The Cleveland Browns made a surprising cut this week. They let go of wide receiver Brian Hartline on Monday. Hartline spent last season with the Browns. What kind of move is this?
Hartline is a veteran wide receiver. He was drafted in the 4th round by the Miami Dolphins in the 2009 NFL Draft. In his first year he showed he could be a reliable target with 506 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns. His best year with the team was in 2013 with 1,016 yards and 4 touchdowns. 2014 was disappointing with only 474 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Last offseason, the Browns wanted to add a veteran wide receiver. They were hoping his size at 6-2 would help the Browns’ offense. That didn’t happen. Hartline suited up in 12 games but missed the final four games of the season due to a broken collarbone. In those games he had 46 receptions for 523 yards and 2 touchdowns. In his career he has a total of 344 catches for 4,766 yards and 14 touchdowns.
His production was respectable, but it wasn’t enough for the Browns to keep him around. Hartline did everything he could on the field to keep his job. The Browns decided it was better to release him.
The Browns might regret this decision. He is a speedy wide receiver who can get open. His size makes it difficult for defenses to knock the ball away from him. For Hartline, he will have a chance to show he can still be a wide receiver in this game. The team that picks him up will have a hard worker and a player who will catch the football. Hartline can also block for the running backs. He has everything a team looks for in a receiver. Hartline should be in the NFL. It might take a while because teams are satisfied with their receiving core. Hartline, though, deserves another chance in the NFL.
Where will Brian Hartline land this season?
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