Featured Column: Mike Wallace - Special talent, not special teamer

The Fullback Dive - Written by Benjamin Meyer
Earlier this week an article by Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com brought up the idea of Mike Wallace returning kicks for the Dolphins this year. In an interview for a UK-based sports network, Mike Wallace said “I might get back there for kickoff returns…I’ve always wanted to return kicks ever since I’ve been in the NFL.” And while returning kicks may be a dream for Mike Wallace (and an exciting opportunity for Dolphins’ fans), that’s all this special teams interest will be.

Understanding why Mike Wallace will purely line up as a wide receiver this year starts with putting into context how he impacts the rest of the Dolphins’ pass-catchers. Mike Wallace’s bread-and-butter is straight-line speed, and when he gets going at top-speed, boy is it a thing of beauty. Even when he’s not catching balls, or being thrown at for that matter, just the threat of him beating the cornerback guarding him downfield forces a safety to track his every movement. So even though he had a relatively “disappointing” first season with the Dolphins, catching 73 passes for 930 yards and five TDs, his mere presence was one of the most important reasons for the success of the rest of the Dolphins’ pass-catchers. 

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