OK, let me get this straight. So you're saying that right before the draft and FA period, even as the combine itself is starting its weigh ins, we're NOW getting wind of the internal plans of Miami to sign BOTH of the top WR's and NOT sign its own FA WR and NOT draft a WR. And in 6 pages most posters have accepted this rumor as fact and NOBODY even mentioned the word smokescreen? Color me skeptical. I'm pulling out the cylindrical container of Morton's, because I need more than a grain of salt with this one.
So, we'd have to 1) out bid EVERYONE for not only one receiver, but BOTH. Meaning any team looking for veteran WR help such as Clevland, St. Louis, New England, Carolina and Minnesota, would simply say "too rich for my blood" on BOTH guys and ignore the top level FA WR market? It doesn't strike people as unlikely that we could get them both at a good deal cap number and no team in the league would offer more? And this sounds like a great cap decision?
Then 2) that would assume that both players WANT to come here. I think it's fair to say that Jennings wants to come here ... for equal or higher money than will be offered elsewhere. Wallace may not want to because Clevland lets him prove the Steelers wrong and he knows he'd be featured in a downfield throwing offense that Norv Turner always produces and always makes stars out of fast receivers.
I suggest that as sinister and deceiptful as it may sound, our braintrust might just be throwing out some disinformation. Shock. Gasp. Que your shocked face Mr. E-Trade Baby!
Yes, Ireland may want to keep people guessing as he pursues both WR's in FA before making a call. If he can't afford Wallace and turns to Jennings as second choice, he may actually want Jennings to think he was first choice all along, but was trying to get both of them. Perhaps Ireland wants to go after Wallace but wants teams to think he wants Jennings, and this fictitious situation allows him to appear to be doing that. Maybe Ireland wants Hartline to come off his rediculous 6.6M/year number by letting him know that he isn't essential at a high salary. It's even possible that Ireland wants to grab a few WR's in the draft but wants the other teams to think he would prefer to not invest high picks on young players so he'll wait 1 more year for another FA after he signs Jennings.
As crazy as it might sound, there are valid reasons for Ireland to rev up the smokescreen machine.