Dolphins Cannot Let Mike Wallace Drama Follow Them into the Offseason

Mike Wallace is under contract with the Miami Dolphins through 2017. No amount of caterwauling from the speedy wide receiver will change that. 

Or will it?

Wallace was benched for the second half of the Dolphins' Week 17 loss to the New York Jets. No one, not Wallace nor head coach Joe Philbin, will explain why, other than to say it was a "coach's decision."

"It was coach's decision," Wallace said after the game. "I went along with it. I just went along with what coach says."

"I've never discussed private conversations with players to anybody," Philbin said. "It was a private conversation. He and I had a discussion. Then I made a coaching decision. Really, that's all there is to it."

But that's not all there is to it. Something happened that spurred the benching. Whatever that something was, it probably does not bode well for Wallace's future with the team.

One report, according to Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post, says that Wallace pulled himself from the game before a play he was supposed to run. That, apparently, was Wallace's final play of the game and the 2014 season.

Philbin has jettisonned players from the team for far less egregious offenses. Just ask former Dolphins receiver Chad Ochocinco, whose cup of coffee in Miami ended while still piping hot following a domestic dispute that landed the flamboyant receiver in jail. You could also ask STATS.

Those situations were handled hastily, and there's no reason to think that this should be any different. Wallace counts $12.1 million against the cap next year, according to sports contracts website Spotrac, and although the Dolphins would save only $2.5 million by cutting him, that's money they could put to use in free agency. They could save $6.9 million if they designate him as a post-June 1 cut, which would allow his cap hit to be spread out over two seasons.

The problem then becomes what the Dolphins will do without their star receiver if they should decide to move on.

The Dolphins sorely lack red-zone threats, with Brian Hartline their tallest pass-catcher standing at 6'2". Tight ends Charles Clay (6'3") and Dion Sims (6'4") are taller, but the Dolphins will still probably need to find some semblance of a red-zone threat even if Wallace stays.

As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald points out, their options could be limited:

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If the Dolphins dump Wallace because of his sideline antics, there aren't a lot of great options in free agency, if one assumes Dez Bryant (Dallas Cowboys), Jeremy Maclin (Philadelphia Eagles) and Demaryius Thomas (Denver Broncos) stay put with franchise tags or long-term deals. 

That leaves a free agent class including Torrey Smith (Baltimore Ravens), Kenny Britt (St. Louis Rams), Randall Cobb (Green Bay Packers), Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis Colts), Hakeem Nicks (Indianapolis Colts), Eddie Royal (San Diego Chargers), Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers), Nate Washington (Tennessee Titans) and Wes Welker (Denver Broncos).

"

The Dolphins will have to address the wid receiver spot regardless, but they already have plenty of receivers who are better fits for the offense. Receivers Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson and Jarvis Landry provide a strong nucleus on which to build the foundation of the Dolphins' offense.

But they still need that big-play threat. That being said, it's fair to wonder whether Wallace is worth the money—and the migraine.

When Wallace joined the Dolphins, his speed and deep-ball ability were seen as the strengths he would add to their offense. The results have been mixed: some good, mostly bad. In the past two seasons, Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has completed only 12 passes on 60 attempts to Wallace that traveled 20 yards or more through the air, according to stats website Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

"Obviously, we want to hit more deep balls to him," Tannehill said. "That’s his forte. He’s got great speed. We want to get him the ball down the field. We're going to take a long, hard look at why we didn’t this year and correct those over the offseason."

There's also a question of whether Wallace is truly a fit for Dolphins offensive coordinator Bill Lazor's system. In 2014, he was targeted 115 times—fewer targets than last year by 26, but still the most on the team.

So, if Wallace is upset with his role in the Dolphins offense, his concerns may not be put to ease anytime soon.

In a twist on an old adage, keeping Wallace is less about dollars than sense.