Hartline
Miami Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline is tired of seeing New York Jets fans fill Sun Life Stadium.
“In the past there have been some New York teams that at times have had some pretty good representation at our stadium, especially in the lower seating,” said Hartline on a teleconference with fans on Tuesday. “We definitely want to get that fixed. We want to get more of our Dolphins fans, hear more of the roars on our plays that are successful.”
Hartline said he has seen a “noticeable” improvement with Miami fans, but clearly he and the team wants more.
So the Dolphins are continuing to court fans, holding another round of their “Inside the Huddle” teleconference where fans asked Hartline and linebackers Austin Spitler and Jason Trusnik questions.
Hartline encouraged fans to come to training camp beginning on July 20.
Spitler
“It’s free,” he said. “You go out to training camp and it doesn’t cost you anything. You can get some free autographs, meet a lot of the guys, shake some hands and get to know us a little more on a personal level.”
But Hartline and his teammates know winning will ultimately bring out the fans. And they believe the team has improved in the offseason.
Spitler even threw out the “S” word, saying “hopefully we’ve formed a team capable of going out there and getting into the playoffs and winning a Super Bowl.”
Highlights:
- Hartline, who broke out for 1,083 yards last season but scored just one touchdown, is aiming for another 1,000 yard season with prized offseason signee Mike Wallace also in the lineup.
“I always want to be a 1,000 yard receiver,” he said. “I want to make more touchdowns for the team. … I want us to win more games, I want us to be a playoff team, I want us to compete in the division year in and year our. If that happens all the stats and all the numbers can go by the wayside. You’re defined, especially the starters in this league, by how many games do you win year in and year out and how may championships do you win.”
- Hartline sidestepped a question about what Wallace will bring to the team, saying the Dolphins brought in several new talented players to improve the passing game.
“Me personally, I can’t really focus on that too much,” Hartline said. “You add Brandon Gibson as well, Dustin Keller at tight end. You have some ‘quote-unquote’ young guys playing really well — Armon Binns, Rishard Matthews — so we’ve got a lot of depth right now when it comes to the passing game. Anytime you can have multiple targets and not just one extra guy it’s definitely an important aspect of the game. That’s what the NFL is growing in to.”
- Hartline said people did not notice how much quarterback Ryan Tannehill improved last year.
“He’s making every throw, his deep ball looks awesome, and he’s got great touch — you don’t feel like it’s a rocket coming into your hands,” Hartline said. “His improvement has been amazing. Actually I wouldn’t say amazing because I’ve seen it week in and week out and how much work he’s put in. It hasn’t come out of nowhere. It’s not surprising.”
- While Tannehill might be impressing Hartline, new cornerback Brent Grimes has apparently picked off a lot of passes in practice.
“Brent Grimes has had one heck of an offseason,” Spitler said. “He showed how explosive he is out there and what a playmaker he is. He had a pick it seemed like every other practice. Again, that’s one of the stresses the coaches have put on us. We were, I think, 29th in the league in giving up big plays in the passing game. That’s one thing we looked at in the offseason and we really strived to get better at it.”
Trusnik
- The team has put a big emphasis on the 2-minute drill and starting the season strong.
“Winning those close games can make or break a 5-0 start compared to a 2-3 start,” Trusnik said.
- Trusnik said new linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Philip Wheeler have brought both excitement and leadership to the defense.
- Hartline loves the new uniforms and logo but wasn’t a fan of the old ones.
“I hate to admit it to a lot of the fans out there but I was not a big Dolphins fan growing up,” Hartline said. “So with all due respect, I didn’t have a huge tie to that old logo. I think this logo is much more Miami. The colors more specifically are awesome. I love the color scheme. They really took input — Dan Marino, Don Shula. If they’re good enough for them and (Bob) Griese, Jason Taylor, they’re good enough for me. I’m looking forward to putting it on this season.”