The Great Mistake of signing Hartline: A Waste of #2 WR Money + Foolish Strategy

[finfan54]

The PROBLEM with Hartline is that he was called to be something last year that he wasn't and that is a bon-a-fide number 1 wideout simply because he was the best we had at the time. The great thing of this is that we know exactly what we are getting with this guy and his ceiling is very limited. The worst problem with Hartline is that he cannot make adjustments to a deep ball that most true wideouts do. I remember a game where Tanny threw the ball and it wasn't perfect but Hartline made absoutely no adjustment to the ball and I think he was past the defender and the ball hit the turf. The ball has to be perfectly thrown into his chest for him to really be successful. At least we know what we have.

We as fans are looking for our Alvin Harper when in fact we don't even have our Michael Irvin yet.

here is the deal, I will repeat once again, cus many just dont get it. We dont have a system based on a #1, a #2, or a #3. You simply have four or five guys with TE's who play the system and you get open and work with the Qb to 1) Catch the ball -which Brian Hartline is very very good at 2) read the defense, audible with QB and sit or continue route in what the defense gives you. Check Hartline 3) Make plays. Aside from TD's Hartline consistently made plays and downfield!!!!

Brian Hartline gets it. Philbin wants to keep him cus he gets it. Now we must find more who get it and get open. If Mike Wallace doesnt get open and get this offense, he wont be getting the ball as much as he would like.

 

[BGtoKNfor6]

here is the deal, I will repeat once again, cus many just dont get it. We dont have a system based on a #1, a #2, or a #3. You simply have four or five guys with TE's who play the system and you get open and work with the Qb to 1) Catch the ball -which Brian Hartline is very very good at 2) read the defense, audible with QB and sit or continue route in what the defense gives you. Check Hartline 3) Make plays. Aside from TD's Hartline consistently made plays and downfield!!!!

Brian Hartline gets it. Philbin wants to keep him cus he gets it. Now we must find more who get it and get open. If Mike Wallace doesnt get open and get this offense, he wont be getting the ball as much as he would like.

Call it whatever you want it, the reality is that Brian hartline has nearly no growth potential and one could consider him an overachiever. He needs the ball to be nearly perfectly thrown especially deep to make a play. Any separation or second gear once the ball is in the air is not going to happen. He makes poor LOS adjustments on deep balls and hand fighting is enough to get him off his route. He has zero feel for the endzone. While he has a definite value in terms of team continuity with Tannehill and definitely is a role player within the offense, he is best suited as a third down move the chains possession wideout. I'm glad to have him back but he is nowhere near the attributes and intangibles to be a marquis wideout that any team is looking for. His best seasons will come if he has someone opposite him that can draw the double team. Even then don't expect a huge breakout campaign.

Again, many fans are looking for the Alvin Harper before the Michael Irvin. We have needed a Michael Irvin in a dolphins uniform for decades. Hell I'd be happy with a Marvin Harrison/Reggie Wayne combo.

 

[LtDan]

With the numbers 6 and 6.5 million per year being thrown around for resigning Hartline, I just have to post regarding the limitation that will bring Miami's offense.

For sake of argument, let's say Miami signs Wallace [Note: the argument gets even more powerful if Miami doesn't sign Wallace, more on that later]. Anyway, say Miami signs Wallace, a WR that MUST be double-covered in some fashion, if the opposing team hopes to hold the Phins in check. However, that weapon is nullified to extreme degree IF the number 2 WR on the other side of the field can EASILY be single-covered and poses no threat to gash the D down the field. Which, of course, is exactly what Hartline is: He'll be paid excellent NUMBER 2WR money, without the ability to be a number 2 that can make opposing teams pay for single coverage.

Not only that, whenever you pay an extremely mediocre WR that much money, you rob yourself of money that could go toward greater talent -- say Wallace at WR or Cook at TE.

Do the numbers:

Which tandem would you rather have? Which would put the most pressure on opposing teams? Wallace + Hartline for 19 million per, together. Or, Wallace + Cook for 21 million per, together?

Laugh. It ain't even close. Hartline with his slow-foot, non-physical, non-separation, non-leaping, non-redzone, poor catch-radius ability just ain't maximizing anything for the O. It's a waste of money AND a waste of a number 2 skill position that DEMANDS speed and talent, leaping ability and physical play and great catch radius, if not great speed. Hartline has NONE of those things.

And one thing is certain: If Hartline gets signed for anywhere near 6 mill w. guaranteed money involved, you might as well fold up that money and smoke it, if a number 2 playmaker is your goal. The Fins will have necessarily COMMITTED themselves to mediocrity at that position -- AND wasted money that could have gone for Cook, etc. -- OR, passed on potential gamebreaking WRs in the draft and skill/potential in lower rounds because they already "filled" that position.

WRONG. Waste of money and a number 2 roster space.

Please send Hartline and his 6 million dollar request on his way. Instead, sign Wallace and Cook and start from there, in the draft...

Sincerely,

LD

*shakes head in amazement at some people*

 

[Fins1971]

ADD ME TO THAT LIST!

Since that time Hartline has contributed .014% of our points scored

Looking at the game log from the Oakland Raider game I can see where Brian Hartline contributed to 4 TD drives and 28 points in one game alone.
He was unstopable that day with 9 catches for 111 yards. The opening drive featured him and setup a RT rushing TD. While Hartline didn't score that day his presence was felt by helping the Dolphins march into the red zone 4 times in the game. Without him there is no way we score 35 points that day.

Football is a team game. Just because Hartline didn't score the TD's didn't mean he was a large part of why they were scored.
Some of you people just don't understand football.

 

[Fins1971]

In the game against the Cardinals Hartline caught 2 passes on a drive and took us into the red zone where we scored the opening FG.
Then later caught 2 more passes during a 95 yard TD drive. His two catches accounted for 76 of the 95 yards. The second catch put the ball on the oppenents 1 yard line where Javorski Lane scored the short TD. But you would criticize hartline for (NOT GETTING INTO THER ENDZONE) rather than praising him for setup up the easy TD.
Then later in the game with all monemtum switched to Arizone and our lead gone, Hartline comes through with his only TD of the year to put us ahead again.
So Arizona game Hartline directly contributed to 18 of the 21 point scored in that game by continually putting us in the opponents red zone.

I can do this all day ands show you haters that without Hartline we probably would have scored about 10 points per game last year.

I'm 4 games into the season and have 6 TD drives and 1 FG drive that Brain Hartline was a major contributor.

I'll keep going and see how foolish you feel when you see he helped us score nearly half of our points last season,

But yeah I know he only scored 6 points by himself and he not worth it.

 

[Fins1971]

Against Cincinnati, facing 3rd down and just outside of FG range, Hartline and Tannehill connect for 1st down that leads to final FG which seals the game for Dolphins.
Without those 3 points the bengals would have had a chance to kick a FG to win late instead of needing TD and failing to get it.

game 5 Hartline contributes to a huge 3 points.

The count now
6TD's 2FG's

 

[Fins1971]

In the second Jets game Hartline caught a pass on opening drive to put us in Fg range which we converted.
Then later caught several passed on a drive with one putting the ball on the opponents 2 yard line.
An easy Daniel Thomas TD followed setup by the good play of hartline.

10 more points,

7 TD's 3 FG's

 

[Fins1971]

Indy game,

Hartline converts a 3rd down to put us in Fg range, Once again we convert th FG and start the game ahead thanks to Hartline's key conversion.
On the second drive hartline contributes 45 receiving yards in a 80 yard TD drive that put us back ahead.

Another TD and FG in this game

8TD's 4FG's

 

[Fins1971]

So here we are tracking his contribution to scoring over the 1st 8 games of 2012

In those 8 games the Dolphins scored a measly 19 TD's with 1 coming on punt return and another coming on a punt block.

17 TD's scored by offense and Hartline contrbuted greatly to 8 of them in the 1st half of season.

 

[Cowboynemo]

Love the re-sign...it makes us better. We might have paid a few more dollars for Hartline, but he's as good as any other FA at the No. 2 spot...and he's already knows the system. Go Phins, this is a +1.

 

[PlexGod]

So here we are tracking his contribution to scoring over the 1st 8 games of 2012

In those 8 games the Dolphins scored a measly 19 TD's with 1 coming on punt return and another coming on a punt block.

17 TD's scored by offense and Hartline contrbuted greatly to 8 of them in the 1st half of season.

I like the work your putting in to defend to guy and its nice to see him contribute but he is not worth the $$. Look i could do what your doing with most #1 Wrs in the league and show how well they contribute to the team scoring and setting up scores but the truth is that those other WRs score points themselves and thats the real difference. Not only do other #1's contribute the way your saying hartline does but they score on there own. People hated B.marshal for all his dropped Tds and stuff but he still scored more then Hartline and probably contributed more in the offense scoring points aswell.

 

[GaryIndiana]

I agree. Having Brian at WR#2 will hurt the passing game with Wallace. Hartline will not make the other team pay for doubling Wallace. The other problem I have with this resigning is potentially taking away any legit shot for any rookie at that spot. For the money we are paying, we probably will feel the need to start Brian.

 

[Fins1971]

I like the work your putting in to defend to guy and its nice to see him contribute but he is not worth the $$. Look i could do what your doing with most #1 Wrs in the league and show how well they contribute to the team scoring and setting up scores but the truth is that those other WRs score points themselves and thats the real difference. Not only do other #1's contribute the way your saying hartline does but they score on there own. People hated B.marshal for all his dropped Tds and stuff but he still scored more then Hartline and probably contributed more in the offense scoring points aswell.

Apparantly Hartline gave the Dolphins a hometown discount.

http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thed...nt-to-miami-dolphins-landing-wr-mike-wallace/

2. Brian Hartline took a discount to stay in Miami?

A few fans and media, most notably one writer at NFL.com, stated that the Dolphins overpaid Hartline when they signed him last week to a five-year deal worth $30.775 million ($12.5 million guaranteed). Hartline only has six touchdowns in four NFL seasons – including just one last year – and some don’t believe he’s worth the $6.15 million average salary he will make over the life of his deal.

But his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said Sunday night in his weekly appearance on WSVN Channel 7 that Hartline took slightly less money with Miami than he would’ve commanded on the open market (and confirmed once again that tampering is rampant at the NFL Combine).

“I do think that if we went into the market, Brian probably would’ve gotten a better contract,” Rosenhaus said. “I was pretty thorough in talking to all the teams, and Brian made the decision that he wanted to stay in Miami. We had a number in mind, we got to it, we were happy with it and he was very pleased to stay a Dolphin.”

Indeed, Hartline’s contract was just under the ones signed last year by Jacksonville’s Laurent Robinson ($6.5 million average, $13.6 million guaranteed) and San Diego’s Robert Meachem ($6.375 million average, $14 million guaranteed). Given that context, Hartline’s contract seems pretty reasonable.


All in all I think the contract is fair for both sides and look forward to brian hartline getting even better this year.

 

[BGtoKNfor6]

In the game against the Cardinals Hartline caught 2 passes on a drive and took us into the red zone where we scored the opening FG.
Then later caught 2 more passes during a 95 yard TD drive. His two catches accounted for 76 of the 95 yards. The second catch put the ball on the oppenents 1 yard line where Javorski Lane scored the short TD. But you would criticize hartline for (NOT GETTING INTO THER ENDZONE) rather than praising him for setup up the easy TD.
Then later in the game with all monemtum switched to Arizone and our lead gone, Hartline comes through with his only TD of the year to put us ahead again.
So Arizona game Hartline directly contributed to 18 of the 21 point scored in that game by continually putting us in the opponents red zone.

I can do this all day ands show you haters that without Hartline we probably would have scored about 10 points per game last year.

I'm 4 games into the season and have 6 TD drives and 1 FG drive that Brain Hartline was a major contributor.

I'll keep going and see how foolish you feel when you see he helped us score nearly half of our points last season,

But yeah I know he only scored 6 points by himself and he not worth it.

Trust me when I say there is a definite plus t having Hartline on the roster. However, I can express counter points, most of are what I have already mentioned. Look at the dolphins schedule last year and look at teams that Hartline flourished against. Outside of Arizona, his most dominant games came against awful secondaries (1 game, 2 8 catch "normal" games for top wideouts in the nfl). These are the counter points to Brian Hartline. As a matter of fact, a HUGE reason that he even hit 1000 yards was because of the blown coverages in the Arizona game. Top tier teams shut him down. Look at his numbers versus upper middle to top tier defensive teams. Texans, Seattle, Jets and San Fran shut him down. I don't want to hear he wasn't healthy in the first game of the year either. The NFL is full of guys performing injured.

With the NFL having transitioned to a pass happy league, 1000 yards receiving is pretty much like batting .275 in the major leagues anymore. What really matters now in the NFL is how many times you make it into the endzone. Some players have that ability and some don't. I think as fans we are just so tired of seeing the team left with nobody at wideout and there is ALWAYS the prospects of us going into next year with just Hartline, Bess and some scrub we sign off another teams garbage pile. We have seen it for years. When it comes down to it, the general consensus around the league is that we overpaid for Hartline. Now maybe with the new rookie wage rules, this is what we are going to see where vested players become paid; something we are not used to. But you cannot deny that if we went into next year with Hartline as our "number 1" guy that you wouldn't be pretty nervous and rightfully so. The guy can ball some but does not have the intangibles and skill set along with physical dimensions to be what we are looking for as the premiere wideout on this team. It's that simple.