Mike Wallace Signs With Ravens

The Ravens offense just got faster in a hurry. Baltimore is expected to agree to a deal with wide receiver Mike Wallace this afternoon. He is currently speaking with Head Coach John Harbaugh. The team will hold a press conference at 3:30 p.m. to make the announcement. It's a two-year deal worth $11.5 million, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Wallace arrived in Baltimore Monday and spent much of Tuesday at the Under Armour Performance Center as the team recruited the star receiver. The signing marks a second coup for the Ravens front office in back-to-back days. Like safety Eric Weddle, who came to an agreement with the team on Monday, Wallace is also a former Pro Bowler (2011). Wallace, 29, is entering his eighth season and fourth team in five seasons. The Vikings cut him one season after trading for him on March 13, 2015. The Ravens are quite familiar with what Wallace offers. He spent his first four seasons – the best stretch of his career – with the rival Pittsburgh Steelers, who drafted Wallace in the third round in 2009. While wearing black and gold, Wallace posted his only two plus-1,000-yard seasons. In 2010, he had 60 catches for a career-high 1,257 yards and 10 touchdowns. He averaged 21 yards per snag that season, second in the NFL only to DeSean Jackson. In 2011, Wallace posted a career-high 72 receptions for 1,193 yards and eight scores, earning his Pro Bowl trip. The Dolphins signed Wallace to a five-year, $60 million mega deal once his contract ran out with the Steelers. Wallace had a couple productive seasons in Miami, averaging 70 catches for 896 yards and 7.5 touchdowns, but the Dolphins didn’t see enough value for the money and traded him. Last year was the toughest of Wallace’s career as he posted career-lows in catches (39, tied), yards (473) and touchdowns (two). He played in all 16 games (he’s missed just one game during his seven-year career), but started just 12. Wallace wasn’t the perfect fit for Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater or Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Neither are known for attacking defenses deep down the field. That’s what Wallace will bring opposite Steve Smith Sr. and in conjunction with Breshad Perriman, who is expected to return this spring from the knee injury that derailed his rookie season. Wallace can utilize quarterback Joe Flacco’s big arm the way Torrey Smith did in Baltimore for four years. Wallace and Smith are both vertical threats who excel at getting behind defenses, and at least presenting the threat and opening up routes underneath. The Ravens have excelled with multiple vertical threats in their offense, such as in the Super Bowl run in 2012 when they paired Smith with Jacoby Jones. Baltimore now has quite a stable of wide receivers with Smith Sr., Wallace, Perriman, Kamar Aiken and Michael Campanaro. The team also has Cam Worthy and Chuck Jacobs on the current roster and could still add more receivers via the draft.