Miami Signs WR Willie Green

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

February 26, 1999 / 3:23 PM EST / CBS Sportsline

The Miami Dolphins found a new target for Dan Marino, signing free agent wide receiver Willie Green to a three-year contract on Friday.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

The 32-year-old Green was released by the Denver Broncos Feb. 11 after catching 16 passes for 194 yards and one touchdown in 1998. As the third receiver behind Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey, Green was left unprotected in the recent expansion draft before being released.

Originally an eighth-round draft choice of Detroit in 1990 out of Mississippi, Green has appeared in 115 games, catching 237 passes for 3,270 yards and 26 touchdowns.

After spending four seasons with the Lions, Green spent one year in Tampa Bay and two with Carolina before signing with Denver in 1997. His most productive season was for Carolina in 1995, when he caught 47 balls for 882 yards and six touchdowns.

Improving the receiving corps is one of the offseason goals for the Dolphins. O.J. McDuffie led Miami with 90 catches for 1,050 yards and seven scores last season. Oronde Gadsen was a distant second with 48 receptions, but seven were for TDs.

Green is the second free agent to find a new home with the Dolphins, who also signed defensive back Greg Jeffries. Miami also re-signed free agent linebackers Zach Thomas and Robert Jones and acquired running back Tyrone Wheatley in a trade with the New York Giants.