000 yards in each of the previous two seasons and that made his drop-off even starker. Hartline is durable and has not missed a game since 2010.
