The Miami Dolphins are still searching for pass-catching weapons that young quarterback Ryan Tannehill can throw to, but they re-signed a member of their own yesterday when they inked Brian Hartline to a five-year, $30.775 million deal with $12.5 million guaranteed.
Hartline, a 26-year-old who was taken in the fourth round out of Ohio State in the 2009 NFL draft, had his best season in the pros in 2012, topping 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. Last year, Hartline caught 74 passes, blasting by his previous high of 43 in 2010, and racked up 1,083 yards. Hartline only hauled in one touchdown pass, however, an alarmingly low number for a player who just signed a five-year pact.
Hartline made waves in the fourth week of the 2012 season, when he caught 12 passes for 253 yards and his lone touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. He had over 100 yards receiving in two other games last year, and generally served as the number one wide receiver in a passing attack that ranked 26th in the league. For the season, Miami only scored through the air 13 times. His 74 catches were the best on the team, as were his 1,083 yards receiving. He came in second behind Reggie Bush for total yards from scrimmage.
The Dolphins have been linked to Steelers free agent wide out Mike Wallace, who would command the attention Hartline was receiving last year. Wallace would also be an ideal deep threat to complement a more physical style that Hartline seems suited to play.
In addition to locking up Hartline, the Dolphins have also re-signed backup quarterback Matt Moore to a new deal, although the specifics of the contract have not been released. Moore had a very nice season in 2011, throwing for 2,497 yards and 16 touchdowns while throwing just nine interceptions. The Dolphins took Tannehill in the first round of last year's draft and handed him the reins.
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