Try this one on for size: Brian Hartline is currently operating under a four-year contract signed in 2009, which makes him in a contract year. He needs to produce during the regular season this year to get what's usually the biggest contract in a player's NFL career, the second one he signs, which usually covers the rest of his physical prime. He's enough of a veteran to be benefitted only minimally by his participation in camp. His participation in camp is probably not going to alter significantly his play during the regular season. However, his participation in camp could end his season, should he get injured. Wouldn't be the first time that's happened to a player of course. So he makes a "business decision" and foregoes camp, where he could have a season-ending injury (during his contract year), and waits until the regular season to play. This fits the data: a "strained calf" that had many of us scratching our heads, and his magical return to wellness on exactly the first day of regular season practice, when the team starts preparing for Houston. I imagine coaches and GMs have seen this routine before. What better way to contend with it than by having that player lose his starting job. That sends a message to not only him but to any players who may consider this "option" in the future. Enter Legedu Naanee. Now of course we could do better at the wide receiver position. I'm not saying he's the long-term solution for anything, and I'm certainly not saying he's lit the world on fire in the preseason. But Naanee is a capable enough veteran -- based on his past performance in the league -- to motivate Hartline to get "well" or lose his job. No one else on the roster can do that at Hartline's position IMO. Could it be that Naanee's continued existence on this team, and in the starting lineup, functions to discourage similar training camp "injuries" during contract years? Brian Hartline will now start his contract year on the bench, where the numbers he needs to put up to get the contract he wants are far less likely to happen.
Shou, if your premise is correct it certainly didn't work for the team, because Naanee did nothing to scare Hartline back into action during the preseason. Once the preseason games started and Naanee did nothing, Hartline would have felt he was making the wise decision.
Actually it works for the team if Hartline's regular season numbers are comprimised by Naanee's starting. It many not have worked to get Hartline back into camp, per se, but it sends a message to other players who may be considering this option. Do this, and your numbers during your contract year will suffer.
I like people trying to evaluate the play of Legadu from the comfort of home. After his initial break off the line the man is hidden from our view entirely unless the ball is thrown at him. I'm not defending him, but the fact is without coaches tape or being at the stadium it's ridiculously hard to evaluate the play of a wide out. There are many reasons a ball may not make it out to a guy and not all of them even have a drop to do with the receiver himself. Is it possible he "exists" on the roster because from the coaches tape they have determined his value to be higher than statistical analysis would determine it to be? In all honesty of the three drops I remember, I can only say one was his fault anyway.
Please stop with all that logical explanation...the conspiracy theory is much more interesting and gives us something to talk about...
Ummm... I thought he had appendicitis. I don't recall that being a voluntary medical procedure. When did the 'strained calf' enter the picture?
So what you are saying is that Hartline sandbagged this calf to insure he was healthy for the season's start because it is a contract year for him, but it backfired because of Nanee.... I don't buy that. I don't buy it because Nanee has been less than spectacular throughout this whole camp anyway and Hartline, if he weren't really hurt quite as much as was let on, would have wanted to be in the lineup learning the new system that Philbin is installing [to ensure he has a good start to his contract year]...which makes much more sense for Hartline than sandbagging a calf injury. I don't know what his injury has been or what has kept him out of TC. Look, many times football teams fudge injury reports to suit the needs of that point in time (see Bill Bellichick). Maybe this injury has been worse than they've let on, which is quite probable. I have to believe that neither side of this (if, in fact, Hartline is thinking more about his next contract than this year's TC) wanted him to not be in there during camp...too much is at stake for both sides of this...
Yeah, he had the appendectomy earlier in the year, but they've been talking about a 'calf' injury has keeping him out of TC...I just can't believe that with the new system, new QB being installed he was sandbagging anything to get back out on the field...particularly this being a contract year for him...
Hartlines been around all preseason learning the new offense and the mental side. Perhaps he felt this was enough being the veteran player he is.
Reasonable explanation, but we live in an outcome society and his outcome is void of any serious playmaking. However, he didn't get the most opportunities either. I give him that.
True, but that is something people need to get away from. For example, what if on tape you saw that Naanee had his corner beat badly down field but Tannehill never saw him? That could change perception quickly. Or what if he beat his man soundly but pressure arrived before the throw could be made or Tannehill had to check down? I'm not saying these things DID happen, just that if they did we would never see them from home and our opinion isn't based on the entire set of facts. The QB is in our face, we can analyze the lines and even the linebackers....but past a few frames its very hard to evaluate the WR's in the fashion we try to IMO.
This is hardly a "conspiracy theory." It's not like I'm proposing that little green men have invaded Davie and implanted a computer chip in Joe Philbin's brain, making him believe Legedu Naanee is some stellar player. This is all very plausible conjecture IMO.
Shou, you might be right in a vacuum, but it's very difficult to imagine Hartline being even mildly threatened by Naanee's presence. Naanee makes Hartline look like Roddy White. Wilford had a better track record before coming here.
I think there's a little bit of over analysis going on with Legedu Naanee. He's a good flag football player, he blocks well, and he plays really good special teams. They took him to the games and he didn't produce. Half of that could be chalked up (if you're so inclined) to opportunities. The other half to him just not quite performing the same from flag football to real football. This is essentially a repeat of what happened at Carolina. He promises and promises and promises by being a great flag football player, this earns him opportunities, and then he doesn't deliver. But our front office isn't into the whole lessons from history thing.
With all due respect, that is IMO one of the more ridiculous theories I've read on here in a long time.
Hmm: How about Legedu is a Scientologist, as our many GM's in the league, so they go out of their way to offer him opportunities? Good a theory as any. IMO it simply breaks down to his skillset being successful in the league, he has had some success in the league in SD so GM's are willing to feed him chances hoping he breaks out on their watch saving the franchise cap space with a high level of production?
I don't really buy this. Hartline doesn't seem like that type of player, and I don't think the coaching staff and FO would accept such behavior either.
I have a friend who is into Masons conspiracies. I'm not an expert on the Masons, but he seems to be worried about who is one and that loyalties to fellow Masons override everything else. I did hear a long time ago that Masons have some secret sign they can flash that only a fellow Mason would recognize. Also, if one is a Mason, and a fellow Mason is in need, then you are obligated to help him. So, perhaps Naanee is a Mason, and Ireland is a Mason, and Philbin is a Mason and those loyalties are what gives the former a spot on the team. Sounds about as sensible as what you or the OP said.
I dont think so, if anything nannee perf said to Hartline, "take your time, we have to wait, we have no other choice
I suspect we can expect more 'injuries' about halfway through the season, except for those guys in contract years.
My favorite time of the year. When losing teams suddenly are ravaged by "injuries" in a very mysterious manner.
Nice theory, but notice how when an actual receiver (gaffney) showed up in camp, Hartline was running reverse and doing cartwheels......
It was meant to be funny. I figured the implication that he wouldn't "exist" without a convoluted explanation like this would provide a chuckle.
It fits in a way, because it illustrates that Philbin was at least aware of the fact that Hartline was missing so much time, and of the effect it can have on a team when guys who do that are rewarded. He might have been joking, but there's something serious underlying that for him IMO. http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/09/19/3009287/miami-dolphins-brian-hartline.html
I'm not buying it. Does anyone think Ireland would put up with that type of crap from Hartline? Where did it get Roth when he tried to pull something like this?
I'm pretty sure he was just joking about that. I don't think that line of thinking dictates anything he does. Mike Sherman was unabashed in his praise of Hartline's work prior to 2012 and how impressed he was with him. He gushed. That gives you a hint of just how frustrated they had to be that the guy missed the entire off season injured.
I think it being a contract year will push Hartline far more than Nanee's questionable existence will.
