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Packers: Harris gets contract extension WSJ
GREEN BAY -- It took him a year, but in the end, Al Harris got what he wanted.
The Green Bay Packers' No. 1 cornerback told the Wisconsin State Journal's Jason Wilde this morning that he has agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension, a deal that he said adds in a pair of roster bonuses worth a combined $4.5 million and modest Pro Bowl incentives to his existing contract.
"Like I've said the whole time, I wasn't trying to break the bank. I just wanted to be compensated for the work that I do," Harris said in a phone interview as he drove his son to school in Florida.
"I'm satisfied. I'm extremely satisfied.
"I just wanted to feel appreciated, and appreciation in this game is compensation. So everything worked out for everybody."
While the Packers paid free-agent cornerback Charles Woodson like a No. 1 cornerback, signing him to a seven-year, $39 million deal last April -- a contract that paid Woodson more than $10 million in 2006 alone -- Harris was the one they matched up with the best opposing receiver each week.
After Woodson's signing, Harris, who signed a five-year, $18.635 million extension in September 2004 that included $7 million in bonuses, skipped the team's voluntary late-May minicamp and all 14 organized team activity practices to demonstrate his unhappiness with his contract. He also threatened to hold out of training camp if his deal wasn't reworked.
But he reported to camp on time and played for his $1.5 million base salary, intercepting three passes, breaking up 20 passes and allowing just five completions of 20 yards or more and only one touchdown catch. He also stopped complaining about his contract.
Harris admitted today that he had little leverage when he asked to have his contract redone after just two seasons - "It's kind of an unwritten law that you don't do that," he said - but he also emphasized the Packers made it clear he was their top cornerback by the way he was used against teams' No. 1 receivers.
"I really didn't want to be a distraction," Harris said. "My numbers were simple, modest, realistic numbers."
Midway through the season, Harris said, general manager Ted Thompson let him know that he'd be open to upgrading his deal.
"At the beginning of the season, I felt unappreciated. Then, as the season goes on, (the coaches) are giving me the top dude (to cover)," Harris said. "One time, I was about to go to practice, and Ted called me over to the side and said, 'Al, we haven't forgotten about this thing.' You're going to respect that, instead of a guy blowing you off, which he could have done."
Asked if he would gone about things differently if he had it to do over again, Harris replied, "Not knowing Ted at first, yeah, I probably would have went about it a little different. At one point in time, I was bad as hell, which really never solves anything. Once I went and talked to Ted face-to-face, he assured me that there would be an effort made, which is pretty much all you can ask for."
Harris' existing deal calls for him to earn base salaries of $2.2 million in 2007, $2.85 million in '08 and $3 million in '09.
Thompson and Harris' agent, Jack Bechta, had not yet returned messages this morning.
For more on this story, come back later to www.madison.com/wsj or pick up a copy of Wednesday's Wisconsin State Journal.
GREEN BAY -- It took him a year, but in the end, Al Harris got what he wanted.
The Green Bay Packers' No. 1 cornerback told the Wisconsin State Journal's Jason Wilde this morning that he has agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension, a deal that he said adds in a pair of roster bonuses worth a combined $4.5 million and modest Pro Bowl incentives to his existing contract.
"Like I've said the whole time, I wasn't trying to break the bank. I just wanted to be compensated for the work that I do," Harris said in a phone interview as he drove his son to school in Florida.
"I'm satisfied. I'm extremely satisfied.
"I just wanted to feel appreciated, and appreciation in this game is compensation. So everything worked out for everybody."
While the Packers paid free-agent cornerback Charles Woodson like a No. 1 cornerback, signing him to a seven-year, $39 million deal last April -- a contract that paid Woodson more than $10 million in 2006 alone -- Harris was the one they matched up with the best opposing receiver each week.
After Woodson's signing, Harris, who signed a five-year, $18.635 million extension in September 2004 that included $7 million in bonuses, skipped the team's voluntary late-May minicamp and all 14 organized team activity practices to demonstrate his unhappiness with his contract. He also threatened to hold out of training camp if his deal wasn't reworked.
But he reported to camp on time and played for his $1.5 million base salary, intercepting three passes, breaking up 20 passes and allowing just five completions of 20 yards or more and only one touchdown catch. He also stopped complaining about his contract.
Harris admitted today that he had little leverage when he asked to have his contract redone after just two seasons - "It's kind of an unwritten law that you don't do that," he said - but he also emphasized the Packers made it clear he was their top cornerback by the way he was used against teams' No. 1 receivers.
"I really didn't want to be a distraction," Harris said. "My numbers were simple, modest, realistic numbers."
Midway through the season, Harris said, general manager Ted Thompson let him know that he'd be open to upgrading his deal.
"At the beginning of the season, I felt unappreciated. Then, as the season goes on, (the coaches) are giving me the top dude (to cover)," Harris said. "One time, I was about to go to practice, and Ted called me over to the side and said, 'Al, we haven't forgotten about this thing.' You're going to respect that, instead of a guy blowing you off, which he could have done."
Asked if he would gone about things differently if he had it to do over again, Harris replied, "Not knowing Ted at first, yeah, I probably would have went about it a little different. At one point in time, I was bad as hell, which really never solves anything. Once I went and talked to Ted face-to-face, he assured me that there would be an effort made, which is pretty much all you can ask for."
Harris' existing deal calls for him to earn base salaries of $2.2 million in 2007, $2.85 million in '08 and $3 million in '09.
Thompson and Harris' agent, Jack Bechta, had not yet returned messages this morning.
For more on this story, come back later to www.madison.com/wsj or pick up a copy of Wednesday's Wisconsin State Journal.
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