WR Wallace joins Birds on one-year deal

The Eagles added drama, and speed, to the wide receiver position Thursday in the form of Mike Wallace, who agreed to a one-year contract for the bargain-basement price of $2.5 million, according to reports.

Wallace might have better hands than Torrey Smith, the veteran he’s replacing. There’s no question he has more baggage than Smith, the deep threat traded to the Panthers for cornerback Daryl Worley.

It’s been a while since Wallace made a difference.

Wallace, who turns 32 in August, was at his best stretching defenses in 2010 when he caught 60 passes for 1,257 yards (21.0 yards-per-catch) and 10 touchdowns with the Steelers.

A few years later, the Steelers let Wallace walk in free agency to make better use of elite receiver Antonio Brown. Brown responded with the first of five straight 100-catch seasons, notching 10 or more TD’s in four of those campaigns.

Wallace tallied 10 TD’s in 2014, his second season with the Dolphins, who signed him to a fiveyear, $60 million contract. But his receiving yardage plummeted, and in 2015, he benched himself in the regular-season finale, infuriating then Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin and teammates. After the game, teammate Brandon Gibson answered questions about Wallace’s actions while standing next to his locker.

The Vikings shipped Wallace and a seventhround pick to the Vikings for a fifth-round pick, and his production tailed off.

Wallace got his third career 1,000-yard season two years ago with the Ravens, catching 72 passes, four for TD’s. The Ravens finished 8-8.

Last year Wallace had just 748 receiving yards on 52 grabs.

In the last three seasons, Wallace has 10 total touchdowns split among the Dolphins, Vikings and Ravens.

The Eagles touted Wallace (6-0, 200) as one of 10 active NFL players with 8,000 career receiving yards and 500 career receptions. The others are Brown, Larry Fitzgerald, Antonio Gates, A.J. Green, DeSean Jackson, Julio Jones, Brandon Marshall, Demaryius Thomas and Jason Witten.

Wallace is the only active player to produce 500 receptions and 50 receiving touchdowns while averaging 15.0 yards per reception, per the Eagles.