I still cant figure out why the decision to give Al Harris a Super Bowl ring is big news. To me, it has always been a no-brainer. The former Pro Bowl cornerback spent the first six weeks of last season on the PUP list before practicing with the team from October 20 through November 7. That means Harris was part of the Super Bowl champs for about 1/2 of last season prior to being released on November 9. Granted, he didnt play a snap from scrimmage, but then again, neither did any of the players who ended the 2010 season on the practice squad. And all of those guys will be getting rings. Just a hunch, but something tells me Jay Ross didnt contribute as much away from the field as Harris, who both Sam Shields and Tramon Williams credited with making them better players.

Speaking of Harris, the decision to release him was yet another tremendous move by Ted Thompson in a season full of them. Most GMs wouldnt have had the cajones to do what he did. It wouldve been a lot easier to activate the popular Harris and release either Pat Lee or Brandon Underwood. That wouldve made everybody happy (well, everyone other than Lee or Underwood). But Thompson didnt want to stunt Shields growth and he wasnt willing to sacrifice a valuable special teams player in order to make room for a 36-year-old No. 4 corner. The decision couldnt have been more right. Harris lasted all of three games with the Dolphins before injuring a hamstring and winding up on injured reserve. Meanwhile, Shields continued to get better, Underwood made some plays on kick coverage and Lee held up reasonably well as an emergency fill-in during the Super Bowl.

"PU" wrote: