The clock is ticking for Mike Wallace. The wide receiver is well aware that his future with the Miami Dolphins is being put into question thanks to his high salary cap hit and low stats on the field. With three wide receivers set to be big hits on the pay roll, someone must go and the first priority of business will be to decide if Wallace is that player or if Brian Hartline or Brandon Gibson get ousted instead.
The Dolphins are remaining extremely non-committal when it comes to Wallace's future as decision day looms. The wide receiver is currently the highest-paid member of the Miami Dolphins, but has yet to meet expectations regarding his contract. Wallace has complained about the coaching staff and quarterback issues. He has too many dropped passes to his name. He benched himself in Week 17. All of those issues have piled up and now general manager Dennis Hickey says the Dolphins are exploring all options in regards to Wallace.
"We're looking at all things with our players," Hickey said via The Miami Herald. "We look at all those things with our players. Again, it was a disappointing finish, there's no sugarcoating that."
The decision on Wallace could be a hard one to make. The wide receiver is talented and if he returns, Wallace is a player to build around alongside quarterback Ryan Tannehill. However, his contract is not welcomed. The Dolphins would have to pay Wallace $3 million in guaranteed money just to get him off the team. However, designating him a post-June 1 cut will save the team $6.9 million in cap space. That is very welcomed in Miami as they aim to build up talent with Tannehill.
The Dolphins' offense could look very different in 2015, but one thing is certain, Tannehill will be a part of it. Hickey made it clear that he is excited about the future ahead for Tannehill and the team is committed to making the relationship with him last a long time. The Dolphins have the option of picking up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract which is a $15 million commitment. The Dolphins could also try and negotiate and easier deal with Tannehill for the future.
"We are excited about [Tannehill's] future as a Dolphin. ... We saw a lot of progress [in 2014]," Hickey said. "Dawn [Aponte] has done a great job with the cap. ... Now we have some difficult decisions to make."
Essentially, Tannehill's contract hurts Wallace's future even more. It could also factor in to the futures of Dannell Ellerbe, Cortland Finnegan and Randy Starks. The Dolphins do not intend on overspending in the offseason which means the chances Wallace is on the free agent market come the start of the offseason are pretty high.
