After six mostly productive seasons with the Miami Dolphins, wide receiver Brian Hartline has been released.
The organization made the official announcement on Twitter Friday:
Hartline has arguably been Miami's most consistent pass-catcher since entering the league in 2009 as a fourth-round pick. He wasn't a celebrated receiver across the league, but he put up some solid numbers.
He topped 1,000 yards in both 2012 and 2013, but his production fell off considerably in 2014, per Pro Football Focus:
Hartline set a career low in receiving yards with just 474, and 39 catches on 63 targets were his lowest marks since 2011.
The former Ohio State star fell behind both Mike Wallace and rookie Jarvis Landry on the depth chart, while tight end Charles Clay also emerged as a greater priority in the offense.
With the 28-year-old receiver's role diminishing, the Dolphins decided to cut him and save $3.2 million in the process, according to Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com:
Even though Hartline is coming off a poor season, Marvez believes there will definitely be interest in him as he hits free agency:
Hartline is a big receiver at 6'2" with leaping ability, and he is just two years removed from a 1,000-yard season.
He may not be a No. 1 wideout, but Hartline has the skills to be a solid complementary pass-catcher on a team looking for another outside threat.
If nothing else, he now has the freedom to go to an organization that will feature him more heavily than the Dolphins did in 2014.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter
No comments:
Post a Comment