Five things to know about new Eagles wide receiver Mike Wallace

The Philadelphia Eagles added some more speed to their wide receiving corps on Thursday by signing veteran free agent wide receiver Mike Wallace.

In order to better get to know the Eagles’ new pass catcher, I thought it’d benefit BGN readers to get a Baltimore Ravens perspective on Wallace. In order to do that, I reached out to Matt Cohen of Baltimore Beatdown. Here’s what he had to say.

1 - Can you sum up Wallace’s stint in Baltimore?

In one word, Wallace’s stint was inconsistent. Wallace made some really big plays for the Ravens during his two year tenure. For example, when the Lions came to Baltimore in 2017, Wallace made a huge reception on a deep ball which kickstarted the Ravens offense, and offense that had by awful in the games prior. Wallace had a 1,000 yard season in 2016 with the Ravens. Though for as many big plays he made, he made a number of brutal mistakes. He disappeared in some big moments, and was never fully reliable.

2 - How did Ravens fans react to him leaving in free agency? Did they want him back?

Wallace’s departure seems to be met with a mixed reaction. Some fans did want him back, but others were happy to see him leave. General manager Ozzie Newsome said he was going to chance the personnel the wide receiver room, and while Wallace has been the Ravens most productive receiver over the past two years, his departure was not unexpected. Those who wanted him back called for getting him on a cheap contract, looking at the positives he brought to the team during his tenure. Those against his return cited the mistakes he made, and were happy with the revamped corps of Michael Crabtree and John Brown.

3 - What are Wallace’s strengths?

Wallace can still take the top off the defense. He may be 31 years old, but he’s still one of the quickest players in the NFL. With Joe Flacco’s big arm, Wallace ran a number of go-routes. While Flacco and Wallace didn’t have a consistent connection, when they were able to hook up, it made a for a big play. As has always been the case with Wallace, he isn’t a possession receiver, but Wallace instead separates with his speed, drawing safety attention.

4 - What are Wallace’s weaknesses?

Wallace’s hands were very inconsistent. Wallace had multiple brutal drops during his two years in Baltimore. He also struggled to track and adjust to throws. If he had any type of contested catch, Wallace ins’t likely to win it. Again, Wallace disappeared in big moments.

5 - Anything to know about Wallace off the field?

To my knowledge, Wallace is pretty clean off the field. The problems any fan ever would have with him, likely, will be his inconsistent play on the field.