The Cleveland Browns have addressed another need in free agency, the day before the rest of the free agents become eligible to sign. Brian Hartline line has signed with the Cleveland Browns starting the process of address their need at the receiver position:
Excited to have @brianhartline come back home! It's gonna be fun. Good start for the #Browns who need WR help.
— Dustin Fox (@DustinFox37) March 9, 2015
Hartline, the former Buckeye, visited a couple teams before deciding to sign with the Browns. Not only do the Browns get a good #2 receiver, who is a year removed from two straight 1,000 yard seasons, but they get him on a reasonable contract:
According to Rosenhaus, it's a two-year, $6 million deal for Hartline with the Browns.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 10, 2015
To put that contract into perspective, the Browns signed the aging, injury prone Miles Austin to a 1 year, 2 million dollar contract last year. Hartline is younger and can provide a similar stabilizing factor for the Browns. At 6’2″ he also gives the Browns the kind of height that is currently missing from the receiving group. He runs crisp routes and has good enough hands that Josh McCown or Johnny Manziel will be happy to have him.
It also looks like the coming home narrative expands beyond LeBron James:
I hear that draw to come home to Ohio is real. Whitner wanted to do it. Ginn wanted. Hartline obviously does.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 10, 2015
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How about that Cleveland, a player left money on the table to play for the team. While Hartline is not the kind of #1 receiver that many want, the team still has a ton of money left to make more moves. With Hartline taking such a small contract, close to what Austin got when he was signed right before Training Camp, they could look to add another receiver in free agency as well as the NFL Draft.
For his part, Hartline seems excited to come back home:
#Browns new WR Brian Hartline tells http://t.co/o11vJT6fp2: "It came down to a gut feeling. I did my due diligence. I'm very excited.''
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) March 10, 2015
Hartline plans to start for the #Browns: "I plan to compete at the highest level. I'm just starting to hit my peak.''
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) March 10, 2015
How are you feeling about Brian Hartline filling our need at WR?