Marvin Harrison signs $67M extension

[KingPK 0]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1942016

 

The Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday achieved their second contract milestone of the season, reaching agreement on a seven-year, $67 million extension with wide receiver Marvin Harrison.

 

Harrison, who was scheduled to enter free agency after this season, is guaranteed $22 million between now and 2006 and received a $6 million signing bonus. He is making $5.56 million this season.

 

Earlier this year, the Colts locked up quarterback Peyton Manning with a seven-year, $98 million deal that included a $34 million signing bonus.

 

Harrison, 32, is considered one of the best receivers in the league and is the focal point of the Colts' powerful offense. He draws consistent double coverage and allows Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley to excel against single coverage.

 

The structure of Harrison's contract will allow enough flexibility for the Colts to try to find a way to keep running back Edgerrin James. There is a $7 million roster bonus that can be converted into a signing bonus in order to lower Harrison's cap number in 2005 to around only $3.2 million.

 

There also is a $10 million flexible roster bonus that can be converted into signing bonus to help the salary cap in 2006.

 

7 years for a receiver over 30? Kind of risky there, but he and Manning are like the new Rice/Montana, so I guess they are willing to take the gamble.

 

Still, I hope the Colts keep enough room on the cap to improve that defense. They can't possibly rely on Peyton throwing 50 TDs a year to get them anywhere. This contract might help them a bit with Edge, but I still think that the Dolphins will do everything in their power to sign him.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

That's a dumb move by Colts management IMO. With Stokely, Wayne and Clark they really didn't need to pay that kind of money especially with the defense in such bad shape and James's contract being up.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Wow. What a terrible deal.

 

Seven years in football is an eternity. Plus, Wayne and Stokley are developing quite nicely - Reggie Wayne could eclipse Harrison on the depth chart by the end of next year. Just an unspeakably bad move by the Colts to appease Harrison, who was whining about his importance in the offense.

[Guest Failed Mascot]

As a Pats fan this makes me smile. Let their entire cap go towards Manning, Harrison, and James. Dwight Freeney and Mike Doss will be their whole defense shortly.

[Precious Roy 0]

Harrison, 32, is considered one of the best receivers in the league and is the focal point of the Colts' powerful offense. He draws consistent double coverage and allows Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley to excel against single coverage.

 

That's the truth, and it's why Indy is smart to keep Manning and Harrison together as long as possible. Their system is built around Manning and Harrison, and it's Harrison that allows them to pick guys like Wayne and Stokley and bring them along in the system.

 

Too big of a risk to let Harrison go, they made the safe choice.

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

They are overcompenstating here. He deserves a extenstion but for 67 million? They are paying Manning 99 million already. They aren't going to be able to obtain any defensive power next season and Edgerin is all but out of the door now and headed to Miami.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

I love Marv. More power to him. He's fucking awesome without all the TO/Joe Horn/Randy Moss bullshit.

[Guest Cerebus]

Obtain any defensive power next season? I doubt they'll be able to keep the defensive power they have THIS season.

 

This team is really like a Bizzaro version of the Ravens. And the Ravens defense choked like Mama Cass last week. Give them time and have them go up against a defense worth a damn, you can bet that Manning, even giving the season he's having now, will blow it and envoke some introspection on the part of the Colts. My guess is that it will be during the playoffs.

[KingPK 0]

Hell, that already happened LAST year with Peyton and Co. getting completely stopped in their tracks in the AFC title game. Let's hope a repeat of that finally convinces them that this ain't the Arena League.

[alfdogg 0]

What a shocker, yet ANOTHER NFL thread turns into Pats fans bashing Peyton.

[KingPK 0]

What? It's a FACT that Peyton gags every time he's faced the Pats in Foxboro, and having a swiss cheese defense just compounds the problem.

 

Defense wins championships - how many more times does that have to be proven for people to get it?

[Guest Failed Mascot]

What a shocker, yet ANOTHER NFL thread turns into Pats fans bashing Peyton.

I don't see anybody throwing out insults about Peyton. Everybody seems to be insulting the front office throwing all of the salary cap at a few offensive players while ignoring the defense on a whole.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Letting Marcus Washington go was probably the worst move the Colts made last year.

[alfdogg 0]

What? It's a FACT that Peyton gags every time he's faced the Pats in Foxboro

And that should justify you guys bringing it up in nearly every thread which he's mentioned? Look, we made it to the AFC title game last year. It was pretty clear that no one was beating the Pats. No one calls Kevin Garnett a choker anymore, why should Peyton be any different?

[Guest El Satanico]

A 7 year contract means nothing in the NFL. They will renogiate after year 4. How many times must teams do this, until we all remember this?

 

I'm not surprised they resigned him, but I was starting to think they may surprise everyone and let him walk.

 

Edge won't be back, unless out of his love for the owner he accepts a contract well below his market value. He may love the owner and the team, but I don't see him taking a pay cut when the Dolphins need a back and he'd be going home.

[KingPK 0]

Because he threw, what, 4 interceptions in that game? And that he'll probably have to play there again this year (or in Pittsburgh, who are no slouches on D themselves)?

 

Besides, people here aren't bashing Peyton, they're after the Colts' MANAGEMENT, who seem to be trying to go against the grain and build a powerhouse offense while virtually ignoring the defense when it has been shown for FOUR YEARS now that you need a good playmaking defense on top of a good offense to win in January/February. Just look at the past four Superbowls:

 

2000 - The Ravens D completely shut down the Giants, who completely blew away the Vikings in the NFC title game that year.

 

2001 - The "Greatest Show on Turf" drops one of the biggest upsets in league history because the Pats D beat them up for 3 1/2 quarters. And remember that the Rams had a pretty good D themselves.

 

2002 - Derrick Brooks and the Bucs D made Gannon look foolish.

 

2003 - Ok, it turned into a shootout in the 4th, but both teams defenses were what put them in the SB to begin with (Pats shut down the Colts while Carolina pounded on the Eagles)

[Guest Cerebus]

When you rely on only a handful of players on the offense to win games, its putting your eggs in one, flimsy, basket. That is VERY risky especially during the postseason. If you want to see that as me bashing Payton just because I'm a Pats fan go ahead.

[alfdogg 0]

For the record, I'm not saying you guys are wrong about our defense. I just didn't like the way it was worded is all. Either way I'm glad we were able to clear things up.

[Guest Cerebus]

For the record I think Payton Manning is a fantastic quarterback and his desire to play for the Colts brings a lot more honor to the name Manning than his brother (I don't want to play for a LOSING team! Give me the Giants!). I may be saying this from a high-and-mighty position as a Pats fan, but placing trust in a few individuals is a house of cards waiting to collapse no matter how good those individuals are.

[Art Sandusky 0]

The Colts had the Patriots beat in the season opener if it hadn't been for that James fumble or even Vanderjagt's missed kick.

[Guest Cerebus]

Understood, but that doesn't change the fact that its a shaky base to put your whole team on. Even with offense being pushed more nowadays, just ask the Chiefs how good having a shitty defense but good offense can be for you.

[The Czech Republic 0]

This board has too many Patriots fans.

[Precious Roy 0]

I'm a diehard Patriots fan and I'll never say a bad word about Manning, the guy is the real deal. I have the utmost respect for that team and to my eyes they're the only legitimate challenger in the AFC. A Pats-Colts rematch in the AFC championship would be a hell of a fucking game.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Can't wait to hear Indy bitch in a few years about Salary Cap problems and how Manning/Marv are greedy.

 

More power to him. He's a good player and doesn't whine. Collect that bling-bling...

[Guest The Gecko]

Lets take a glimpse into the future shall we... all the way to the year 2005...

 

"Breaking news this week, the Colts, riddled by Salary Cap problems were forced to field only 2 players. Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison were stuck playing offense, defense, and special teams. The Colts still won however, 357-3 over the the Detroit Lions. Peyton Manning broke his own season touchdown record in one night."

[The Man in Blak 0]

2001 - The "Greatest Show on Turf" drops one of the biggest upsets in league history because the Pats D beat them up for 3 1/2 quarters. And remember that the Rams had a pretty good D themselves.

 

All I'll say is that "beat them up" is the perfect word for it, since Belichick explicitly told them to rough up the wide receivers because the referees would be reluctant to throw a flag and slow down the Super Bowl. That's not coaching genius (though later wins would be) - that's exploiting a sad flaw in officiating.

 

Plus, the coach on the other side of the field was Mike Martz. That's like spotting the opposing team with a touchdown before the game even starts.

[nl5xsk1 0]

2001 - The "Greatest Show on Turf" drops one of the biggest upsets in league history because the Pats D beat them up for 3 1/2 quarters. And remember that the Rams had a pretty good D themselves.

 

All I'll say is that "beat them up" is the perfect word for it, since Belichick explicitly told them to rough up the wide receivers because the referees would be reluctant to throw a flag and slow down the Super Bowl. That's not coaching genius (though later wins would be) - that's exploiting a sad flaw in officiating.

 

Plus, the coach on the other side of the field was Mike Martz. That's like spotting the opposing team with a touchdown before the game even starts.

Actually, in my opinion, identifying a possible advantage and then exploiting it IS a genius move. If it was so apparent, why didn't every other coach in the league take advantage of the same flaw?

 

And my apologies if this sounds like a Colt-bashing Patriot fan, but Indy seems to be an anti-New England ... putting all their eggs in a few baskets, and hoping for the best. Manning's bonus was more than Brady's entire contract (bonus included) and yet it's Brady with SB MVPs under his belt. Manning can have every regular season passing record in the world, but winning Super Bowls is the reason people play the game.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Actually, in my opinion, identifying a possible advantage and then exploiting it IS a genius move. If it was so apparent, why didn't every other coach in the league take advantage of the same flaw?

 

Well, not every coach happened to be in the Super Bowl that year.

 

I mean that with the utmost sincerity - during the regular season, referees throw flags more frequently but, inexplicably, keep them tucked in their pockets for most of the playoffs. So, in Belichick's situation, he literally told his guys to go break the rules and dared the officials to do something about it...and they didn't.

 

And, if you spin it as "coaching genius" and "identifying a possible advantage", then - by that same logic - you must condone the use of corked bats. Or, for a better example, maybe I'm the coach playing the New England Patriots and I decide that, after a pass play, one of my linebackers should just level Tom Brady with a helmet-to-helmet hit and knock him out of the game. Sure, it's against the rules - player gets ejected (if he even gets caught) and there are fines aplenty...but none of it would change the fact that Tom Brady's out of the game. None of it would change the fact the outcome of the game, if I happened to win from exploiting that "possible advantage." Wouldn't it behoove me, as an opposing coach, to chop Corey Dillon on a running play so he could either be injured or tentative when he hits the line the next time his number is called? Sure, it's against the rules, but having Dillon at less at 100% (or even out of the game) is a possible advantage that, however immoral, is available to me as a head coach.

 

The rules of the game aren't in place merely for entertainment value - they exist to balance the game and provide as fair of a playing field as possible. Belichick wasn't exploiting some unfair advantage that hadn't been accounted for in the rules - he deliberately told his defense to go out and rough up the Rams receivers in a way that is outlawed by the rules.

 

Is it his fault that the referees had better things to do that Sunday than officiate the game? No, not at all. Does it take away the fact that the Patriots won the Super Bowl? No, not at all.

 

What it should take away, however, is all of this ridiculous "intrepid upset" and "hero" garbage that's always tacked onto the Patriots victory. It's one thing to say, very accurately, that the Patriots beat up the Rams but it's another thing entirely to say that the Patriots "heroically overcame all odds and beat the overrated Rams" sentiment that somehow gets tacked onto that Super Bowl. There is no heroism that comes from breaking the rules of the game...but why let the facts get in the way of a good story?

[The Man in Blak 0]

Now, as I mentioned, later wins would be coaching genius for Belichick - when they changed the rules to outlaw the physical contact that Patriots DBs were famous for, he didn't whine and toss a pile of grievance paperwork at the league. He adapted and now, even with an injury-riddled secondary, they're still one of the top defenses in the league. That is genius.

[The Czech Republic 0]

A Mike Martz/Bill Belichick-coached Super Bowl was the perfect place to drop an atomic bomb.