Regarding the story that is inevitably beginning to percolate around the Indianapolis Colts — the should-they-shouldn’t they-would-he-should-he story of the potential return of eight-time Pro Bowl WR Marvin Harrison –let’s try to stop it now, before it gets started.
If, that is, it already isn’t too late. Which it almost certainly is.
Still, for the record, let’s say two things here . . . Read More.
The news regarding former Indianapolis Colts WR Marvin Harrison has been notably slow throughout the offseason, with the common thought being it would be close to — or into training camp — if and when he signed.
Training camp’s drawing nearer.
And on Wednesday, there was a bit of new regarding Harrison, with the St. Paul Pioneer Press mentioning that the Minnesota Vikings might try to sign the eight-time Pro Bowl wide receiver:
There’s buzz that the Vikings might sign ex-Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison, 36, who is near the end of his career and has tender knees, to a one-year, low-end deal to provide competition for Sidney Rice.
I wrote “mentioning” and not reporting, because there was no attribution and no more written than just that sentence, but it is a mention so I wanted to pass it along. Harrison, released from the Colts in February, has received little attention on the open market, with Philadelphia and Miami being mentioned early as possible options and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being mentioned more recently.
The Vikings do seem like a logical fit, because lately in the NFL there are essentially two sorts of teams: those who are willing to bring in an aging veteran for a year and those who are not. The Colts typically are not such a team, but the Vikings — as evidenced by their possible pursuit of QB Brett Favre — seem to be in the mode of being willing to sign veteran free agents. We’ll see.
Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser answers the questions of Indianapolis Colts fans (and anyone else who emails him at IFROehser@aol.com) . . .
Hey Oehser . . .
Long time without writing. However, I’ve been reading IFR everyday. I just want to talk about something. It’s seems to me that lately everybody is very concerned about the Colts’ wide teceivers. Yes, it’s a fact that we lost a certain Hall of Famer, but it’s also true that he wasn’t nearly as productive as he used to be in the past. I don’t know about everybody else, but I don’t really feel worried. I
believe that Anthony Gonzalez has the talent and skills to become an elite player. (Rookie) Austin Collie was a very productive player (at Brigham Young) and I’m sure he has the skills and intelligence that someone like Peyton Manning knows how to exploit better than anybody else in the league.
On ther other hand you have an intriguing player like Pierce Garcon, who despite coming from small school, has shown signs of being a very good player. Being in his second year it’s almost certain he’ll improve and the team seems to have lots of confidence in him. Last, but not least, there’s Roy Hall who I think is a very good player, but has had no luck. Hopefully, he’ll bounce back from his injuries and have great year.
Hey, don’t forget about Dallas Clark, one of the best if not the best tight ends in the league, and developing players like Jacob Tamme and Tom Santi, who showed great promise last season. Isn’t that enough fire power?? I don’t get why everybody is excited about the Patriots about getting Joey Galloway and Fred Taylor, but worried about the Colts for losing Marvin Harrison; it doesn’t make sense to me. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Love the site. Best wishes!!
Juan P. Bogotá, Colombia
Oehser: Perhaps I’m too close to this team to see with proper perspective other teams’ strengths in comparision, but I’m with you: I look at this roster and see very few weaknesses and a lot of of strengths over a team that wasn’t too bad last season. I’ve said over and over that I don’t think Marvin Harrison’s depature will cause a dropoff offensively from last season and honestly, from the way Garcon has looked in organized team activities, it’s far from a reach to think the Colts’ receivers as a unit will be better than last season. Harrison wasn’t productive last season, so third-year WR Anthony Gonzalez can replace Harrison’s numbers and I expect wide receiver Reggie Wayne to increase his numbers, which — along with a reasonable amount of catches by Garcon — will get them to the numbers they had a year ago. I wouldn’t count on much from Collie this year. Not that he looks bad. Just don’t bet the mortgage on rookie receivers to have a huge impact in any offense, much less this one. As for Hall, this is a key offseason he needs to perform in training camp bigtime. I still need to see a bit more of Tamme and Santi, but agree that they seem the sort of players who could fill a niche on the Colts’ offense, which traditionally squeezes production from these types of players. As far as the Patriots I see your point with (WR Joey) Galloway and (RB Fred) Taylor. As much as I like Fred personally, I’m not a big veteran free-agent, late-career pickup guy and can’t see those two additions shifting any sort of conference balance.
Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell is surprised Marvin Harrison doesn’t have a new team.
He also is sure that while former Atlanta Falcons Pro Bowl quarterback Michael Vick deserves a second chance in the NFL that second chance won’t come with the Colts.
Caldwell, entering his first season as the Colts’ head coach after serving as the associate head coach last season, addressed those issues and a few others to the Beloit (Wis.) Daily News Friday evening while serving as guest speaker at the “Back in Beloit” event at Beloit Memorial High School’s Barkin Arena.
You can click here for the entire interview and here are some excerpts:
On Harrison:
I hope something works for him. He’s a quality player and a good man and certainly capable (of still playing).
On Vick:
I certainly would say that he would not fit with us from a schematic standpoint. First and foremost, that would be the thing you’d have to consider. Overall, I think he’s paid his debt to society and served his time, just like anyone else. I think he deserves a second chance somewhere down the line. I hope he gets it.
On a 16-game schedule versus an 18-game schedule:
I think all of us have been indoctrinated in the system the way it is now. But down the line, if something happens, it happens and we’ll adjust to it. Right now, we have four preseason and 16 regular season games and that in itself is a tough task.
On changes in the Colts’ system in his first season:
The system hasn’t changed and that’s the beauty of it. We’ve had a few little technique changes, but overall, our system has had a measure of success. There’s no sense in changing.
On the outlook for the Colts in 2009:
I think we have a real good, solid team. We have a great nucleus of veteran players. The draft has been outstanding for us with Bill Polian at the helm. We’ve been able to get a fine collection of players. Things are going well. I think we’re going to have a pretty good squad if we stay healthy.
Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser answers the questions of Indianapolis Colts fans (and anyone else who emails him at IFROehser@aol.com) . . .
Hey, Oehser . . .
I’m a new reader to your site and I love it so far. I was just wondering if you think there is any chance that Marvin Harrison comes back to the Colts? He hasn’t been signed yet and at this point it doesn’t look like he’s going to be. If late July/early August rolls around and he still hasn’t been picked up by another team do you think he’d come back to the Speed Blue for a cheaper price? Would he want to come back? Is there any bad blood from him being released in the first place?
Thanks, Weller classic17.wordpress.com/
Oehser: I’ll answer the first question first. No. I’ll expand on it, but I think it’s getting to the stage where Colts fans just need to realize the Marvin Harrison era is over. It’s a very real possibility that he won’t sign anywhere, and I can’t see a any good that would come from him signing with the Colts. He was a great player for more than a decade, but his production was half last season of what it was nearly every year of his prime, and if he did come back, it would likely will be as the No. 3 receiver. I can’t see Harrison returning as the third receiver. The question of him wanting to come back obviously is a legitimate question, and I’ve said before: I would never presume to act as if I know what Harrison’s thinking. He was that tough a guy to read. As far as bad blood, again, I don’t see that as a huge issue. Everyone involved — Harrison, Colts Owner and Chief Executive Officer Jim Irsay and President Bill Polian — has spent enough time around the NFL to know that things eventually end. Certainly, no one wanted Harrison’s career with the Colts to ever end, but it won’t be bad blood that prevents him from returning, just the fact that the time has come to move on.
Regarding his twitter story on the potential retirement of former Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison, Sports Illustrated NFL writer Peter King weighed in today.
King wrote in his Monday Morning Quarterback feature:
I think here’s my two cents on the fate of Marvin Harrison: I said in my March 3 column that I thought he’d retire, because he’s made $80 million-$90 million over the last decade or so, and given that he can’t get totally healthy and no one wants to guarantee him enough to make another effort worth his while, it was highly unlikely he’d play again. I had a source with knowledge of the situation echo that to me in the past month, that Harrison, though he was still holding out hope that someone might step up and pay him big money, wouldn’t get such an offer, and so this source didn’t think he would play again.
So in response to a Twitter follower’s question about Harrison a week ago, I tweeted that I was told reliably Harrison isn’t going to play. His agent, Tom Condon, responded by saying Harrison still planned to play, and he’s healthy enough to play.
If I were Harrison’s agent, and I was still holding out hope that some team desperate for a veteran receiver (Chicago? Tennessee?) might guarantee my client $5 million to play in 2009, I’d say exactly the same thing — especially because I’d want to leave no thought in a future employer’s head that my client’s wheels are healthy enough to play.
Barring a big offer from someone, I’d be surprised if Harrison shows up on anyone’s team this summer.
My thoughts were that the whole post made perfect sense. A lot of people, particularly Colts fans, seem to like criticizing Peter, and he undoubtedly misses the mark on some issues. But here’s the point: we all miss the mark on some issues, and I try to never lose sight of the fact that when a guy is trying to cover 32 teams in an age of instantaneous news/speculation/chat — and yes, Twittering and Tweeting — the coverage is going to come off a little different than it would have a decade ago.
I joked a bit last week about the legs this story had considering it originated on King’s twitter post, but this is the way a lot of stories are going to start now. Don’t know if that’s good or bad, but I don’t see any turning back. In light of that, what Peter did was pretty much par for the course. He’s tied in, talks to a lot of people and should get some credit for floating the idea very, very early that Harrison joining another team was not the dead-solid lock many Colts fans believed.
Peter’s breakdown of Harrison’s situation seems to me pretty dead-on, and the way it’s starting to look is that Harrison’s best chance to play again will be to be ready to come back to a team that has some injuries at receiver after the start of next season. The problem with that is a team probably isn’t going to pay big-time guaranteed money in that situation, then the issue becomes just how much does Harrison want to play football and just what sort of role is he willing to play.
I just have a tough time imagining Harrison playing as a third receiver for the Seattle Seahawks or Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
So, no matter how King has opted to report the story, it seems more and more that if he’s not dead right that Harrison won’t play again, he’s pretty dead on about the lack of interest and the circumstances it will take for him to be back in the NFL.
Hey, Oehser . . .
First, let me congratulate you on a fantastic job. As a Colts Fan in Exile (Chicagoland), I appreciate the latest Colts info and chatter. You are filling the void of local Indy talk radio for me! Question: If Marvin retires, does it have an impact on the Colts’ salary cap?
Thanks,
BU79
Oehser: I was fairly sure of the answer on this, but I wanted to double check with Indy Football Report’s friends at coltscap.net and they confirmed that because Harrison already was released, whether he plays or not next year won’t have any bearing on the Colts’ salary cap. Had Harrison retired before the Colts released him, the Colts ”could have gone after any unamortized signing bonus money (but not roster bonuses that had been converted) under a provision providing for it in the CBA.” However, since the move would have occured after the start of the new league year, the Colts actually would have had to carry the 2009 cap charge and would have gotten a credit for it in 2010. “To that extent,” the guys at coltscap.net said, “there wouldn’t have been any real cap savings for this year anyway, only potential savings next year.” Essentially, whatever bookkeeping options Harrison’s retirement might have given the Colts were eliminated upon his release.
Marvin Harrison has no immediate plans to retire, NFL.com’s Steve Wyche is reporting.
Harrison, the NFL’s second all-time leading receiver, was released by the Indianapolis Colts in late February and has received little interest on the free agent market. Sports Illustrated writer Peter King reported in his tweeter account earlier this week that Harrison was expected to retire. Wyche reached Harrison’s agent, Tom Condon, who said Harrison has no plays to retire and wants to play this season.
According to Condon, Harrison said:
I played in 15 games last year and a playoff game, and I intend to play again this season.
Condon told Wyche he expects Harrison to sign somewhere closer to training camp.
This makes more sense than King’s initial report. I’m still not certain Harrison will play again, but it would have surprised me if Harrison had decided now to retire. The question as camps grow nearer is will teams want the 36-year old receiver, and if so, will they offer Harrison a contract — and a role — under which he wants to play.
Former Indianapolis Colts WR Marvin Harrison is ready to retire, according to Sports Illustrated’s Peter King.
Now, I’ll preface this noting something:
This report is off of a response on King’s twitter account. I could go into an aside about how when I first got into this business in the summer of ‘88 I never thought I’d be writing something called a “blog” on something called the “internet” much less reporting on a story that originated on something called “twitter,” but that is our world now, and I digress . . .
King, who was way out front in writing shortly after Harrison’s release that there was a good chance Harrison would never play again, twittered that, “I’ve been told reliably that Marvin Harrison’s not playing any more. Knee hurts. Can’t get healthy like the old Marvin.”
Again, don’t take this as gospel. It’s a twitter account, and I’m sure King would tell you it’s not yet set in stone, but it just appears more and more that when Harrison jogged from the field to the congratulatory applause of teammates coaches and fans in the Colts’ regular-season finale against Tennessee in December, it was the last time he would play in a regular-season NFL game.
Who’s in your five?
Here’s who’s in mine — or, at least, here are my views on five Indianapolis Colts topics from the past week with an emphasis on the team’s minicamp . . .
1) You’ve got to admit, they’re getting bigger . . . or do you?
There has been tons of talk this week about the Colts’ change of philosophy on the defensive front.
Maybe, but I’m not so sure it’s a drastic change.
Yes, the Colts drafted Fili Moala and Terrance Taylor, a pair of 300-plus pound defensive tackles last weekend, and Taylor’s addition gives the team a true nose tackle it hasn’t had in some time. Given the state of the roster, they were needed additions, but another side of this issue is that the Colts haven’t exactly wanted to be running 260-to-280 pound tackles onto the field in recent seasons.
But as Colts President Bill Polian noted shortly after the 2009 NFL Draft, the Colts have been better defensively in recent seasons when they have had a dominant, 300-pound tackle in the middle, and he pointed to the 2005 season with Corey Simon in the middle and the 2006 postseason with Anthony “Booger” McFarland as examples. He also could have mentioned the 2007 season, when Ed Johnson and Quinn Pitcock — each of whom weighed just over 300 pounds — helped man the middle.
And that leads to my first point in this version of My Five — that I’m not sure how huge a philosophical shift last weekend marked. The Colts never have been against big people in the middle. They just wanted big guys who could move, and weren’t willing to sacrifice the second attribute for the former.
The Colts as of last August liked very much their defensive interior situation. Pitcock had potential and Johnson had shown as a rookie he had the chance to possibly be a Pro Bowl level player. Pitcock retired unexpectedly before the 2008 season and Johnson was released in September after a marijuana arrest, but their not being on the team last season was a result of decisions on their own part not a philosophical decision on the Colt’s part to be small up front.
I really saw this past season’s ultra-light defensive front as more of an abberation than a defensive philosophy.
Really, if any player seems a departure it’s Taylor rather than Moala. Moala on Friday reminded me a bit of former Colts defensive tackles Larry Tripplett and Josh Williams — big, lean athletic guys — whereas Taylor was stockier and more of a plugger.
Will the change work? Can the Tampa 2 style work with big guys in the middle rather than ultra-quick players? It appears 2009 will be the season fans will find out if they really wanted what they said they wanted all along.
2) All still quiet on the Marvin front . . .
It has been three months since the Colts released wide receiver Marvin Harrison.
You still see occasional stories mentioning him as a possibility of returning to the Colts, but I don’t see it. They have Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez, and just drafted Austin Collie. They also are wanting to see the value of Roy Hall and Pierre Garcon.
And I know beyond Wayne and Gonzalez that list probably doesn’t excite anyone, but no matter the excitement level of the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 receivers, it remains true that the Harrison era ended in late February in Indianapolis. The cord has been cut and the soliloquy has been read. There’s little benefit to bringing him back, and really, it’s just time to move on.
3) No risk, high reward . . .
Good move by the Colts signing Penn State linebacker Tyrell Sales.
I say this because although Sales has had off-field incidents at Penn State, there’s little to be lost and much to be gained by taking a chance on a college kid with some mistakes in his past. The Colts gambled similarly with DT Ed Johnson in 2007, and they squeezed a solid year from him. Because Sales is a free agent, he costs the Colts nothing if they release him and if he is good, he’s a huge reward for almost no risk.
“He took responsibility for his actions and certainly began to try to rectify those things in his past,” Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell said. “That’s the most important thing, is that they do show some accountability, then make a move toward improving those aspects of their lives where they have a little difficulty. He has shown that he’s willing to do that and we ancticipate he will.”
This is the kind of move that will draw criticism and scrutinity. There will be comparisons made to Johnson and if it doesn’t work, there will be criticism. But in the NFL, there’s a huge difference between taking a chance in the first round and in collegiate free agency. On this one, they’ll give Sales a fresh start and see what happens from there, and in this case, that’s fine.
4) Tough situation gets tougher . . .
The drafting of rookie running back Donald Brown gave the Colts added depth at running back, and made what is expected to be a solid running back competition a little more urgent for the participants.
With Joseph Addai the likely starter and Brown likely to contribute constantly, the trio of second-year running backs Mike Hart, Chad Simpson and Lance Ball — each of whom Colts personnel officials and coaches like — could be competing with each other for a final roster spot. The guess here is Hart has the edge, not only because he was a draft selection, but because the Colts loved the extra element he brought in terms of pass protection and receiving out of the backfield. The only question mark with Hart is he’s less than a year removed from an ACL injury, so he may not be at maximum effectivness this season, but he showed early last season he may be worth a year’s wait.
5) Mr. Personality.
Here’s hoping Pat McAfee continues to be honest and forthright.
Saw the former West Virginia punter in action in an interview situation on Friday. It has been said McAfee is a bit “out there” with some of his comments, but he’s a punter and if he can perform, the team won’t pull him in too much. He was intriguing Friday, talking about his one professional wrestling match, among other topics. He was engaging, confident and quick-witted, which is an intruiging, entertaining combination.
It’s not always a combination the Colts encourage, but if a guy can play and isn’t mean-spirited in his comments, there’s no harm in a little color. Former Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt — with whom McAfee already has been lumped because of their West Virginia connections — crossed the mean-spirited line and created unnecessary headaches with his 2003 comments regarding Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning, but I’d say give McAfee the benefit of the doubt that he won’t seek that path. If he does, then compare him to Vanderjagt and worry about him being a distraction, but not yet,.
Colts Examiner Kuharsky/AFC South Stampede Blue 18to88 