Why has Mike Wallace gotten off to a slow start?

  • Mike Wallace signs autographs during Miami Dolphins training camp, Monday, July 22, 2013, at Nova Southeastern University in Davie.
Mike Wallace signs autographs during Miami Dolphins training camp, Monday,… (Joe Cavaretta / Sun Sentinel )
July 23, 2013|By Omar Kelly, Sun Sentinel

DAVIE - We're three days into training camp and the Mike Wallace factor hasn't been felt so far.

Wallace hasn't roasted any cornerbacks deep.... YET. Without hitting we really can't tell his run-after-catch skills.....YET. And to be completely honest, Wallace doesn't have great chemistry with quarterback Ryan Tannehill....YET.

That was evident the entire offseason.

Their chemistry, which Sun-Sentinel columnist Dave Hyde addresses earlier this week, is a work in progress.

However, I can't help but recall Brandon Marshall's first training camp as a Dolphin. The four-time Pro Bowler truly lived up to his "Beast" nickname by pushing around all of Miami's defensive backs back in that 2010 camp.

Truth is, my memory of Marshall bullying Sean Smith, Vontae Davis, Jason Allen and Will Allen for the first few days of practice is etched in my mind. I remember thinking: "this is what an elite receiver looks like!"

Those types of practices haven't happened for Wallace YET, and I've got a couple of excuses reasons why that might be the case.

Hear me out for a minute.....

  • I've noticed two things about Wallace so far. He drops his share of passes in practice, and he doesn't always run full speed. For whatever reason he's rarely in gear five, and the reason I know this is because when he makes a cut its usually effortless. The fact he isn't at full speed keeps a cornerback from going into gear five, and as a result Brent Grimes, the deflection king, usually makes pretty good breaks on his balls.
  • Speaking of Grimes, the former Falcons' coverage of Wallace since OTAs either proves Grimes is back to his Pro Bowl status, or the Dolphins have paid way too much money for Wallace, who signed a five-year, $60 million contract. Maybe the truth is somewhere in-between. Dolphins fans better hope iron is sharpening iron on this one.
  • Some players simply don't practice well, but when the lights come on, and the bullets are live they play at another level. Cameron Wake is like that. This is my fifth season of watching Wake practice and I could probably count his standout practices on one hand (when Marc Colombo wasn't involved). Matt Moore is like that, despite his strong start this camp (it is testing my theory). It takes time and patience to understand who is who. What we can't forget is that Wallace averaged 17.2 yards per reception for four years, and has scored 32 touchdowns during the regular season. That just doesn't go away unless....
  • Wallace and Tannehill need to work on their chemistry. I haven't seen the pair connect on a long-ball during 11-on-11s yet, and we're going back to OTAs and minicamp. Keep in mind that Wallace was Ben Roethlisberger's homerun swing. Those two ate off broken plays, improvisation, and deep balls. Will Wallace be the same kind of weapon if he doesn't receive the same opportunities with the Dolphins?

Of all the new additions the Dolphins made I'd be lying if I told you Wallace has been the most impressive. He's probably fourth or fifth on the list at this point. But truth is I'm a patient man, and I understand players like Wallace change how defenses defend the entire team.

Keep in mind the Dolphins can easily feed Wallace opportunities when the team begins to gameplan.The slant will be there if teams give him a speed cushion. The out will be open because Tannehill has the arm to throw it. And Miami can run reverses and throw digs. The Dolphins can also put Wallace in motion to get favorable matchups.

Right now Miami's just practicing. Like Allen Iverson says, "we're talking about practice, not a game. Practice!. The offense is simply getting the basics out of the way, so we shouldn't overreact to the fact Wallace isn't destroying cornerbacks after three days.

Just like Wallace has to wait for his quarterback to throw him the deep ball, Dolphins fans need to be patient for him to get going.


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