NFL: Lions may release Harrington [Archive] - Front Office Football Central

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01-12-2005, 08:43 AM

Looks like Lions fans' prayers may be answered.
http://www.mlive.com/lions/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1105528200104850.xml

The word around town is that the Lions may release Harrington in February when he is supposed to receive a $3 million roster bonus. Not a huge suprise because Mariucci was asked after every game if he thought Harrington had what it took to be a good starting NFL QB, and he never really gave Joey any solid support.

Apparently Matt Millen wants to bring him back for another year however, namely because of the financial impact.

For those of you in the Detroit area, Matt Millen will be on 1130 WDFN in about an hour to discuss the situation.

Joe

01-12-2005, 08:46 AM

if they release him, I bet the Detroit WRs will be able to finally stay healthy.

rkmsuf

01-12-2005, 08:47 AM

McMahon is not the answer either.

MikeVick7

01-12-2005, 09:00 AM

Why do I find this odd? Is the guy this bad? The Lions as a team haven't been this dynasty waiting to happen as long as they find a different QB have they?

rkmsuf

01-12-2005, 09:14 AM

If you are the Lions you have to blame someone. Harrington is serviceable and I wouldn't release him unless I had some kind of plan to upgrade the position. Handing the job to McMahon is not an upgrade.

moriarty

01-12-2005, 09:14 AM

Why do I find this odd? Is the guy this bad? The Lions as a team haven't been this dynasty waiting to happen as long as they find a different QB have they?

Seems odd to me too. Who exactly is out there in free agency that is going to lead this team to success? Seems like they would be better served bringing in an experienced backup to mentor Joey/push for a starting spot for one year and see what happens. Avoiding a $3MM roster bonus isn't a great reason to dump your starting QB when you have no one in reserve (what's $3MM to an NFL team?). Besides if Millen believed the conservative play calling stunted his development and they are looking for a new OC ... shouldn't he at least see how he does under the new coach?

Even if the release Joey, will they have enough cap room to select a 1st round QB, and do they have the patience for the draft pick to develop for another 3 years?

CHEMICAL SOLDIER

01-12-2005, 09:27 AM

If it happens then Detroit fans will have to wait another 4-5 yrd. I think McMahon may be DECENT at best.

cthomer5000

01-12-2005, 09:30 AM

I'm betting that they do not release him. Just doesn't make sense.

01-12-2005, 09:35 AM

McMahon isn't even signed. Only had a one year deal. I believe we would have no QB'd under contract if this happens.

Fonzie

01-12-2005, 09:36 AM

I agree with those who say releasing Harrington would be a mistake. I see no possibility of a "Plan B" for the Lions anytime soon, and Harrington's performance, while not stellar, also wasn't atrocious. He deserves another shot with a new OC.

Of course, as a Packers fan I would love to see Detroit make yet another mistake. :D

Celeval

01-12-2005, 09:38 AM

I would love to see the Browns sign Harrington, then.

If for no other reason, than it means they'll not be drafting a QB at 1.2, or doing something silly like trading it to San Diego for Brees.

Cap Ologist

01-12-2005, 09:43 AM

They should only release him if they could get Drew Brees.

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01-12-2005, 09:45 AM

The guy that wrote the article is now on the radio saying that the only correction to the article he wants to make is that the Lions don't have to release Harrington until June 1 to minimize the cap hit for this year. That makes it easier for them to get someone else in before they make their decision.

01-12-2005, 09:45 AM

They should only release him if they could get Drew Brees.
Would it be worth it to trade their #1 pick in the draft (#10?) for Drew Brees and release Joey, or keep Joey and the pick?

Might take more than #1 to pry Brees away too.

Brees doesn't even know the offense that detroit runs and all the experts say that it takes a couple years to learn. Took Favre a couple....

Just thoughts.

01-12-2005, 09:46 AM

Samdari

01-12-2005, 09:47 AM

It would open up a starting spot for Kurt Warner.....

Balldog

01-12-2005, 09:49 AM

Didn't Harrington put up decent numbers the last couple games of the season?

01-12-2005, 09:52 AM

Didn't Harrington put up decent numbers the last couple games of the season?
Yeah but they lost. Which is being written as a huge sticking point in the local papers. :)

Alf

01-12-2005, 09:53 AM

Harrington in niners land, then ! :D

rkmsuf

01-12-2005, 09:56 AM

It would open up a starting spot for Kurt Warner.....

Scott Mitchell II

Honolulu_Blue

01-12-2005, 09:59 AM

Wow. I think this would be a bad move. McMahon is an unrestricted free agent. He's not the answer. He's atheltic, yes. But his accuracy is horrible. The West Coast offense relies heavily on an accurate QB. Heavily. Joey isn't Mr. Pinpoint either, but he's a notch above McMahon.

Joey wasn't great this year. In fact, after the Green Bay game I lost faith. It was attrocious. Pathetic. He had some solid games though and they should hold on to him. The Lions led the league in dropped passes. Some of this, however, is attributable to Joey. He often threw too high, low, or behind receivers. Should they have made the catch? Probably. They get paid a lot of money to do that, but the QB is somewhat to blame for some of them for throwing a lousy pass.

I don't know what viable alternative there is to Joey. Do they make a run at Drew Brees? That's iffy at best and will cost a ton. There aren't many good free agent QBs out there. Who's out there? Jon Kitna? Ugh.

I bet Millen will come out and say there is no truth what-so-ever to these rumors. Joey's our guy. He's our QB. We're sticking with him. Sherm Lewis never wrote any letter...

General Mike

01-12-2005, 10:05 AM

Draft Kyle Orton

moriarty

01-12-2005, 10:09 AM

Draft Kyle Orton

He might be a good choice .... in the 4th round.

rafini

01-12-2005, 10:14 AM

Does anybody else see the irony in giving up on Harrington after just his third season to try to get Brees, who was given up on by most after just his third season.

The fact is Harrington's passing stats this year were comparable to Vick (yes, I know he runs), Carr and Palmer. The problem is nowadays people forget just how hard it is to quarterback in the NFL, and if somebody isn't an instant stud, people give up on him after a couple years (I have a feeling the success of Big Ben his year will make this trend even worse). Hell, Harrington's third-year stats were better than Elway in his third year (no, I'm not saying he's better).

I think instead of trying to replace Harrington, Detroit needs to worry about getting more around him (imagine the difference having Williams and Rogers both healthy for a whole season would make).

Bubba Wheels

01-12-2005, 11:40 AM

One things for sure: Mariucci has had all the 'grace period' he's going to get in Detroit. Its going to be his third year, and both him and Millen's next year are riding on this one. So if one or both think that Harrington's the problem, then anything goes here. Word is that Millen did not want Harrington to begin with, was forced by the Ford's to draft him. May be a little 'power-play' politics going on now with Millen's job so evidently on the line and Harrington's performance not cutting it.

Crapshoot

01-12-2005, 11:47 AM

TLK

01-12-2005, 11:54 AM

Wouldn't it of made more sense to let McMahon finish the season, if they planned on letting Harrington go?

01-12-2005, 11:56 AM

Wouldn't it of made more sense to let McMahon finish the season, if they planned on letting Harrington go?
This is the Lions. They never make sense.

Dutch

01-12-2005, 12:01 PM

Scott Mitchell II

BURN!

GoSeahawks

01-12-2005, 12:11 PM

It's funny listening to the radio out here in Oregon. The local broadcasters always talk about how Oregonians love Joey Harrington and hate Rasheed Wallace while the people in Detroit love Wallace and hate Harrington.

I feel bad for Harrington and would love to see him wind up on a team with a decent talent.

moriarty

01-12-2005, 12:18 PM

One things for sure: Mariucci has had all the 'grace period' he's going to get in Detroit.

Really? I'm not a Lion's fan, but I did see a few games this season and seems like they've shown steady improvement over the past two years. I could see booting Millen, but Mooch (at least from a distance) appears to have them moving in the right direction. I would think they've been somewhat pleased with him.

TLK

01-12-2005, 12:23 PM

I'm thinking if we can get Brees, than do it....

but as much as I hate to say it.... I think I'd rather have Harrington starting over Warner or Brad Johnson.

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01-12-2005, 12:27 PM

Mooch has been criticized heavily here like he was in San Fran for being too conservative. Mooch has also made some dubious decisions the past couple of years on accepting/decling penalties and the proper time to take time outs. Nothing Martz-like yet, but still enough to make you scratch your head.

JAG

01-12-2005, 12:32 PM

I think next year Harrington will have a good year assuming the key offensive pieces (Williams, Jones, Rogers) can stay reasonably healthy. I think the Lions would be far better served trying to work with what they have instead of starting over for the umpteenth time at QB in the past (big number) of years.

Joe

01-12-2005, 12:37 PM

I think instead of trying to replace Harrington, Detroit needs to worry about getting more around him (imagine the difference having Williams and Rogers both healthy for a whole season would make).

But as long as harrington is around, those guys won't be able to stay healthy. He throws behind his receivers all the time, causing them to get leveled and, ultimately, really injured and fucked up.

Julio Riddols

01-12-2005, 01:39 PM

Could Jon Kitna be traded from Cinci to Detroit as a mentor to a new rookie qb? I think Lewis would ship him for a 3rd rounder.. Rumor is he wants to start somewhere, and he does have a very low salary.. Maybe.. Nah..

This has been a waste of your time from the good folks at unwarrantedspeculation.com

CHEMICAL SOLDIER

01-12-2005, 01:40 PM

At the very least let him ride out his contract and see what happens. Give him time. Though I didn't agree with this pick in the first place I think if given time he will be better.

BigJohn&TheLions

01-12-2005, 01:56 PM

But as long as harrington is around, those guys won't be able to stay healthy. He throws behind his receivers all the time, causing them to get leveled and, ultimately, really injured and fucked up.

You give him too much credit! He also throws high quite often, causing the receiver to take a nice shot. A perfect example was during the last Bears game, when on 3rd and long he hit Hakim for about 4 yards. Hikim hat go go way up for it and took a nice shot. He had no chance of even getting an extra inch. I have seen even average QB's regularly complete the same pass, but putting it quickly in the reciever's stomach so there is a chance of picking up YAC. What did the announcer do? He gushed about what a good play it was by Harrington to just get any yards on the play...

miami_fan

01-12-2005, 02:00 PM

I would love to see the Browns sign Harrington, then.

If for no other reason, than it means they'll not be drafting a QB at 1.2, or doing something silly like trading it to San Diego for Brees.

I have read rumors that the Browns may release Jeff Garcia. Could this be the QB Mooch is looking for if he releases Harrington? :eek:

moriarty

01-12-2005, 02:06 PM

I have read rumors that the Browns may release Jeff Garcia. Could this be the QB Mooch is looking for if he releases Harrington? :eek:

Or ... Mooch used to coach at Cal and still has ties to the Bay Area. Could he be hoping Aaron Rodgers is still on the board in the first round?

01-12-2005, 02:09 PM

I have read rumors that the Browns may release Jeff Garcia. Could this be the QB Mooch is looking for if he releases Harrington? :eek:
Let us hope not. Now if they wish to have Jeff Garcia compete with Joey, no problem.

Fastcat

01-12-2005, 02:14 PM

Drew Brees come on!!! He was given up for dead and had 1 decent year, if you want to talk about a Scott Mitchell this guy could be one (Even though for us Lions fans it is sad to say Mitchell was one of the better quarterback stats wise that we have had) But I just cant believe Harrington will be this bad forever, I think next year will be his breakout year, and on a side note I think Millen and Mooch both will be with the Lions for awhile, Millen has had 2 solid drafts in a row and Mooch though over-rated is a golden as I dont think Bill Jr will pull the trigger as often as his old man did.

DanGarion

01-12-2005, 02:18 PM

Brees is staying in SD! Now stop mentioning him! ;)

Solecismic

01-12-2005, 02:24 PM

Something will probably have to be done with Harrington.

He does have the $3 million roster bonus due before the season. And if he doesn't get it, releasing him will cost $7.5 million under the cap.

If they keep him until June 1, and then release him, he costs $5.5 million under the cap this year (which includes the roster bonus) and $5 million next year.

His salaries are: 2005 - $4.95 million (+$50,000 workout bonus, $3 million roster bonus), 2006 - $4.45 million ($50,000 workout bonus, $4 million roster bonus) and 2007 - $4.45 million ($50,000 workout bonus). 2006 and 2007 are considered option years, not sure who has what option.

It's expensive these days when your high first-round pick isn't panning out like you had hoped. I can see why Tennessee played all-out in week 17, even though they dropped from #2 to #6 by winning.

General Mike

01-12-2005, 02:26 PM

go Mike McMahon go!

rkmsuf

01-12-2005, 02:27 PM

So they can essentially eat his salary for two years and get rid of him or keep him and pay his salary. It's the same money wise whether he's on the roster or not except they'd have to add another player on top of his money.

Without a viable option they have to keep him.

ISiddiqui

01-12-2005, 02:30 PM

This idea does make little sense. Sometimes QBs need a few years to get used to the NFL game. The problem is that there is no one else out there. Perhaps Mooch can sign Garcia as the backup/compete for the job. But it'd be a dumb move.

Samdari

01-12-2005, 02:33 PM

go Mike McMahon go!

And take Joey with you!

rkmsuf

01-12-2005, 02:36 PM

Rohan Davey will likely be available if you want the freakiest looking head on your team. He's all helmet with these little eyes peering out.

JeffNights

01-12-2005, 05:34 PM

Honolulu_Blue

01-12-2005, 05:54 PM

I disagree with Mike Mcmahon not being accurate, the ONE TIME he got to play this year against INDY, his passes were crisp and where they needed to be.

The man has had no playing time even in practice to prove himself, so how would anyone know what strides he has made really?

McMahon has the support of his teammates, joey flat out doesnt.

I don't think his "garbage" time performance was all that indicative of what McMahon is as a quaterback. He did look pretty sharp, but the score was 41-9 or whatever. The defense was playing off.

His career completion percentage is a pathetic 43.8%. That's totally unacceptable for a starting QB. Granted, he hasn't had a real crack at ever being THE guy and gelling with his wide-outs, but his completion percentage in college was pretty crap too if I recall. Under 50%.

Bubba Wheels

01-12-2005, 08:55 PM

Drew Sharp, columnist for the Detroit Free Press, was on ESPN radio tonight and laid it all out. Millen wants Harrington and thinks that Mooch's offense is too conservative. Mooch does not want Harrington and thinks that with the right QB all will be hunky-dorey with his offense. In a power struggle between the two, Mooch will win (Fords decide the winner, obviously.) Sidenote: Matt Hasselback is expected to become a FA., and his name keeps popping up around here.