One-And-Done Wallace Didn’t Adopt “Minnesota Nice” While With The Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings released Mike Wallace due to financial considerations. Mike Wallace signed with the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday due to financial considerations. Anyone that pretends these things don’t come down to money, with few exceptions, is kidding themselves.
With that being said, emotion creeps into our views of our favorite teams, and we attach meaning to the words uttered by those players that are coming or going.
Wallace was a good soldier throughout his one season in Minnesota and was widely praised by the Vikings brass following the season. Upon his official departure, however, Wallace seemingly went out of his way to let his thoughts on Teddy Bridgewater be known.
[pull_quote_center]When this process started, I knew that I wasn’t going back to Minnesota. I was like, ‘I need a good quarterback. I need a quarterback who I know is proven and can get things done,'” Wallace said. “[Joe] Flacco, he’s always been that guy. I’ve always loved his deep ball. Always.[/pull_quote_center]
Again, these words are coming out of the mouth of a man that once willingly traded in Ben Roethlisberger for Ryan Tannehill… it is almost always about the money.
The Vikings struggled in the vertical game in 2015 and that is no secret. Depending on who you ask the blame can be assigned to Bridgewater, the time provided by the offensive line, the consistency of the wide outs, and even the playcalling of Norv Turner. The accurate diagnosis almost certainly involves a combination of all of those factors.
The Vikings have appeared proactive in addressing these issues so far this offseason. They hired offensive line coach Tony Sparano and made guard Alex Boone their top free agency acquisition. Additionally, they retained offensive lineman Mike Harris and Phil Loadholt while exploring other outside options like Andre Smith.
Additionally, they brought offensive mind Pat Shurmur aboard the coaching staff in a move that adds a mysterious wrinkle to predicting what the offense will look like in 2016.
Still, Wallace’s comments seemingly single out Bridgewater, which accurately depicts the fact that Bridgewater has plenty left to prove as an NFL quarterback. An ability to accurately and consistently throw the deep ball is near the top of that list.
Wallace has reason to be excited about the deep ball that Joe Flacco is capable of throwing. He admitted that he’d long been envious of Torrey Smith’s opportunities with Flacco at the helm.
This upcoming season, even if Wallace catches 1,200 yards worth of passes, I’m willing to bet that he ends up envious of his former Vikings teammates and their postseason successes.