Kenny Stills Is Not Mike Wallace 2.0
Wide receiver Kenny Stills is a replacement for Mike Wallace? Not so says the new starting receiver of the revamped Miami Dolphins. Stills spoke to reporters, including James Walker of ESPN, after Miami acquired him in a trade. The trade was reported by AP Sports.
The second year pass-catcher was added near the same time that former NFL Pro Bowler Wallace was sent packing.
Stills and Wallace are similar players in terms of size and playing styles.
The new Dolphins receiver is listed at six feet, 194 pounds, while Wallace is the same height, but six pounds heavier. Both rely on speed and separation to make plays against physical cornerbacks. For finesse defenders, they use perfect route-running in order to catch them off guard.
The other similarities between the two is they have both participated in the return game and they led their teams, the New Orleans Saints and Dolphins respectively, in average yards per catch.
Mike Wallace now will take his act to the Minnesota Vikings where he will catch for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. How he and Stills will perform with their new teams will be worth paying attention to. Wallace will undoubtedly be the Vikings top receiver. Minnesota is his third team in five seasons.
.@KSTiLLS is introduced in Davie. WATCH: http://t.co/lCMXAtIUoK pic.twitter.com/6gwDmTQw5x
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) March 14, 2015
Stills on the other hand has a few things to prove. Being the man who replaces Wallace is not on his short list of things to accomplish.
“I don’t think I was brought in to replace anybody. I’m just here to do whatever I can to help the team win. Mike is a great player, and I’ve looked up to everything he’s done.”
Immediately upon joining the Dolphins, several fans and NFL observers were quick to label him Mike Wallace 2.0. Stills is more of a complete player in his third year.
Early in his career Mike Wallace was only regarded as a deep threat. In Pittsburgh, the WR dazzled with his top notch speed and the home run-type of touchdown catching ability. After his third season he was lauded as one of the top split-ends in the NFL. Questions about his durability were raised because he seldom had to make catches in the middle of the field.
Stills has had to play each receiving position on the field – flanker, split-end and slot receiver. He is a better blocker at this stage of his career and his experience with the other areas on the field gives him a slight advantage. He is not as polished as Wallace is, plus he does not have the pure raw speed of Wallace, though he is quick.
When the Miami Dolphins traded for WR Kenny Stills they were looking for a playmaker with a high ceiling, at a bargain price. He is all off those things, but Mike Wallace 2.0 he is not.
[Photo by Brian Kersey/Getty Images]
