Signing both Mike Wallace & Greg Jennings/The Pat Riley effect

[dcnr226]

The similarities are eerie. The Miami Heat endured 3 years of mediocre basketball to get to the summer of 2010, creating cap space along the way, and then shook up the entire sport by signing the big 3.

-The Fins have 40+ millions in cap space.
-Jake Long and Reggie Bush and Randy Starks come off the books, with cheaper, viable replacements in place in Jonathan Martin and Lamar Miller and Jared Odrick
-Jeff Ireland is working for an owner in Stephen Ross that has given him a vote of confidence, is changing uniforms, upgrading the stadium (which is inevitable IMO) and legitimately wants to usher in a new era of Dolphins football. By all accounts, he is looking to go big..
-Waning fan interest in Dolphins football, in juxtaposition to the rise of the Miami Heat, whom they compete with for entertainment dollars
-5 years of investment in the defensive and offensive line, with no glaring holes on either
-a defense that looks to be, at the very least, SOUND for the foreseeable future
-exciting building blocks at 2 of the most important positions in an NFL organization: QB & Head Coach
-a plethora of draft picks, especially in the first 100. Cheap labor..
-arguably a top 3 slot receiver under contract in Davone Bess
-a destination in Miami where half the league probably already owns homes, no state income tax, etc

Assume that Greg Jennings takes a contract that pays him 8 mil (against the cap). Assume that Mike Wallace accepts a contract for 10 mil (against the cap). For the sake of this hypothetical, lets assume both contracts are for 4 years..

Why is this so absurd a notion? I have been arguing with friends and wrestling with it myself, but don't Greg Jennings and Mike Wallace perfectly complement each other? If you asked for the prototypes at both WR positions, you'd essentially come up with Wallace & Jennings.

-Mike Wallace is the burner, capable of going deep, getting YAC, and pushing the safety far out of the box.
-Greg Jennings (like Antonio Brown) is the route runner that can create separation with his elite route running.
-Both are proven in the league, unlike a receiver able to be had in the 1st round of the draft

Why not go for both? You'd still have 20+ million in cap space and all of your picks. In this scenario, i'd love to see Tyler Eifert (1st down machine) in the first, but signing these 2 essentially allows you to draft BPA throughout the draft, and/or go for a defensive end or corner back in the 1st. If both were signed, i don't think anyone here would have a problem even trading back and drafting a right tackle in the first round.

Imagine this offense..

QB-Ryan Tannehill
OL-Jonathan Martin, Richie Incognito, Mike Pouncey, Josh Samuda, John Jerry (this is for the hypothetical, not trying to argue the merits of THIS particular lineup)
TE-Eifert
FB-Charles Clay (Clay, assuming he bulks and embraces the FB position, would be a dynamic pass catcher at the FB position)
RB-Lamar Miller, Daniel Thomas
WR-Mike Wallace, Greg Jennings, Davone Bess, Rishard Matthews

Before i get attacked, answer me this question: why not?

Nobody thought what Pat Riley did was possible, but it was, and he made it happen..partially bc of Riley's foresight, partially bc Dwyane Wade helped recruit these guys, and partially bc this is Miami..and when on the rise, this is where athletes want to be.

There is no question that these guys can both contribute for the next 4 years. Both are respected in their respective locker rooms. So again, i'll ask...

why not?

 

[quickfish83]

1.) That o-line is not nearly good enough. Your counting on at least 2 backup caliber players. LOL!
2.) Hartline is a better deal in terms of yardage per dollar spent than Greg Jennings.
3.) Charles Clay is not a better FB than Javorskie Lane.
4.) Eifert is not best player available at 12 and wont be there for our second round pick. Trading down hasn't worked well for us.

 

[steveo style]

Would Wallace and Jennings both want to play in Miami? Who is playing cornerback again? That o-line is awful.

Other than that, sign me up.

 

[dcnr226]

1- Who are the 2 backup players? John Jerry played well in games, and the regime is high on Samuda. Also, again, we still have 20 million in cap space if they wanted to sign a offensive lineman OR they could draft one to plug in. Maybe a 2nd rounder.
2- i love Hartline. But you're really advocating Hartline over Jennings? I understand you're logic, but the 2 are not equal.
3- Everything i've come to understand is that Clay's future is at FB. He is an h-back, and would in all likelihood be a competent FB. Jovorskie Lane is a better blocker, but Clay becomes a receiving option..and btw, how often does Green Bay run the ball? That's the offense we are trying to achieve.
4- Eifert in the 1st

 

[dcnr226]

We have 5 picks in the first 100, and 20 million in cap space in this scenario to address cornerback. You're forgetting that.

 

[Pat-London]

1.)
2.) Hartline is a better deal in terms of yardage per dollar spent than Greg Jennings.

Easy to gain yards between the 20's. It's producing in the red zone that is critical and Hartline simply has not produced - Avg 1 TD per 30.5 Catches. Jennings is at 1td every 8.01 catches and Wallace is a td per 7.34 catches.

It's all about production. I like the aggressive approach of going after both Jennings and Wallace and completely agree that you need an Eifert to work inside. If they can get Clay to work more as a HB and work on his blocking - then there's a lot of talent out there. Although I'd like to see Fasano drop a few pounds and take over the H-Back role... he's got the level of intelligence and blocking skill to complement Eifert well.

Additionally, this approach would work towards easing the pressure on the OL as you're forcing a lot of the back 7 to respect this, they won't be playing the run as much or sitting in the short zones, because you now have 3 players [Wallace, Jennings and Eifert] who can stretch the 3rd level of the defence.

 

[dcnr226]

Easy to gain yards between the 20's. It's producing in the red zone that is critical and Hartline simply has not produced - Avg 1 TD per 30.5 Catches. Jennings is at 1td every 8.01 catches and Wallace is a td per 7.34 catches.

It's all about production. I like the aggressive approach of going after both Jennings and Wallace and completely agree that you need an Eifert to work inside. If they can get Clay to work more as a HB and work on his blocking - then there's a lot of talent out there. Although I'd like to see Fasano drop a few pounds and take over the H-Back role... he's got the level of intelligence and blocking skill to complement Eifert well.

Additionally, this approach would work towards easing the pressure on the OL as you're forcing a lot of the back 7 to respect this, they won't be playing the run as much or sitting in the short zones, because you now have 3 players [Wallace, Jennings and Eifert] who can stretch the 3rd level of the defence.

Fasano as an h-back is an intriguing notion i had not previously considered. Fasano being motioned to the offensive backfield to lead block, with Jennings and especially Wallace sitting on the outside would absolutely terrify opposing defenses....especially with Lamar Miller's speed.

 

[Penntastic]

2 offensive td's from our wide receivers all year. pitiful ......i agree IF POSSIBE we should TRY to sign at least 2 of these players. (Wallace, Bowe, Jennings)

 

[dcnr226]

to expand on the parallels with the Miami Heat...

Assume something of this magnitude happens...whose to say a veteran like Ed Reed doesn't see the aggressiveness of Ireland and decide to hop on (ala Ray Allen or Mike Miller), and finish his career where it started...in Miami? This is where he maintains a permanent residence, after all..

 

[dcnr226]

we should signed all 3 (Wallace, Jennings & Bowe)..............cause what we have now wont cut it......2 offensive td's from our wide receivers all year. pitiful

Bess plus Wallace & Jennings would be a Bess we have never before seen. He'd effectively become what Wes Welker has become in New England...

 

[jd13]

I think adding Wallace and Jennings would be awesome especially since Hartline wants 6m/yr. That means your only paying a few more million for Jennings. It could be done.

 

[petefins]

You're exactly right. A prime organization in our position/situation would go for both and they would Get both Wallace & Jennings. Hopefully Ireland/Ross can pull it off. We are the Miami Dolphins after all..

 

[dcnr226]

You're exactly right. A prime organization in our position/situation would go for both and they would Get both Wallace & Jennings. Hopefully Ireland/Ross can pull it off. We are the Miami Dolphins after all..

You, sir, are damn right...

 

[MiamiNative0722]

Go get both of these guys, trade up for Milliner, use the secound round pick on a tackle.

 

[MP-Omnis]

The Pat Riley effect is getting Jennings and Wallace and Ed Reed, but at 5 million a piece. Good GMs get good players to play for them. Pat Riley gets the best players to take a pay cut to play for him.