It took three days of Miami Dolphins training camp before the first negative report about Mike Wallace came out. Perhaps the only surprise is that it took so long.
From the South Florida Sun Sentinel's Omar Kelly: "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."
It goes on from there, with Kelly comparing Wallace unfavorably to Brandon Marshall's first days in Miami. Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes regularly has gotten the better of Wallace, per Kelly. Kelly also said Wallace is only the "fourth or fifth" most impressive new Dolphin this offseason.
"Speaking of Grimes, the former Falcons' coverage of Wallace since (organized team activities) either proves Grimes is back to his Pro Bowl status, or the Dolphins have paid way too much money for Wallace," Kelly wrote.
Kelly's article was written after three days of training camp and only one day of full-padded practices. Real football hasn't started. Saying it's a little early to evaluate would be a massive understatement. Kelly noted that Wallace hasn't caught a long pass from Ryan Tannehill during 11-on-11s dating back to organized team activities and minicamps, which is surprising. But it's July 24. None of this really matters.
The most interesting part of the article is that it was written at all. Wallace is a target now. Not just for opposing defenses, but for a rabid media and fan base that quickly could turn offseason hype into premature disappointment.
