Dolphins keep Brian Hartline

Getty Images

At a time when many expect the Dolphins to make a play for receiver Mike Wallace once free agency opens, they have finalized a deal to keep one of their most productive pass catchers on the team.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Dolphins have agreed to terms with receiver Brian Hartline.

It’s a five-year, $30.775 million contract, with $12.5 million in fully-guaranteed money.

A fourth-round pick in 2009 from Ohio State, Hartline had a career-best 74 catches for a career-high 1,083 yards in 2012.  If the Dolphins land a field-stretcher like Wallace, those number could go up.

79 responses to “Dolphins keep Brian Hartline

  1. Wow over 6 million a season for Hartline?? Really??

    I mean he is an okay receiver but 6 million feels a bit rich for a guy whose only touchdown came on a play with completely blown coverage.

  2. as a patriots fan i was hoping he was coming here. with that said, thats a lot more than i thought he would get in free agency. but hes a big physical possession receiver with very good hands. those are good qualities for a versatile receiver.

  3. WOW … well good for Brian.

    According to NFL.COM Brian was the 16th best receiver last year according to yards with 1,083. He has seven over all touchdowns in his four year career. He averaged 14.6 yards a catch for 74 catches last year.

    When you look at the numbers, Mr. Hartline is in line with Mr. Mike Wallace. (Oh Snap)

    Upon further review if he could team up with Cris Carter and start to catch touchdowns, this is money well spent.

  4. Now if they can just find a way to play against nobody but the Raiders and Cardinals (the two games where he got 1/3 of his total yardage), he’ll be worth every penny.

  5. Idk how anyone can say the fins will regret this contract. Hartline showed last year he can be a reliable receiver when they needed him. He’s not a #1 but he’s a hell of a good #2 and if you don’t think so your just surface level football fans. He does a lot of things rly well and would start for any team besides maybe GB aha. 6 mil is well deserved.

  6. He’s the Jordy Nelson of the offsense if they land Wallace. It’s a fair deal, that’s the going rate for number 2’s in the NFL

  7. $12.5 ain’t bad for 5 years.

    You guys look at the max number too much. It depends how much is backloaded, spread out, etc.

  8. Great guy, great work ethic but he wouldn’t start for half the teams in the league. I hope am wrong but I think we started free agency with a dud instead of a boom.

    I think you could have gotten a second round receiver to do what he does and saved yourself 5.5 mil per season.

  9. Why is anyone bringing up tds? The guy is a talented possession receiver. Welker caught over 100 passes one year and only had 3tds. We all know how good he is

  10. He had a solid season on a team with very poor scoring. It wasnt just him that didnt score tds…..lets see what he can do if they can find a true quality field stretcher. $6 mill is not obscene if you check other same price receivers at his age. We will see what he becomes moving forward not what he is. The total guaranteed cash is less than what greg jennings is asking per season at 30 years old. You need depth and they have none at wr. this is a good signing moving forward

  11. Mike Wallace is a 1 trick pony, and he doesn’t even do his one trick well (drops too many passes). He is also a diva, which is why the Steelers don’t care for him anymore and why the Dolphins would be dumb to pay him big money.

  12. I’m a little surprised too, but if he gets teamed up with some speed, he could be lethal…I’m not sure he dropped any TD’s which is a promising sign!

  13. The contract is only $12 mill guaranteed. He will not earn $6 mill per season and will likely be cut at any point after 2014 or 2015 if his production doesn’t stay up.

  14. Give Tannehill a seam threat tight end and Hartline’s TD numbers go way, way up.

    Plus, he was open a few times for a strike and the throw just wasn’t there. I expect good things from this kid.

  15. Smart move. The guy set the dolphins record for receiving yds in a game, was one of only twenty guys to hit the thousand yd mark, and doesn’t seem to have any off field issues – kinda like to keep those kinda guys around. Should be a solid #2 for a while.

  16. money comparable to a #2 receiver… no problems with it. Now we just need someone across from him that can take the top off the defense because we know Hartline/Bess can’t. Wouldn’t hurt to add a seam threat tight end with some height.

  17. People need to step back from the ledge… Just for arguments sake, lets say the contract pays out a $10 million dollar signing bonus he gets base salaries of $1m, 2m, 3m, 5.5m, and 8.5m. That gives him cap numbers of $3m, 4m, 5m, 7.5m, and 10.5m… The last year probably never happens making it a 4 year 21 million dollar deal….

  18. I think that’s a little much, but the fast white guys (Welker, Amendola, Edelman and Hartline) are becoming more in fashion. It’s interesting. I’m white, but I also like how African-Americans are becoming great QBs too. I’m all about the talent! LOVE RGIII, even though I’m a Giants fan. And Michael Vick doesn’t worry me in Philly, but Dennis Dixon DOES! Dude is smarter than Vick. Chip Kelly knows something, and it worries me. That said…I love me some Eli with the game on the line.

  19. Haters, if dolphins didn’t pay him someone else would have done the same contract. Good sign. He will be good with a vet coming in like Wallace or Jennings or getting a rookie in, either way he is a solid player.

  20. Good start to free agency for the Dolphins.

    People will point to his lack of TDs, but if he caught more TDs he’d be an $8-10M/year guy. Part of the problem is the system and the lack of a true #1 to take the heat off. Also, nobody catches TDs on the Dolphins so I don’t blame Hartline.

    Plus he’s building a budding chemistry with Tannehill. That’s worth it right there, don’t take away your QB’s favorite weapon.

  21. Definitely good value for a guy who’s only gotten better every year. You get what you see out of him, he’s not going to outrun you once the ball is in his hands but being a dolphin fan it was nice to see a receiver who got open and caught the ball. One of the better timing based route runners in the league which translates well in the west coast offense. I watched and then rewatched every phins game this year and the touchdowns were definitely a product of play calling. Big name receivers get 8-12 touchdowns because 75 percent of them are in the redzone, it’s not his fault the ball wasn’t thrown his way in those situations. he’s probably only worth 4-5 million, but hey look at this free agent crop of receivers. you telling me someone isn’t going to pick up hartline for 6-8 million? Happens every year. Now get Mike Wallace to South beach Tuesday morning and sign him up and all of a sudden we have an offense built the proper way… A number 1 who takes the top off a defense, a number 2 who runs precise routes and is extremely reliable and a slot receiver in davone bess who can get those dirty yards on third downs and can make plays when you need him. Get it done Jeff Ireland, or you’re gone!

  22. I refuse to believe that most of you are this dumb. The NFL is not the NBA where the entire contract is guaranteed, which is why they listed the signing bonus as 12M. Why not wait until the particulars of his contract are available. For all we know the entire contract can be worth 12M signing bonus with a salary of 1M per year, making the deal 19M total. Divide 19/5 and that is 3.8M average. I am just saying, lets wait until we learn how the contract is drawn up.

  23. I’m glad, and I’m not saying that because I’m some total homer fan looking through rose-colored glasses… I’m looking beyond the stats… While only 1 TD on the season is unacceptable, anyone who watched every snap of the Fins last season can’t deny there is an obvious chemistry between Tannehill and Hartline. We saw so many toe-tappers on the sidelines that moved the chains. I say let that chemistry develop. Hartline will never be AJ Green, but lets give Tannehill a little continuity & familiarity in Hartline… Yes, even at that price.

  24. Not a bad contract at all, averaging 6.1M per season. He’s a quality #2 WR and that’s about the going rate for the position (not counting Boldin’s ridiculously inadequate contract).

  25. @hutch119

    Yes Hartlines lone TD came on blown coverage but at the same time how many passes were overthrown that would have been TD’s. Hartline posted 74 receptions for over 1,000 yards with a rookie QB and commanded most of the double coverage. 6 million a year for a player of his caliber is not too much.

  26. as a dolphin fan, I think they may have slightly overpaid, but ultimately they are trying to keep Tannehill comfortable. Hartline is excellent in the intermediate passing game, and having someone stretch the field and require the safety to come over will just open things up for him more.

  27. Smart move for Miami to lock up Hartline even if they did slightly over pay. Brian will probably out play this deal. I can see him grabbing 90 catches in near future. Now, they must focus their attention Free Agent Wide Receiver Mike Wallace. However, they’ll want to be sure to bring the BIGGER check b$$k. – J.T.Sounds OFF!

  28. LOL this guy gained 1,083 yards when we didn’t have anyone taking the double team. We had a team full of slot wrs seriously, imagine if we have a true 1#, not one who drops clear TD passes mind you.
    You know what else I find cool? Everyone I know who isn’t a dolphins fan thinks we suck. A few years back the same was said about the saints, bengals, tampa bay, broncos, redskins, houston, falcons, seattle, 49ers, and even green bay. Hell when I was a kid, the pats were one of the worst teams in the league (before camcorders became widespread, I’m just saying).
    Parity says its our time. Just sit back and look at it, we have one more good draft, NY and Buffalo need QB’s and the one in NE gets hit and starts to faid quick (NYG, BAL). Oh boy, ‘PHINS UP!

  29. Only problem is not many people see entire contract, only 14 million guaranteed. Hartline is only 26, continues to improve and does not complain. As a number 2 he can thrive and is worth the money, just check out list of free agents not named Wallace and Jennings. Tannehill has a familiar weapon to team up with perhaps Wallace, and a 2nd or 3rd rd WR plus a TE and OFFENSE is fixed. Get errrr done… DBS and a DE would be nice too

  30. Hartline had 1083 yards at 26-years-old with a rookie QB – $6mil per season is the going rate this type of player. He’ll never be a TD machine, but catching only 1 TD with 74 catches and 1083 yards was a fluke – catches and yards are more accurate measurements for long-term success.

  31. Good move, I am sure those agent hyped numbers get cleared up in the next week. Ireland may have blown some external FAs but generally gets a steal on his own. C. Wake got robbed last year, one of the best contracts in the league right now. (sans rookies getting screwed)

  32. Wonder how many Dolphins fans actually SEEN Wallace play a whole season? Lmao don’t getcha hopes up! and the way their QB flings the ball around Wallace will be lucky to get 30 catches and over 5 TDs

  33. This is great news for Dolphin fans! Those posting negative comments simply havewn’t watched this guy play game in and game out. He has LEGIT hands and is a sneaky route runner. He posted a 1000 yard season with a rookie QB and no speed receiver to stretch the field or draw coverage. He was doubled or at least extra coverage rolled his way the entire second half of the season! He is a welker type posession receiver with better hands. Good signing!

  34. Hartline is a good recievable. He reminds me a lot of Wes Welker, Danny Amendola, Jordy Nelson, Ricky Proehl, and Kevin Curtis.

  35. This makes some sense in an overpaid nfl, IF the fins get wallace or jennings, they will command double coverage giving the sure handed Hartline less attention than last year when he put up respectable numbers as their “number 1”. Getting a true #1 is the key, if they get shut out of the top recvrs, he is a cheap number 1.

  36. He clicks with Tannehill. That’s why he got 6M/yr. If not it would have been 4. With a #1 to deal with the doubles Hartline is a 1st down machine.

  37. That’s why dolphins struggle in the standings. I have no problem resigning him, but for half of what he got….maybe

  38. Hey Mr Ross, I scored 1 less td than Brian last year. Can I get 5 million dollars to watch your boring team?

  39. For those of you complaining about the contract take this into consideration. #1 Hartline would’ve had a few more TDs if Tannehill hadn’t over thrown him on occasions. #2 He was our only receiving threat especially after Bess was injured. #3 And most impressive he almost DIED in the off season and still was a 1,000 yard receiver. All things considered he had an excellent season and should be even more productive next especially if we add a true #1 receiver

  40. Bang on. Hartline is a top player if he had help he would be a pro bowler or very close to it. A lot of people don’t see the big picture. If we land Wallace and he stays healthy Hartline, Bess and Wallace will be a very good group and if Tannehill can get it going, he does have all the skills these boys will put up big numbers. Its ifs and maybe`s but what more can we do but put the pieces in place and see how it pans out. Hartline is probably getting paid a tad to much agreed but factor in he knows the system, he works well with Tannehill and the Dolphins know him well whats a couple of mill here and there.

  41. Hartline has solid chemistry with Tannehill and the perfect skillset for a #2 WR. With someone else getting the double-teams his numbers will be more impressive.

    It would have been catastrophic if Ireland had gone cheap and lost Hartline. We need MORE weapons…so losing the few we have would not have set a positive tone as we enter free agency.

  42. He better sign Wallace or Jennings & draft a guy in the first 2 rounds. Otherwise we are guaranteed another 7-9 season.

  43. Excellent signing. Now we need a #1, not so sure Wallace is the answer though for what will be the asking price. Go Fins!

  44. He’s just getting 2.5M per year against the cap. I don’t see a risk nor a risky move either. He will be productive and if he was sign, is because there is a plan in place.
    Hartline hartline also provides a proven receiver in the roster. What happens if they don’t sign hartline and fail to land a hi profile receiver like Wallace?

    Having hartline is better that not having him. Like insurance! He provides trade value also. I believe its a good move.

  45. All the non Dolphin fans need to worry about their own teams not Hartline. He needed to be signed and so what if he was a little over paid. He’s a very reliable receiver like Bess, doesn’t drop many balls.
    Then the Dolphins can sign a #1 receiver to go with him, and Tannehill will have some options out there.
    Last year he was limited in who to throw to, the rookies wr’s were terrible.

  46. Great example of how a true #1 makes a #2 better is Mike Williams in Tampa Bay. After a great rookie year he was 65/771/3. Enter Vincent Jackson and Williams goes 63/996/9. Catches went down slightly but yards and TD’s were way up. Give Hartline a true #1 and he will explode..

  47. how bad are the NFL owners and GMs in negotiations? makes you wonder how they get their jobs… smh.. paying a guy with that production this much money is idiotic. This is a deal Mike Wallace should be happy with..instead the pay Brian Hartline. Wallace will get $11m a season now.

  48. Why do so many Miami fans want Wallace? Werent you the same fan base that wanted Marshall booted for being a “diva”. Wallace is the mold

  49. FANTASTIC move by the Dolphins, they also just resigned Matt Moore to continue backing up Tannehill. This Hartline move is perfect, by the end of this contract he will have earned it and much much more, the dude is a great #2 receiver who can move all over the place and cause nightmares for a defense. Put a decent #1 receiver and if Hartline’s numbers stay where there and that #1 guy performs the Dolphins offense will nearly double. Great move, they just locked up the 33rd best receiver from last year who has improved every single year of his 4 year career.

  50. What a joke the Dolphins are. Sign a guy no one has ever heard of outside this message boards for more money then.

    Jordy Nelson $4.45 million/year
    2011 1263 yards, 15td’s
    2012 Injured all year still put up 745 yard, 7 td’s

    James Jones $3.13 million/year
    14td’s in 2012

    Both of whom are far better then Hartline.

  51. Terrible contract for the Fins. They just paid a guy big bucks thats at best a number two receiver…With Mike Wallace the Brian Hartline contract is going to look even more costly.

  52. All you idiots don’t understand why we resigned him? Here is why… we pay a FA 30 mil and he bombs… this is guaranteed 30 mil to a great guy and we know he will work hard no matter what.

    Good sign imo. I was afraid he would become welker v2

  53. The man had Chad Henne and a rookie QB for most of his career. He is the only threat they had on offense; imagine what his numbers would be like if they had another solid WR or TE that can draw attention away from him.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to leave a comment. Not a member? Register now!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.