The Miami Dolphins essentially swapped receiver Mike Wallace for wideout Kenny Stills Friday, and saved a whole lot of money in the process.
Miami traded linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and a third-round pick to the New Orleans Saints for Stills, and later sent Wallace and a seventh-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for a fifth-rounder.
Both Wallace and Ellerbe were cap-clearing moves, and the later move was made easier given the team had snagged his replacement hours before.
Both Wallace and Ellerbe were cap-clearing moves, and the later move was made easier given the team had snagged his replacement hours before.
According to Spotrac.com, Stills will earn around $600,000 this season... while Wallace's tab is around $10 million. Talk about some savings, especially given the team also dumped around $8.5 million in salary with Ellerbe. It helps, given the massive contractive the Dolphins gave Ndamukong Suh.
But back the receivers. The Dolphins are losing a guy coming off a 67-reception, 862-yard, 10-touchdown season. Although the 22-year-old while Stills hadn't found the end zone as much (three TDs), he snagged 63 receptions for 931 yards in 2014.
Through two seasons, the former third-round pick out of Oklahoma has totaled 95 receptions for 1,572 yards and eight touchdowns. Stills' 16.5 yards per reception is ninth-best in the NFL since he entered the league in 2013, according to the Sun Sentinel.
“We are excited that we were able to acquire Kenny Stills,” Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey said in a statement. “He is a talented, young and ascending player who has been very productive in his first two seasons in the league.”
Miami's route-running corps will look much different this year with the departure of Wallace, Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson, coupled with the addition of the speedy Stills and middle-of-the-field threat Jordan Cameron. The fate of hybrid player Charles Clay is to be determined.
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