Wallace Clears Air

[Spider-Dan]

Saying that Wallace needs to put up numbers in order to be productive is missing the point.  If Hartline and Gibson explode in productivity, and Tannehill's numbers improve as well, but Wallace doesn't put up much stats, then he did his job.

Wallace's job is to clear out the middle of the field for the rest of the receiving corps.  He really only needs to make as many catches/TDs as it takes to maintain his effectiveness in that role (so, more than The Ginn Family did).  Much like Vince Wilfork, if all Wallace does is draw double teams all day, then his stats don't really matter: he is earning his paycheck.

[MikeO]

Saying that Wallace needs to put up numbers in order to be productive is missing the point.  If Hartline and Gibson explode in productivity, and Tannehill's numbers improve as well, but Wallace doesn't put up much stats, then he did his job.

Wallace's job is to clear out the middle of the field for the rest of the receiving corps.  He really only needs to make as many catches/TDs as it takes to maintain his effectiveness in that role (so, more than The Ginn Family did).  Much like Vince Wilfork, if all Wallace does is draw double teams all day, then his stats don't really matter: he is earning his paycheck.

Exactly. Who cares who is getting the "numbers" as long as the passing game is going well and the team is winning!!

[EKnight]

Apparently HE does or he wouldn't have cried about it and then had to backpedal, which is what this whole thread is about.

You're both missing my point though- you don't pay a receiver $60 million to be a decoy. You pay that kind of money to produce- which he hasn't done in quite a while (how does know one see this??). If at the end of the year, Wallace has between 750-800 yards receiving, and Hartline finishes as a 1000 yard guy, where's the return on investment? Hartline did that last year WITHOUT Wallace, so how's the team improved? If you get the same production from Wallace that you did from Bess last year (778 yards) for $45 million more dollars- money that clearly could have been better spent on O-line- no one is going to look at the Wallace signing as a success. 15-50 yards per game can't possibly be what Miami was hoping for. -EK

[MikeO]

You're both missing my point though- you don't pay a receiver $60 million to be a decoy. You pay that kind of money to produce- which he hasn't done in quite a while (how does know one see this??).

You pay him big bucks because he improves the offense and to help win games. Which Miami won this week and the offense looked drastically better than in years past. Mission Accomplished!

If you get the same production from Wallace that you did from Bess last year (778 yards) for $45 million more dollars-

Yeah because Bess drew double teams all game long, had 4.4 speed, and had the ability to stretch a defense which opens up other WR's and TE's in the passing game. IF you can't see the difference between Wallace and Bess then your clueless on this issue!

[fyo]

you don't pay a receiver $60 million to be a decoy. You pay that kind of money to produce- which he hasn't done in quite a while (how does know one see this??).

If opponents recklessly decide to double or triple cover Wallace all game, every game, then the offense wins big (even though Wallace won't get the numbers).

This is one of those situations where you have to look at the bigger picture (preferably coaches all-22 footage).

There's also the very real issue of getting in sync with Tannehill. That clearly hasn't happened yet and if Wallace had caught one of the bombs thrown to him (not placing blame!), we wouldn't be having this discussion.

All that said, the Dolphins may well have overpaid for Wallace. He's only 27 and his last year with Pittsburgh wasn't great. If you don't think he produced in 2010 and 2011, though, you are dead wrong. He was one of the very best receivers in the league both years.

If what we get is "2012 Wallace", $10+ million a year is way too much. If what we get is "2010/2011 Wallace", it's a steal.

Regardless, the team needed exactly what he brings to the table (great speed and "home run potential"). Hard to fault management for paying whatever they needed to in order to get him.

[EKnight]

Of course I see the difference between the two, but you're purposefully dodging my point- they won games last year and Hartline was a 1000 yard receiver WITHOUT needing Wallace there. There's no way around those things. Hanging your hat on a week 1 victory over a team that went 5-11 the previous year isn't very convincing of Wallace's worth. They didn't win because of Wallace; I'm not entirely sure they didn't win in spite of him missing at least one very long pass.

FYO- look back at the 2nd half of 2011. The last 8 games were a drastic drop off of his previous production. He hasn't been the same player since. I don't know what happened there, but the numbers don't lie. He had ~800 receiving yards and 5 TDs in the first half of that year, and ~400 and 2 TDs in the second half. -EK

[Landshark]

Of course I see the difference between the two, but you're purposefully dodging my point- they won games last year and Hartline was a 1000 yard receiver WITHOUT needing Wallace there. There's no way around those things. Hanging your hat on a week 1 victory over a team that went 5-11 the previous year isn't very convincing of Wallace's worth. They didn't win because of Wallace; I'm not entirely sure they didn't win in spite of him missing at least one very long pass.

FYO- look back at the 2nd half of 2011. The last 8 games were a drastic drop off of his previous production. He hasn't been the same player since. I don't know what happened there, but the numbers don't lie. He had ~800 receiving yards and 5 TDs in the first half of that year, and ~400 and 2 TDs in the second half. -EK

They didn't win games last year because of the passing game limitation.  They won in spite of them.

By the way, good to see you back here.

[Brian Fein]

Wallace will be fine.  Hartline will start murdering defenses when they put (a) their best CB on Wallace and (b) keep double-teaming him.  The only reason they can double him is because we don't have a viable TE threat. 

Once teams start trying to shut Hartline down too, Wallace will open up. 

He will beat guys just by speed alone.  The only thing left is for Tannehill to get the ball out there for him.

[MikeO]

Of course I see

FYO- look back at the 2nd half of 2011. The last 8 games were a drastic drop off of his previous production. He hasn't been the same player since. I don't know what happened there, but the numbers don't lie. He had ~800 receiving yards and 5 TDs in the first half of that year, and ~400 and 2 TDs in the second half. -EK

 
So a 1200 yard 8 TD season like he had in 2011 on an offense that had other weapons and spread the ball around is a bad year? That's laughable your knocking him for having a year like that

[EKnight]

Nice way to ignore my point. If you have 800 yards and 5 TDs in the first 8 games a sputter to a finish- which you continue for a full season afterward- there's a problem there. -EK

[MikeO]

Nice way to ignore my point. If you have 800 yards and 5 TDs in the first 8 games a sputter to a finish- which you continue for a full season afterward- there's a problem there. -EK

Its a 16 game season....all the games count! All the stats count! Cherry picking half the seasons stats to come with a stupid point is silly.

Wallace had a 1200 yard season with 8 TD's ...that isn't sputtering to anything. It's a great  season!

[EKnight]

It's a great half a season. His past 25 games have not been very good. 25 games is more than a season. 25>16. You get that right? The guy had an amazing year and a half, and the following year and a half he's been below pedestrian. -EK

[MikeO]

It's a great half a season.

Cherry picking stats again. That's why you can't be taken seriously around here. He had a 1200 yard season with 8 TD's. That's a good season, not half a season...FULL SEASON. Trying to divide the stats in half to go out of your way to knock him is a joke. In 2011 he had a good season with 1200 yards and 8 TD's. Debate over!

[masterfins]

Wallace will be fine.  Hartline will start murdering defenses when they put (a) their best CB on Wallace and (b) keep double-teaming him.  The only reason they can double him is because we don't have a viable TE threat. 

Once teams start trying to shut Hartline down too, Wallace will open up. 

He will beat guys just by speed alone.  The only thing left is for Tannehill to get the ball out there for him.

Exactly.  (hopefully)

[EKnight]

Cherry picking stats again. That's why you can't be taken seriously around here. He had a 1200 yard season with 8 TD's. That's a good season, not half a season...FULL SEASON. Trying to divide the stats in half to go out of your way to knock him is a joke. In 2011 he had a good season with 1200 yards and 8 TD's. Debate over!

No one is cherry picking. He's been a 50 yard per game guy for his last 25 games. He was a barely above average WR last year. You don't pay a guy $60 million based on something he hasn't produced in nearly two years. -EK