Al Harris spent the best years of his NFL career as a Green Bay Packers cornerback, earning a pair of Pro Bowl berths and single-handedly winning an overtime playoff game at Lambeau Field.

Over the past year Harris worked tirelessly to recover from a devastating knee injury in the hope of playing in the Packers secondary this season.

Despite all his efforts, Harris was handed a pink slip on Monday.

It seems like a cold and heartless move by the Packers, but thats how business is conducted in the National Football League. What Harris accomplished in past seasons doesnt matter, and how much toil and pain he endured is immaterial.

There is no room for sentimentality in the NFL. All that matters is the here and now, and in the Packers estimation, Harris wasnt good enough to land on their 53-man roster.

Theres no need to feel sorry for Harris, who was signed by the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday. But if hes good enough to play in Miami, which beat the Packers earlier this season, why couldnt he cut it in Green Bay?

For starters, the landscape at cornerback for the Packers has changed dramatically since Harris blew out his knee last November. Tramon Williams has played at a Pro Bowl level as Harris replacement, and undrafted rookie Sam Shields is a solid nickel cornerback. At best, Harris would have served as the Packers dime back, a reduced role that didnt justify his salary.

But even if money played no role in the decision, as the Packers will claim, conventional wisdom suggests a savvy veteran like Harris was a better option than the other cornerbacks on the roster, including Brandon Underwood, Pat Lee and Jarrett Bush. But Harris didnt play special teams, which arguably makes the other cornerbacks more valuable in the short term.

The long-term prospects also factored into the move. Harris will turn 36 in less than a month, and coming off major knee surgery, he cant have much gas left in the tank. Although Underwood and Lee are largely unproven, their potential couldnt be ignored.

The Packers also had to consider Harris reaction to a lesser role and whether any resulting unhappiness could have become a problem. The last thing the Packers would want heading into the stretch run is a malcontent on their hands.

As for any lingering negative effects in the locker room following Harris dismissal, coach Mike McCarthy didnt seem worried, nor should he.

Players know the drill by now. They are constantly asked this question: What can you do for us now?

Without a compelling answer, they will be thanked for their past contributions, wished well in their future endeavors, and sent packing in short order.

Harris: 'This will definitely motivate me' 
By JASON WILDE


[img_r]http://www.espnmilwaukee.com/includes/news_items/40/4724/algone.jpg[/img_r]GREEN BAY Having learned on Friday night he wouldnt be activated to the 53-man roster for the third straight week, Al Harris headed to Ted Thompsons Lambeau Field office on Saturday, looking for answers.

What the now ex-Green Bay Packers cornerback got from the general manager was the news that he would soon be released and a farewell handshake.

I went up there Saturday and I knew I was either going to be put on IR (injured reserve) or they were releasing me, Harris said Monday afternoon, shortly after the teams decision to release him became official.

I went and talked to Ted, and he was like, We have to revisit it on Monday. And I was like, I cant believe theyre giving me this speech. And then he just ended up saying Yeah, were leaning towards releasing you. And I was like, All right, and I shook his hand. And that was that.

And with that, the 13-year NFL veteran and two-time Pro Bowl selection was done with the Packers. Harris flew home to Florida on Sunday morning, skipping the teams 45-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys that night.

Asked how shocked he was that his nearly eight years with the team came to an end so abruptly, Harris replied, Nothing shocks me after what happened with Brett (Favre).

Coach Mike McCarthy said the team didnt make the final decision on releasing Harris until about an hour before making the announcement, and that the call was based more on the teams depth at cornerback than Harris recovery.

We made a decision based on the overall depth and future of our roster. A number of different variables went into that decision. It was a tough decision, said McCarthy, who has seen Tramon Williams play at a Pro Bowl level starting for Harris and undrafted rookie Sam Shields play very well as the third cornerback in the nickel, registering his first NFL interception on Sunday night. There was a lot of conversation. We actually made the final decision about 10:30 this morning. You look at the health of your team, the development of your younger players, special teams. All (of) that was part of the conversation.

We discussed all those options. But this is the one that we felt, after completing the game last night, and once again, just going through all the different variables, this is the direction we decided to go.

This is not a physical decision. This is a big-picture roster decision.

Entitled to their opinion

Harris, though, said he believed the team had made up its mind before he even began practicing on Oct. 19, and he said he wished the team had been more up front with him, wondering why defensive coordinator Dom Capers had him working with the No. 1 defense in practice and why the coaches had him studying the weekly game plan when he wasnt part of their plans.

Ive been around long enough that these types of decisions you dont make a week before or two weeks before, said Harris, who turns 36 on Dec. 7 and was coming back from a career-threatening left knee injury suffered last season. Everybody who had to make a decision on it Dom, Ted, Mike everybodys entitled to their opinion. If thats the way they feel, then Im not going to sit here and bash them. I know this: Theres no way in hell I wouldve been going home studying (the defense) knowing they were going to release me. But thats the way it goes now I guess.

I dont know how many more years Im going to play, but I do know this: This will definitely motivate me. A team that youve been with, laid it on the line for no matter what I dont know. I dont want to sound (bitter). I only have good things to say about Green Bay. Green Bay was awesome to me. But the way this happened

Unprompted during his news conference, McCarthy defended the way the team handled Harris situation.

Ted and I both have been very up front with Al all the way through the process. I know time and time again he wanted to know what his options were and where we felt that he stood and so forth. Weve been very up front with him throughout, McCarthy said. I know Ted did try to get a hold of Al after I left that meeting about 10:30. I do not know if he has talked to Al in person, but I know his representation has been contacted.

When told later in the press conference that Harris had said that he wished the team had been more up front with him, McCarthy replied, Al Harris was told point blank all the options. Im not going to sit here and get into he said, she said. I have no qualms at all about the professionalism that weve dealt with throughout this whole process. And Ive been thanked numerous times by Al throughout this process.

Harris had been thankful to both McCarthy and Thompson throughout his comeback They were stand-up guys, (saying), Hey, get better, we appreciate you, Harris said just last week because he felt the team easily could have released him given the odds against him.

Asked Monday if in retrospect he wished he had just been released during the offseason the club would have had to reach an injury settlement with him to do so Harris said his only regret was coming back to Green Bay to continue his offseason rehab when he couldve stayed in Florida with his family. But, Harris said, he still would have attempted his comeback rather than simply retiring.

If I wouldve known their intentions, then I probably wouldve taken a different approach. I wouldve spent more time here in Florida rehabbing, Harris said. The guys, the (Packers) trainers Bryan Engel, Nate Weir, Pepper (Burruss), Mark Lovat they did an excellent job. But I wouldve spent more time here with my family doing me rehab than being there when (the Packers) pretty much knew what they were doing. Thats time with my family I cant get back.

I know and you know when it comes down to it, you want the people on the field or in your locker room that you feel can get the job done. Thats obviously (McCarthy) thinking I couldnt get the job done. Hes entitled to that opinion. Ive got nothing bad to say about Mike.

Whats next?

Where Harris goes next is unclear. Because the NFL trade deadline has passed, Harris is subject to the waiver wire, meaning any of the leagues other 31 teams can claim him and assume his $2.5 million base salary. But given the severity of his injury Harris tore the anterior cruciate ligament, the lateral collateral ligament, the IT band, the fibular collateral ligament and the lateral hamstring in his left knee and leg last Nov. 22 and underwent reconstructive surgery by team physician Pat McKenzie eight days later teams presumably will want their medical staffs to get a look at his knee before signing him.

McCarthy said that he had no doubts that Harris would play in the NFL this season.

I thought he progressed throughout the three weeks. It was important for him to get back onto the field, get into the football movements, the competitive drills, the ability to tug and pull in space and things like that. But I thought he did an excellent job of getting himself back in shape and so forth, McCarthy said. I think Al Harris will definitely play again in the National Football League. I have no doubts about that.

Harris chuckled when told of McCarthys comment, saying, Im glad Mike still thinks I can play.

McCarthy could very well see Harris again. The Packers still have games against NFC North rivals Minnesota (Nov. 21 at the Metrodome) and Chicago (Jan. 2, at Lambeau Field) after this weeks bye, and both teams could use cornerback help.

I would love to go to wherever. Wherever. I know I can still play, Harris said. Ive done too much rehabbing to let them tell me I cant play. Im not going to do that. I would love to go wherever. Whoever wants me on their team, in their locker room, thats where I want to be.

Vikings coach Brad Childress was asked about Harris Monday and said, "I'm sure we'll end up going through and looking at tape. Al's had a great, great career. I don't know if there's a spot right now for us in that area."

Bears GM Jerry Angelo, meanwhile, picked Harris for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 1997 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M-Kingsville, and Bears coach Lovie Smith was the Buccaneers linebackers coach when Harris was on the practice squad as a rookie that year. Smith said Monday that he is very happy with his teams cornerbacks right now.

I am familiar with Al Harris. Al and I started together back at Tampa a long time ago, Smith said. Hes a good football player. Hell land somewhere.

Harris said his agent, Jack Bechta, has already heard from a number of teams, and that hes ready to move on.

I had a blast in Green Bay. I got to meet some interesting people, got to play with Brett, a Hall of Famer. Got to play with Aaron Rodgers, whos probably going to be Hall of Famer. I got to meet some really good people. Tausch (Mark Tauscher), (Chad) Clifton, (Donald) Driver. It was a blast. It was definitely a blast. Didnt think it would end like this, but this is where were at. You cant cry over spilled milk.

Again, the Packers kept their options open. If Sam Shields had performed poorly, we probably would have cut Lee or Underwood and activated Harris. With how Shields played against the Cowboys, there was no way they were going to put Al in for Tramon or Sam because it would stunt their growth.

Thus, Al would be a dime CB. An expensive one.

Who knows, maybe the Packers felt Al deserved to be at least a nickel on a team so they released him.

So many are so quick to slam the management before considering other options.

"Zero2Cool" wrote:

If the Packers had told him Sat night that they were leaning toward releasing him, why not set up a ceremony at the game for him??? Announce it, have him come out on the field and give the fans an opportunity to cheer him again?

"macbob" wrote:

time to retire my al harris avatar



made a nice CM3 one though

"Jacob" wrote:

I'm bummed too, but then excited when I think that we have two guys on our roster not named Charles Woodson that give us a better chance at winning than ... Al Harris. That's pretty good if you ask me.

Selfishly, I'd like to see Al reduce his salary a bit and stick around as the dime back and cut Lee or Underwood. But then we lose out on one of them whom supposedly have lots of talent.

We just couldn't keep Al and the Packers waited until they had to make a decision in case of another injury.

I just don't see how the Packers can be faulted here. If they had released him right away and we lost Tramon or Sam sucked, people would bitch about us cutting Al too soon.

"Zero2Cool" wrote: