WR Mike Wallace, Miami Dolphins

HT: 6-1, WT: 199, Born: 8-1-1986, College: Ole Miss, Drafted: Round 3

2013 Projections

Average draft position

Current as of May 21st. [Full ADP list]

Overall: M Ball (56), V Ballard (57), Mike Wallace (58), L Bell (59), M Stafford (60)
Position: E Decker (54-WR20), D Bowe (55-WR21), Mike Wallace (58 - WR22), P Garcon (63-WR23), D Amendola (65-WR24)
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PPR Average draft position

Current as of May 21st. [Full PPR ADP list]

Overall: A Luck (61), T Smith (62), Mike Wallace (63), R Wilson (64), S Smith (65)
Position: A Brown (59-WR24), T Smith (62-WR25), Mike Wallace (63 - WR26), S Smith (65-WR27), G Jennings (66-WR28)
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Outlook

Mike Wallace has taken his talents to South Beach, though it remains to be seen if his Pittsburgh numbers will translate into the same thing in Miami. Last year was a down year for Wallace, as he missed 1,000 yards for the first time since his rookie year. The Miami offense had some issues last year an they're hoping he's the cure for it, but Ryan Tannehill isn't Ben Roethlisberger and the rest of the offense isn't Pittsburgh's. Wallace has tremendous ability and huge upside. You know the Dolphins will get him the ball early and often, so he'll have opportunity. The question is, will that translate.

Latest News

Dolphins | Ryan Tannehill strong in practice (Tue May 21, 02:26 PM) - Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill was sharp during organized team activities Tuesday, May 21. Tannehill had big passes to WRs Brian Hartline and Mike Wallace. TE Dustin Keller was impressed with Tannehill's first practice. "You would think a guy who used to play wide receiver the best thing he does is run the ball," Keller said. "But he puts the ball right on the money and he's a good decision maker, as well."

Our View: The Dolphins have been searching for a real franchise QB ever since Dan Marino retired. That's what they have in second-year QB Tannehill. With the improved weapons around him (Dustin Keller, Mike Wallace) we could see Tannehill take a sizable jump in production this season.
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Dolphins | Mike Wallace thinks chemistry with QB will be fine (Wed May 15, 03:31 PM) - Miami Dolphins WR Mike Wallace said he does not think building chemistry with QB Ryan Tannehill will not be too difficult and expects the chemistry to be fine once training camp begins. Wallace said he works with Tannehill after each practice.

Our View: Tannehill has better weapons around him this year and should be able to make more plays than he did last year. He's got a big arm, athleticism, and fantastic pocket presence. Wallace should be able to become a favorite of Tannehill quickly.
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2013 Schedule

2012 Game Summaries

Week 1 - Considering he missed the entirety of training camp, Wallace had a nice showing in this game. His first catch was a 14-yard grab on a 3rd-and-15 where he ran a skinny post type of route towards the numbers and was barely tackled before the first down. He also showed his trademark deep speed despite not being able to connect on a long ball. Late in the game, Wallace streaked down the left sideline and was only denied a catch by a great play from the late-closing Tracy Porter (who had a top-notch performance Sunday night). Wallace also received an endzone target, which he was able to convert. From the wide-left side of the formation, Wallace ran a slant over top of a quick out by the slot receiver. Wallace kept the defender on his left hip nicely and caught a very well-thrown ball by Roethlisberger, who recognized that he had to throw the rare back-shoulder slant. Wallace will continue to grow from this performance as he gets 100% up to speed in the new offense. The Steelers’ passing game is their biggest (and perhaps their only) strength.

Week 2 - Wallace flashed some signs of the big-play guy he has always been when he caught a 37-yard touchdown. The ball was underthrown, perhaps intentionally, and he made an adjustment on it that left Antonio Cromartie over-running the play and out of position. Wallace also made some nice plays on short and intermediate routes, including a well-run curl route where he sold the deep route and got wide open to gain first down yardage. Wallace doesn’t look like a player who missed all of camp. His role and impact should only continue to grow as he progresses.

Week 3 - Wallace’s performance in the first three games would have you believe he was present for all of training camp and has been in Todd Haley’s offense for years. He’s finding open spaces on all levels of the defense and running crisp routes. Instead of a deep ball specialist, he’s turning into a go-to WR. Wallace and Roethlisberger’s rapport was evident on Wallace’s touchdown, as Wallace continued his route across the back of the endzone – always with an eye on Roethliberger, who was extending the play. Wallace began the 2011 season hot out of the gates and then cooled off, but there are no signs of that in an offense where he’s the number one option and will be throwing often to support a bad running game.

Week 5 - Wallace didn't have a good game as the Steelers' gameplan wasn't complementary to his skill-set. He didn't work back to the football after Roethlisberger scrambled in the pocket to extend the play. Wallace's lacklusture effort allowed the defender to knock the ball down. His first catch was a curl route in the soft spot of zone coverage. His second reception was taken away from him when a linebacker made an obvious pass interference play on him that went uncalled underneath. Wallace's biggest potential reception on the day was wasted when he dropped a deep out after Roethlisberger threw him a very accurate pass.

Week 6 - Wallace only had two catches on the game, but he made one count. On an 82-yard touchdown catch, Wallace simply ran past the cornerback guarding him (despite significant cushion in what appeared to deep-thirds coverage) and hauled in the on-the-money pass from Ben Roethlisberger. He didn’t even need a double move to beat very soft coverage deep, which is vintage Wallace. Another vintage Wallace component to his game also showed up though – his tendency to go un-noticed for much of the game (especially on 3rd downs). Antonio Brown has been the preferred 3rd down target since the middle of last season, but he was blanketed pretty well in the game (leading to his low catch rate). It’s the kind of situation where a high-caliber receiver should step up and demand the ball, but crisp route-running and precise timing with his quarterback still aren’t parts of Wallace’s game. Roethlisberger only looked his way four times. None were in the second quarter, and the last was with 9:56 left in the game.

Week 7 - – Mike Wallace had a game to forget against the Bengals. Despite being very effective on receiver screens and quick slants, he was unable to capitalize on mid-range and deep passes. Despite Ben Roethlisberger accurately targeting him all over the field, Wallace had two costly drops on plays that would have resulted in large gains. His first drop came on a sure first down on a Roethlisberger pass. On the play, Wallace ran a crossing pattern from right to left as Roethlisberger tried to avoid the pass rush. The quarterback threw off his back foot, hitting Wallace in the hands just past the first down marker. Perhaps Wallace's most egregious drop of the day came on a deep pass from Roethlisberger to the left back corner of the end zone. Wallace had beaten his man and had to slow down to wait for the ball. The Bengals' defender managed to get a finger on the ball, disrupting its path just enough that Wallace could not secure it. That said, the ball bounced right off his hands yet again. Wallace also had two rushes on end arounds, the first resulting in a six yard loss and the second going for a 13 yard gain and a first down. The Steelers were focused all game on putting the ball in Wallace's hands both as a receiver and a rusher. Even with the drops he still had 8 receptions. But considering the 15 targets that came his way and the drops he had on long opportunities, Wallace is fortunate that his erratic play did not contribute to the Steelers losing an important divisional contest.

Week 8 - Wallace’s yards per catch average may be suffering as a result of Todd Haley’s quick-passing attack, but the amount of targets he’s receiving seems to be keeping him in the game mentally and giving him more chances to be consistent. On the team’s very first drive, Wallace had three catches for 22 yards – all three of which were on passes thrown fewer than five yards down the field. The team’s continued usage of quick wide receiver screens to get its playmakers in space as a way to supplement the run game and stay on schedule are making Wallace and Antonio Brown a significant part of the game plan. Wallace isn’t striking deep as often as in years past, but Pittsburgh is likely to change that as the season progresses. So far this season, opposing defenses have a lot of film on the short passing game. When Pittsburgh sees an opportunity to uncork a deep ball on a defense leaning forward, they’ll take it. Another thing to keep in mind for the whole Pittsburgh passing game is that a newly-discovered effective run game opens up play action – a great way to get Wallace and the gang deep.

Week 9 - Mike Wallace only had 3 catches but one catch was all he needed to show the world how incredibly gifted he is with the ball in his hands. In the fourth quarter, Wallace produced an incredibly athletic play on a simple in breaking route on the outside. Wallace secured the catch over the middle of the field and turned on his elite speed to outrun the entire defense. Wallace ran away from all would-be tacklers, made the safeties look silly with terrible tackling angles and simply had too much speed to be caught from behind once he got rolling. Wallace only managed short gains apart from this and wasn’t able to produce another big play despite the absence of WR Brown. However, the Steelers were not able to throw deep down the field and they emphasised a running game that was incredibly productive for them and greatly reduced the number of pass attempts from QB Roethlisberger. The Steelers also got the football on very short fields often due to some excellent special teams plays and methodically moved down the field with good run/pass balance that didn’t require big plays down the field from Wallace.

Week 10 - Wallace's first reception came over the middle for seven yards. The Steelers took their first shot to Mike Wallace deep in the second quarter, but the ball hit off Wallace's finger tips and fell to the ground. If Wallace is blamed for a drop on the deep ball, he definitely made up for it at the goalline with a one handed catch over Brandon Flowers when he used his knees to coral the football. Wallace caught a quick pass in the flat from Leftwich, but screen passes weren't working with Leftwich in the game as his release allowed defenders to arrive with the football. Wallace had one deep target with Leftwich in the game, a better throw would have given him a chance coming free over the middle, but the quarterback overthrew him.

Week 11 - It was a frustrating game for Wallace. On his team’s first play from scrimmage, Wallace was open on a deep post down the left sideline, but the Baltimore defender grabbed him and negated the play. A penalty was called, but a successful completion would have boosted his confidence and set the tone for the game. Wallace demonstrated he can get behind defenders quickly and showed his initial push off the line of scrimmage. During his team’s next drive, Wallace caught a slant route in traffic and accelerated up the field for 15 yards. However, Baltimore corner, Chris Johnson poked the ball away after Wallace secured the catch, resulting in a turnover. This mistake led to three Baltimore points. During the second quarter, Wallace secured his second reception on a nine-yard, out-route. Wallace defeated the press coverage at the line of scrimmage for inside position before making his break to the sideline. During the second half, Wallace had an opportunity to score a touchdown, but a poor Leftwich throw negated the opportunity. On a 3rd-and-2 play, Wallace ran a fade route in the end-zone, but was only able to get one foot in bounds. If Leftwich delivers a better ball, Wallace completes the play and gives Pittsburgh the lead. During the fourth quarter, Wallace secured two catches for minimal gains. His last reception occurred on the last play of the game where laterals ensued.

Week 12 - If it wasn’t for two occasions on which he and Charlie Batch weren’t on the same page, Wallace would have been nearly invisible in the first half. He had zero catches in the opening 30 minutes and was targeted deep twice, both of which were routes he broke off and ended up nowhere near the ball. Wallace’s second half wasn’t much better. A drive prior to a 3rd down play where he and Batch appeared to reading a different book again, Wallace was targeted on a quick slant. The ball was on his back hip, but it was catchable. Instead, he bobbled it, and a tip drill that led to a Cleveland interception ensued. Wallace might just be slacking his way out of Pittsburgh, as he continues to appear apathetic for large portions of games. The interception made by Joe Haden was on an underthrown deep ball to Wallace. While it would have been a tough play to prevent, Wallace showed no effort or physicality to “play defense” and attempt to prevent the interception. He has elite speed, but he’s not progressing in route-running or physical play that a guy needs to be an “elite” receiver.

Week 13 - Wallace caught an underneath reception for six yards on second and nine for his first catch of the day. Notably, he was very aggressive with the ball and looked determined opposed to shying away from contact, as he has somewhat in recent weeks. Regardless of how he looked then, Wallace dropped a deep ball down the right sideline that was an easy reception. To go along with the drop, Wallace had his feet out of bounds when the ball arrived also even though he wasn't under any pressure. Wallace was wide open in the endzone only a few plays later, but Charlie Batch dramatically over threw him. Wallace caught a shallow comeback route over the middle towards the end of the third quarter. Wallace's next catch came with four minutes left in the fourth quarter. In single coverage, Wallace ran a deep curl on a perfectly timed pass from Batch. Batch went straight back to Wallace on a quick pass to the flat when he sprinted forward for eight yards. He was shaken up at the end of the play. Wallace came back two plays later, before catching a deep comeback late in the play for a first down and 10 yards.

Week 14 - With QB Ben Roethlisberger returning from injury after a three week absence, it was expected that Wallace would once again regain his regular role within the offense. The Steelers clearly made a concerted effort to get him involved, right from the opening play. They ran a designed screen to Wallace to get the ball in his hands. Pittsburgh also gave the ball to Wallace on a WR reverse handoff. Those plays didn’t go very far, but Wallace still saw a great deal of opportunities throughout. That’s not to say he took advantage of all the extra looks. He had a chance for a huge play midway through the second quarter on a deep ball from their own 12-yard line. Roethlisberger hit Wallace in stride, but the ball hit his fingertips and fell incomplete. Had the ball been thrown closer to the middle of the field, it probably would have been an 88-yard touchdown. Since it was thrown a little bit to the outside, Wallace had to make an adjustment for it at the last moment and it bounced away incomplete. He was targeted on another deep ball down the sideline later in the first half. Wallace looked to be interfered with, but no call was made. With the Chargers up big in the second half, the defense softened a bit and Wallace took full advantage. He got loose to make a nice grab in traffic on a 40-yard bomb to the end zone (a perfect pass by Roethlisberger). And on one mid-fourth quarter drive, Wallace totaled 45 yards on four receptions - capping the drive with an 11-yard touchdown grab over the middle. He reached up and caught it with his hands instead of letting it get to his body, and was able to put the finishing touches on a big afternoon (and more importantly, a return to fantasy relevance).

Week 15 - Roethlisberger and Wallace couldn't connect early in the game over the middle when Brandon Carr made a good play on the football. Roethlisberger went back to Wallace again in the first quarter as he tried to hit him deep down the right sideline, but couldn't connect again. Roehtlisberger went straight back to Wallace for a backshoulder throw and a first down on the next snap. The Cowboys challenged that reception however and it was overturned. Another drop for Wallace. Wallace finally caught the deep ball behind the secondary that had been evading him all season long in the third quarter. Wallace ran a deep seam route before catching the ball inside the two yard line. After his big gain deep, Roethlisberger threw a slant bubble screen to Wallace that went for 20 yards down the right sideline. Wallace caught a crossing route underneath on second and six for four yards. Wallace caught a wide open curl route underneath for 11 yards and a first down.

Week 16 - On third and four, Wallace broke free on a deep crossing route, but Roethlisberger couldn't hit him on a difficult pass while moving outside the pocket. Wallace's first reception came in the third quarter on a deep comeback when he did well to catch the ball and keep his feet in bounds. The Steelers went straight back to Wallace on an end around that was read and stopped for a loss by the Bengals.