Philadelphia Eagles: Don’t sleep on Mike Wallace in 2018

Newly acquired Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Mike Wallace is an excellent addition to an already great offense.

After winning the Super Bowl in 2017, the Philadelphia Eagles have been the talk of the offseason. Whether it is feuding with the President of the United States, discussing quarterback Carson Wentz’s recovery from a torn ACL or head coach Doug Pederson winning golf bets, the Eagles are always a topic of discussion.

This offseason, they made a couple of moves, but two of those moves have dominated any of the others with media coverage. The first one was trading for former Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett. The dominant defensive lineman is no stranger to the tabloids, and he continued that trend after Philly acquired him. He is currently in some legal trouble.

Then there was trading Torrey Smith for cornerback Daryl Worley. The Philly native had some buzz around his name as a potential starting cornerback. That was until that buzz was from a police taser when he was arrested near the stadium, which led to his release. Both of these two moves have dominated the coverage.

However, the Eagles made some other solid moves this offseason. One move in particular was, in my opinion, the best move of the offseason: signing wide receiver Mike Wallace.

It does not even seem like the Eagles signed Wallace because you hear nothing about it. It was just one of those moves that people look past and forget about. Everyone thinks Wallace, who is 31 years old, is not the same player he once was. However, do not sleep on this move, because Wallace can still fly — and if you blink, you will miss him catching a bomb from Wentz in 2018.

The addition of Wallace to the Eagles dominant offense will be scary to watch. With no disrespect to Smith, who the Eagles signed to help stretch the field in 2017, Wallace is better and more talented.

Wallace brings elite downfield speed and the ability to take the top off of the defense. Smith tried his best, but he was not what the Eagles expected, which is why he was traded this offseason. With Wallace, Wentz will be able to let the ball rip and trust that Wallace will be able to run under it and make the big play.

In 2017, Smith ended the year with 36 receptions for 430 yards and only two touchdowns. He averaged a career-low 11.9 yards per reception and seemed to get forgotten about. Wallace had 52 receptions for 748 yards and four touchdowns last season, furthermore cementing this move as an upgrade and not just another signing for the Eagles.

The signing of Wallace reminds me of when the Eagles traded for Timmy Jernigan before last season. Many people saw the move as just another move, but it was clear he was an upgrade over Bennie Logan, and that upgrade was felt all season on the way to the Super Bowl.

Lastly, Wallace does not get enough credit for his route-running ability and ability to turn a small play into a big play. A great example was in 2016 when he caught a slant route and took it 95 yards to the house. His underrated value as a possession receiver will play a huge role in his production in 2018. It also helps open up more for the other players around him. When Wallace is on the field, you need to be aware because he can do it all.

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If I had to predict his stats for the 2018 season, I think Wallace will get around 80 targets and turn those into 50 catches for 800 yards and eight touchdowns. That would give him 16 yards per reception, one yard over his career average of 15. He may never be like DeSean Jackson, but Wallace is the closest thing the Eagles have had since No. 10 was making big plays.