OC/WR Coach Brian Hartline (Official Thread)

[MililaniBuckeye]

aka - he's white.

 

[Buckskin86]

Miami coach Joe Philbin says Brian Hartline, Dolphins' receivers 'doing a good job'

By The Associated Press ? 14 hours ago

MIAMI ? Dolphins wide receivers have attracted a lot of attention since the start of training camp. Miami is happy now it's for positive reasons.

As was depicted on HBO's "Hard Knocks" throughout training camp, there have been questions about the group's ability. But a lot of the questions were answered during their record-setting performance last Sunday at Arizona.

After catching 12 passes for a franchise-record 253 yards, Brian Hartline now leads the NFL with 455 yards receiving. Davone Bess' performance in the 24-21 overtime loss against the Cardinals was easy to overlook, but he had career-high 123 yards on seven catches.

"I think they're doing a good job," Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said. "I'm not worried about what other people thought of our receivers. What I'm worried about is, are they getting open? Are they catching the ball consistently? Are they helping us move into scoring territory and ultimately score points? I think they're developing."

Hartline's 253 yards receiving at Arizona is the highest total in the NFL since 2006 when Buffalo's Lee Evans had 265 against Houston. Hartline also set a Miami record on Sunday for total yards from scrimmage, breaking a 25-year-old mark that belonged to former running back Troy Stradford.

Hartline's performance brought more national attention.

"It's all fun," Hartline said. "I enjoy that part of it. It's never really been a goal to have those guys' attention. But it's fun talking to those guys, because they're football minds. Talking football is fun."

cont...

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ca...M5i4TNjUJDLVfj7Aq4eSeIg7-rQ34Q?docId=20329058

 

[Buckskin86]

Brian Hartline took painful path to become NFL's leading receiver
By Jeff Darlington
Reporter, NFL.com and NFL Network
Published: Oct. 5, 2012

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- In a pint-sized bathroom on a two-and-a-half hour flight from Ohio to Florida in early June, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline just wanted to be alone in his misery.

The pain was excruciating, like nothing he'd ever felt, and no timeout would help him here. So he paced between his aisle seat and the bathroom, back and forth, back and forth, as the minutes slogged along like a slow-motion replay.

"My stomach was hurting so bad that I couldn't sit in my seat," said Hartline, detailing his offseason with NFL.com for the first time publicly. "I'd put the tray down on the seat in front of me to bury my head, but I kept ending up in that bathroom just so I could sit by myself."

Maybe that's the best place to call the beginning of these unlikeliest of months, up in the sky, locked in a bathroom, where Hartline believed he was experiencing the worst case of constipation this world has ever felt.

If you thought Hartline's path to his current place as the NFL's leading wide receiver (455 yards through four games) was only unlikely because he's a little-known white guy catching passes from a rookie quarterback, then you have no idea just how insanely winding these past few months have been.

"There was just a black cloud over him," said friend and teammate Anthony Fasano. "It was nothing self inflicted -- just bad luck. It wasn't normal. It wasn't the normal progressions of ups and downs that a football player generally experiences in his career."

One sleepless night after Hartline's painful flight June 10, he crawled to the elevator of his condo building, managed his way to his car and drove to Broward General Hospital, where he'd have his appendix, complicated by gangrene, removed immediately. He wouldn't leave for 12 days. And he'd lose 25 pounds in the process.

cont...

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...-painful-path-to-become-nfls-leading-receiver

Dolphins talking contract extension with Brian Hartline
Posted by Josh Alper on October 5, 2012
Miami Dolphins' Brian Hartline runs for a first down against the Arizona Cardinals' William Gay during the first half of their NFL football game in Phoenix Reuters

Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline became known to a few more people last Sunday when he picked up 253 receiving yards in an overtime loss to the Cardinals.

That might not be the only gain he’ll realize as a result of his explosive afternoon. Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald reports that the Dolphins have started talking to Hartline about a contract extension. So much for buying low.

Hartline is in the final year of his rookie deal, so the timing isn’t solely because of the big game but the timing of that big game couldn’t be much better for Hartline’s bottom line. Good timing has been a hallmark of Hartline’s whole season.

He was in the right place to step into the starting lineup when Chad Johnson’s extracurricular activities stamped his ticket out of Miami and that leaves him in position to capitalize on quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s progression over the course of his rookie season. None of those things would matter if Hartline wasn’t producing when the ball comes his way, though, and he’s certainly been doing that this season.

Right now, Hartline’s on pace for 1,389 receiving yards, which would top Mark Clayton for the most in the history of the Dolphins. We’ll see if he can remain on that pace, but he’s certainly gotten off on the right foot in his contract year.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...lking-contract-extension-with-brian-hartline/

 

[Buckskin86]

Hartline holds on

Brian Hartline, who returned to his home state as the NFL's leading receiver, had a relatively quiet game with four catches for 59 yards.

That was enough, however, to keep Bengals receiver A.J. Green (nine catches for 65 yards) from overtaking Hartline, who also drew a key pass-interference flag on Terrence Newman in the final minutes.

Hartline, with 514 receiving yards, still leads Green by 21 yards. Calvin Johnson (bye) and Roddy White (33 yards back after a 68-yard receiving day) also were unable to dislodge the Dolphins' fourth-year wideout.

With 102 more receiving yards, Hartline will eclipse his career-best from 2010.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/20..._joe-philbin-brian-hartline-dolphins-notebook

 

[Buckskin86]

Brian Hartline?s teammates think he?s underrated because he?s white
Posted by Josh Alper on October 11, 2012, 8:4

When Jordy Nelson was breaking out for the Packers last season, his fellow wide receiver Greg Jennings said that he thought Nelson got underestimated around the league because he?s white.

According to some members of the Dolphins, Nelson?s big 2011 season hasn?t changed much on that front. Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post writes that Hartline, who ran track for a time at Ohio State and has shown he can get behind defenses, keeps hearing that the Dolphins need to get some more speed at receiver while hearing himself described as being ?deceptively fast.? Wide receiver Davone Bess and quarterback Ryan Tannehill think that their teammate?s skills get downgraded because, like Nelson, people are put off by a white wide receiver.

?Yeah, man. Definitely,? Bess said when asked if people underrate Hartline?s speed because of his skin color. ?He can run. That?s good that they sleep on him, because come game time he can open up on them.?

?I?ve had that label before, too. It?s just kind of a stigma that comes with it,? Tannehill, who played receiver in college before moving to quarterback, said of the ?deceptively fast? label. ?If it helps you, then it helps you. I don?t know if teams underestimate him or anything, but he?s making plays for us, and it doesn?t matter what color you are.?

While preconceived notions about race have surely contributed to some judgments about Hartline, who leads the NFL with 514 receiving yards, his sneak attack on the NFL this season has had much to do with preconceived notions about the Dolphins passing game as well. The combination of a rookie quarterback that draft pundits said would need a lot of grooming and an unheralded receiving corps led many to write off the Dolphins? ability to move the ball through the air before the season started.

That was obviously premature and we imagine that teams watching film on Hartline now are more concerned with his ability to beat defenses deep than they are with the color of his skin.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...mates-think-hes-underrated-because-hes-white/

 

[Buckeneye]

If Brian had deadlocks, I think people would take his speed more seriously.

 

[MaxBuck]

If Brian had deadlocks, I think people would take his speed more seriously.

Do you mean deadbolts, or dreadlocks?

Either way I don't see his 40 times improving.

 

[TDunk]

Do you mean deadbolts, or dreadlocks?

Pretty sure he meant deadbolts. That way they can't key in on his whiteboy skills.

 

[Tonyank]

Flying down to Miami tomorrow for work. If we cant work on Sunday im going to the game. HOPE THEY TICKETS!!!!! :)

 

[Buckskin86]

Can the Dolphins get Brian Hartline going again?
October 17, 2012|By Omar Kelly, Sun Sentinel

Will the real Brian Hartline please stand up.

One minute the Miami Dolphins receiver resembles an alpha receiver the passing game should be built around. The next he disappears like Casper the friendly ghost.

Hartline spent two weeks leading the NFL in receiving yards, setting the bar as the NFL's most productive wideout. Then he came back down to earth with a catchless performance against the St. Louis Rams, who had elite cornerback Cortland Finnegan locked in on the Dolphins receiver.

During the 17-14 win against the Rams the Dolphins only threw to Hartline once, and that throw drew a pass interference call.

?Brian is a great player, and I think we?ve seen a little more attention over towards his side,? said quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who openly admits he has chemistry with Hartline.

Apparently, everyone in the NFL has picked up on their chemistry.

?I think he's still done a good job of getting open. This last game, for whatever reason, going into the game we were planning on getting him the ball and it wasn?t like they were taking him out of the game. For whatever reason we didn?t get him the ball enough," Tannehill said. "I think we?re looking forward to going back this week and opening it up to both sides and getting the ball in the air a little bit more.?

Hartline, who leads the team with 29 catches for 514 yards and one touchdown, isn?t stressing about his shutout.

Why should he considering he's 15 catches from setting a career-high in receptions and 102 yards from setting one in yards.

Last year there was a two game stretch - a Giants loss and Miami?s first win of the season against Kansas City ? where the former Ohio State standout didn?t catch a pass.

Hartline, who ProFootballFocus.com rates as the NFL's 30th best receiver this week, will face-off against Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie on the Sunday that follows this weeks.

The last time those two did battle Hartline caught one passes for 41 yards, and the Jets defended him without much safety help.

Myabe that's what Hartline needs to get his game going again.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/20...rtline-miami-dolphins-receiver-ryan-tannehill

 

[Buckskin86]

Dolphins trying to get the ball to WR Brian Hartline
By Dave Carey | CBSSports.com
October 18, 2012

The Miami Dolphins passing game will have a simple goal next week against the New York Jets -- get WR Brian Hartline the ball.

The fourth-year standout is eighth in the league with 514 yards receiving to go with a touchdown on 29 catches. Not bad for a player who missed the preseason with a calf injury. However, Hartline has been nearly invisible since his team-record 253-yard performance Sept. 30 against the Cardinals.

?I think you have to do different things in this league,? Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said. ?I don't know that you can do the same thing every single play. I give credit -- some teams have done a better job of taking him away. No question. We have to do a better job of getting him the ball.?

In wins over the Bengals and Rams since his big day in Arizona, Hartline has made a mere four catches for 59 yards and wasn't targeted last week against St. Louis.

?You can move him around and put him motion, different formations and challenge the defense in different ways,? Philbin said. ?We'll take a look at all that stuff, but at the end of the day, this league, as we know, is an outcome-oriented league. You have to win games.?

Still, Hartline is a mere 15 catches and 102 yards away from setting career-highs in both categories.

"This last game, for whatever reason, going into the game we were planning on getting him the ball and it wasn't like they were taking him out of the game," Dolphins rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "For whatever reason, we didn't get him the ball enough. I think we're looking forward to going back this week and opening it up to both sides and getting the ball in the air a little bit more.?

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/n...s-trying-to-get-the-ball-to-wr-brian-hartline

 

[Buckskin86]

When Hartline, who leads the team with 55 catches for 807 yards, got off to a fast start, the Dolphins and agent Drew Rosenhaus began contract talks on an extension.

But after Miami?s initial offer, Rosenhaus had to calm down an irritated Hartline and explain the Dolphins were merely negotiating and not really insulting the player.

The Dolphins want Hartline back. Indeed, they must be in the business of adding wide receiver talent rather than losing it this offseason.

(The club lost significant wide receiver talent by trading away Brandon Marshall last offseason and didn?t replace him.)

But as the season has progressed, the price to keep Hartline has continued to rise as the player?s production similarly climbed. In that regard, the Dolphins and Rosenhaus are now further apart than when the season began.

For whatever reason, Hartline is universally compared with Green Bay receiver Jordy Nelson. And two months ago, Hartline would have been agreeable to an extension that resembled the one Nelson got from Green Bay in October 2011.

That extension paid Nelson $13.98 million over four years with $5 million guaranteed.

But because an extension was not signed, the Dolphins are not likely to get Hartline for $3.5 million per year anymore. Now the more likely model Rosenhaus will use is Laurent Robinson, whose production is similar to Hartline?s. Robinson got $6.5 million per year on a five-year, $32.5 million deal as a free agent last spring.

So Robinson got nearly as much guaranteed money ($13.8 million) as Nelson got total money in his deal. And although Hartline might not get that kind of money from the Dolphins, he could attract significant attention in free agency because the NFL is a passing league.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/12/...the-miami-dolphins-dollars.html#storylink=cpy

 

[Buckskin86]

Will Brian Hartline and Davone Bess join the Marks Brothers?

Brian Hartline catches a pass in the first half as he is tackled by Jerraud? (Jim Rassol, Sun Sentinel )
December 6, 2012|By Omar Kelly, Sun Sentinel

It is a foregone conclusion that Brian Hartline will become the 17th player in Miami Dolphins history to catch 1,000 yards worth of passes.

Considering Hartline already has 891 yards off 60 receptions, it is clear he's at the doorstep of the yards threshold used to identify the NFL's upper echelon receivers.

If Hartline, who is set to become a free agent this offseason, remains healthy for the final four games he should get the 109 yards needed.
However, Hartline isn't the only Dolphins receiver on the verge of producing a fourth-digit season in receiving yards.

Davone Bess is 272 yards away from producing his first 1,000 yard season.

Bess would have to averaged 68 yards per game in the final four games to get there. Bess presently averages 60 receiving yards per game.

If both of Miami?s starting receivers get to 1,000 yards Hartline and Bess would be the second duo to do it in franchise history, joining Mark Clayton and Mark Duper.

The Marks Brothers, who were Dan Marino's favorite targets, each caught 1,000 yards worth of passes per season in 1984, 1986 and 1991.

This season Hartline and Bess have accounted for 60 percent of the Dolphins' 2,690 passing yards. However, the pair have only scored two of the team's seven touchdowns through the air.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/20..._davone-bess-brian-hartline-dolphins-receiver

 

[Buckskin86]

WR Brian Hartline reaches 1,000 yards
December, 16, 2012
By James Walker | ESPN.com

MIAMI -- Miami Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline capped the first 1,000-yard season of his career Sunday in a 24-3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. While that is good news for Hartline, it is bad news for the Dolphins. Hartline will be an unrestricted free agent and his price tag continues to rise.

Hartline led the Dolphins with five receptions for 77 yards. He has 1,002 receiving yards this season and still has two weeks left to pad those numbers.

"It?s important to me," Hartline said of reaching a career mileston. "It?s always a goal that I wanted to reach. There's a lot of receivers who don't get that opportunity. ... It's a goal of mine that I've had for while."

Dolphins rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who has found Hartline all season, joked after the game about his top receiver's accomplishment.

"Hopefully I get a good Christmas present," Tannehill said. "As a quarterback, you like to elevate the guys around you, and I think he?s done a great job all year."

Hartline is one of several key free agents the Dolphins have in the offseason. Hartline joins left tackle Jake Long, cornerback Sean Smith, defensive tackle Randy Starks and tailback Reggie Bush as starters set to hit the open market.

Miami general manager Jeff Ireland has some tough decisions because all of these players will be looking for sizable extensions. Hartline's 1,000-yard season most likely puts him in the "keeper" category, especially since Miami is very thin at receiver.

"He?s been very productive," Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin said of Hartline. "He's cashed in on most of his opportunities. He?s a hard worker, he prepares well, and I?m happy for him."

Hartline picked a good time to have a career year.

"I definitely put in the work," Hartline said. "They say good things come to people who work hard, and I definitely did as much work as I could."

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/52380/wr-brian-hartline-reaches-1000-yards

 

[Buckskin86]

After passing 1,000 yards, Brian Hartline joins select company among Miami Dolphins wide receivers
By George Richards
[email protected]

Brian Hartline becomes a free agent after this season and does so, for the first time, as a 1,000-yard receiver.

That could mean big bucks ? and we?re not even talking about his bonus for reaching the plateau ? for the 26-year-old who is making about $1.4 million this season.

?Hopefully, I?ll get a nice Christmas present,? joked quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Hartline came into Sunday?s game needing 75 yards to hit 1,000 for the first time in his four-year career.

At halftime, it looked like Hartline would need to wait another week. Not only did Hartline go into the half without a catch, Tannehill seemingly didn?t even look his way.

?I was just trying to stay on the grind,? said Hartline, an Ohio State product who grew up just a few miles down I-77 from LeBron James in North Canton, Ohio. ?We were doing a good job, were able to score a few points. We could have done better, but I stayed the course. I didn?t want to get too up or too down. I was even keel.?

The third quarter was when Hartline was at his best. While he went into halftime without a catch, Hartline went into the fourth quarter as Miami?s leading receiver after catching five passes for exactly the 75 yards he needed.

?I don?t know what his stats were, but it wasn?t like I forgot about him,? Tannehill said. ?He keeps playing and playing. He did a good job of being able to get open in the second half. I was able to get him the ball. He started the second half with a big play.?

cont...

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/12/17/3145266/after-passing-1000-yards-brian.html#storylink=cpy

What's Brian Hartline worth to the Miami Dolphins?
Brian Hartline became the eighth Dolphins receiver to produce a 1,000-yard season, but is this his last season in Miami?
December 16, 2012|By Omar Kelly, Commentary

MIAMI GARDENS ? Mark Clayton, Mark Duper, Irving Fryar, Tony Martin, O.J. McDuffie, Chris Chambers and Brandon Marshall; that is the company Brian Hartline now keeps.

Those former Dolphins receivers are now Hartline's peers, considering the five second-half receptions he turned into 77 yards in Sunday's 24-3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars makes him the eighth receiver in Dolphins history to produce a 1,000-yard receiving season.
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"It's important to me," said Hartline, who has 1,002 yards and scored one touchdown on his 67 catches. "It was always a goal I wanted to reach. There are a lot of receivers that don't get that opportunity."

Earlier in his Dolphins career, Hartline was one of them.

The former Ohio State standout, whom the Dolphins selected in the fourth round of the 2009 draft, was typically Chad Pennington's, Chad Henne's and Matt Moore's third, if not fourth, option on most passing plays.

Few plays were ever designed or called for him. But Hartline has become rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill's favorite target, producing the franchise's 17th 1,000-yard receiving season. He's got two more games to push his way up the single-season receiving yards rankings.

It is unlikely that Hartline will challenge the franchise record Clayton set in 1984, when he caught passes for 1,389 yards, but if he stick to his per-game average of 71.5 yards, Hartline should leapfrog Clayton for sixth place in team history.

That would put him right behind Marshall's 1,214-yard performance he had in 2011, which was a Pro Bowl season.

cont...

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/20...ne-crop-of-draftable-receivers-ryan-tannehill