Packers releasing Al Harris

[Bretsky]

Lets hope this does not backfire like not resigning Darren Sharper.

IMO a team can not have too many corners. The Packers had 3 weeks to study Harris. Generally, TT is correct -- hope TT is right again.

Not resigning Sharper? He was already under contract, but a contract with a big cap impact. Sharper was purely a salary cap casualty. TT tried to renegotiate a contract that would allow the Packers to keep him, but Sharper would have nothing to do with it. That forced the Packers to release him to get under the salary cap. From Sharper's perspective it was a good decision because the Vikings paid him about what he had been due from the Packers.

As I recall, going into that off season the Packers were something like $9 million over the salary cap with their existing contracts. Wahle and Sharper had big bonuses/salaries due. The chances of not releasing Wahle and Sharper, or resigning Rivera were slim, at best. In the end, cutting ties with all three was probably the best, and provided the cap flexibility going forward to keep Kampman, sign Woodson and quickly recast the roster over the next couple years.

You are probably right but I only remember the huge Wahle bonus...not one going to Sharper as well. TT IMO made a feeble attempt to sign Sharper. Reportedly offering about 2MIL per year. I think most felt he got about what he should with around 4MIL per year from MN

[Guiness]

Sheesh, the eagles left him go years ago because he sucked and you guys are shedding tears like your grandma just died? oy vey!

There wasn't near the crying when Kampman was let go.

Not being able to bypass Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor is not the same as sucking. And a DB being traded for a Round 2 pick is no small matter. Even if it was Sherman trading with his buddy Andy Reid.

No shame in being traded for a 2nd round pick. In the other thread, we're talking about being lucky if we could get a 4th rounder for Barnett, should we decide to trade him.

[pbmax]

Always liked Al, but always considered him at best a "B" grade corner.
Sometimes made a big play (Seattle playoff, Cutler debut), but got de-pantsed at highly inopportune times by good receivers (Burress, Owens).
At 35 and with a bad wheel, I understand the Pack's decision.

Shadow, seems like I have seen a post from you in forever. Good to see you.

[pbmax]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzpowxGfVFE

Classic(sorry if was already posted)

This is even better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON8d80EfD5I&feature=related

I had never seen this replay before of Hasselback's extra special TD celebration.

[Patler]

Lets hope this does not backfire like not resigning Darren Sharper.

IMO a team can not have too many corners. The Packers had 3 weeks to study Harris. Generally, TT is correct -- hope TT is right again.

Not resigning Sharper? He was already under contract, but a contract with a big cap impact. Sharper was purely a salary cap casualty. TT tried to renegotiate a contract that would allow the Packers to keep him, but Sharper would have nothing to do with it. That forced the Packers to release him to get under the salary cap. From Sharper's perspective it was a good decision because the Vikings paid him about what he had been due from the Packers.

As I recall, going into that off season the Packers were something like $9 million over the salary cap with their existing contracts. Wahle and Sharper had big bonuses/salaries due. The chances of not releasing Wahle and Sharper, or resigning Rivera were slim, at best. In the end, cutting ties with all three was probably the best, and provided the cap flexibility going forward to keep Kampman, sign Woodson and quickly recast the roster over the next couple years.

You are probably right but I only remember the huge Wahle bonus...not one going to Sharper as well. TT IMO made a feeble attempt to sign Sharper. Reportedly offering about 2MIL per year. I think most felt he got about what he should with around 4MIL per year from MN

Sharper's was a combination of a high a 2005 salary and roster bonus due ($8.633 million total cap impact). He would have been third highest in cap impact, behind just Favre at $11.733 million and Wahle at $11.375 million (per a JSO article that I kept a copy of). With qualifying offers to RFAs, the Packers were nearly $12 million over the cap of 85.5 million. That didn't include the mandatory pool for rookies that they would have had to make room for by April. They were still paying Joe Jonson and Jamal Reynolds a combined $4.5 million.

Interesting tidbit - of the contracts TT inherited when he came on board, 21 of them were for $1 million or more against the 2005 cap, and just those 21 collectively would have counted $74.3 against the cap of $85.5. That would have left $11 million for 32 players + practice squad + IR + in season contingencies. Quite a mess, really.

[rbaloha1]

The point about Sharper is DS went on to have HOF career after GB.

[The Leaper]

Harris just doesn't have much to offer anymore. The guy never had any speed to begin with, and he'll have even less now. I'm also guessing his agility has seen a notable decline as well. He may be close to 100% now...but that might only be 85-90% of what he was a couple years ago. Few NFL CBs last into their late 30s, and those guys typically are gifted athletically. That doesn't really describe Al.

With no real upside, and plenty of potential downside...I certainly think the Packers made a smart move on this one.

He was a hell of a player for the Packers who will one day get enshrined in the Packer HOF. I think he's a relatively bright guy who likely will make a name for himself again in broadcasting or coaching. Best of luck to him.

[Patler]

The point about Sharper is DS went on to have HOF career after GB.

Sorry, I don't understand. Most of his career was spent in GB.

Letting Sharper, Wahle and others go gave the Packers the cap space to match the Vikings offer to Kampman that same year as well as resign Franks to a long term contract. The next year they signed Kampman long term. Jenkins, Driver and Harris all got long contracts. Some of those may have been impossible if money went to Sharper instead.

I never felt that Sharper was missed all that much.

[bobblehead]

Sheesh, the eagles left him go years ago because he sucked and you guys are shedding tears like your grandma just died? oy vey!

There wasn't near the crying when Kampman was let go.

my mother once said that if absolutely everyone disagrees wit your opinion you might want to reconsider things.

a few might think he was slightly overrated, but you stand alone on the planet in thinking he stunk.

[bobblehead]

The point about Sharper is DS went on to have HOF career after GB.

why has a HOF player bounced around the league so much?

[sheepshead]

The point about Sharper is DS went on to have HOF career after GB.

No way.

[Fritz]

I like Al Harris, and I like the idea of a veteran presence if the Pack makes the playoffs. Still, this line in the JSO got me to thinking...."The National Football Post reported that veteran cornerback Al Harris, who was released by the Packers Monday, cleared waivers."

Okay, if Al was really going to be a solid, solid nickel guy, why did a potential playoff team not pick him up? Salary? 2 or 2.5 mill - of which a team would be on the hook for about 1.25 or something for the rest of the year - that's not a lot of money in an uncapped year. Not if you are pretty darn sure you're getting a solid nickel back you can plug right in.

But no one claimed him. Not the Patriots, not the Queens (wow), not the Bucs nor the Jets (who seem to have little behind Cromartie and Revis). No one.

Harris will very likely sign with someone, sure - but any team could have had him, automatically, by putting in a claim. But no one did.

Makes me wonder if maybe Harris's injury and age have caught up to him, and it's clear to the NFL.

Yet, there's that fan-part of me that wanted the idea of Al Harris back with the Pack...

[Joemailman]

I believe I read that teams cannot have Al undergo a physical examination until he is a free agent. That may be the reason. Certainly the fact that the Packers would release him has to have teams wondering what he has left. The thing people have to remember is that just because Al had been deemed 100% ready to play doesn't mean he's the same player he was before the injury.

[pbmax]

I believe I read that teams cannot have Al undergo a physical examination until he is a free agent. That may be the reason. Certainly the fact that the Packers would release him has to have teams wondering what he has left. The thing people have to remember is that just because Al had been deemed 100% ready to play doesn't mean he's the same player he was before the injury.

If that is the case then it makes a LOT of sense. There have been other cases of release vets that clear waivers where I have wondered how teams with a clear need passed. In the case of having no film of a recovering player, this would explain a lot.

[Cheesehead Craig]

I believe I read that teams cannot have Al undergo a physical examination until he is a free agent. That may be the reason. Certainly the fact that the Packers would release him has to have teams wondering what he has left. The thing people have to remember is that just because Al had been deemed 100% ready to play doesn't mean he's the same player he was before the injury.

If that is the case then it makes a LOT of sense. There have been other cases of release vets that clear waivers where I have wondered how teams with a clear need passed. In the case of having no film of a recovering player, this would explain a lot.

Yep, that's what I said earlier in this thread. Given how he shredded his knee nobody was going to claim him without seeing it first hand.