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As the Dolphins chase receiver Mike Wallace — a fairly obvious target for a team that doesn’t have enough of them in its passing game — he may not be the only guy the Fins pursue, or catch.

Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald explains that the Dolphins are in the midst of a free agency “paradigm shift,” which will cause them to explore players they previously would have ignored.

Salguero points to the fact that the Dolphins are interested in 37-year-old defensive back Charles Woodson and could be ready to make a run at 32-year-old receiver Wes Welker. In the past, the Dolphins wouldn’t have been able to get past the advanced age of free agents.

But why the change? Salguero doesn’t offer a specific reason, but here’s the most likely reality. Apart from the boost that big names can bring to a stadium with large, glaring patches of orange emptiness, the Dolphins eventually need to persuade a skeptical electorate to show up and vote “yes” for the use of public money to renovate SunLife Stadium.

What better way to do that than to spend a bunch of money on big-name players and hope this will create the kind of excitement that not only sells tickets but also buys votes?