Pats sign Harrison

[Ajsteele]

Captain Lemming,

Thanks for your welcome! I have a great respect for your passion and I appreciate your reasoned debate.

As for your points, can we agree to disagree and put this whole sordid tale behind us?

I don’t like any of this anymore than you do. But we have games to win. A Lombardi to bring to the burgh. I’m letting go of this negative energy and I’m just going to enjoy the ride from here on out.

[Slapstick]

Just not as wrong as the Steelers were.

It’s funny because it isn’t true!!

[Shoe]

Dupree didn't “let” the world think anything...he answered a question on a radio show and the world ran with it...

Again, it wasn’t just Dupree who said that Harrison didn’t help them...it was also Chickillo...

Again, a leader is a leader all the time...not just when he gets his snaps...

We talk about getting destroyed by the Bears and Jags, but here we sit at 12-3...would Harrison have had the game that Watt had in his debut against Cleveland? We needed every bit of that to win...the other guys played well...

Dupree was going around talking to anyone who wanted to listen. It wasn't like he wasn't trying to say what he wanted to say. It was like he solicited reporters and twitter to voice his displeasure.

I'm starting to think now, that this might galvanize our team, specifically our D, and more specifically, our LBs. I think (hope) that Bud wants to show up now, I think this will improve TJs focus a bit more, and the LBs who want to show the error in Harrison's way with their play.

[Captain Lemming]

Captain Lemming,

Thanks for your welcome! I have a great respect for your passion and I appreciate your reasoned debate.

As for your points, can we agree to disagree and put this whole sordid tale behind us?

I don’t like any of this anymore than you do. But we have games to win. A Lombardi to bring to the burgh. I’m letting go of this negative energy and I’m just going to enjoy the ride from here on out.

Sounds good.
Look forward to hearing more as you contribute to the forum.

[fordfixer]

Captain Lemming,

Thanks for your welcome! I have a great respect for your passion and I appreciate your reasoned debate.

As for your points, can we agree to disagree and put this whole sordid tale behind us?

I don’t like any of this anymore than you do. But we have games to win. A Lombardi to bring to the burgh. I’m letting go of this negative energy and I’m just going to enjoy the ride from here on out.

Welcome to the Planet

[papillon]

3 tackles, 2 assists, 2 sacks and one of them a strip sack today, not bad

Pappy

[WB Tarleton]

Again, even JH never expected to start. His words he was told 20 percent.
He should have been sub number one at ROLB and Chickillo at left.

As I said before JH has spent most of THE LAST THREE SEASONS as a backup without issue.

He was denied even THE OPPORTUNITY to COMPETE for snaps with backups. That was the problem.

1) Your backup LBs need to play special teams. James cannot/does not.
2) Even as a backup, he has the same limitations scheme wise that the other backups do not.
3) It's more important to develop younger depth than it is to keep happy an almost 40 year old guy who will not be playing on this team next season anyway.
4) By James own admission, he asked for his release early in the season. He became a malcontent early. It's very likely that the team said "f-him" regarding practice and playing time at least partially in response to his complaining.
5) Even if not, plans change. They did not necessarily "lie" to him. The coaching staff did what they felt was in the best interest of the team for reasons we will never know for sure. They very well could have signed him with the intent of giving him snaps and circumstances change.(BTW, the 2 year contract is pretty good evidence that they planned to use him to some degree. An insurance policy on the bench would not be given more than a year contract.)
6) He got paid. If the owner of the company I work for says he wants me to do A and then says to do B, which is easier than A, I am not going to complain as long as the paycheck is the same size.

[Oviedo]

1) Your backup LBs need to play special teams. James cannot/does not.
2) Even as a backup, he has the same limitations scheme wise that the other backups do not.
3) It's more important to develop younger depth than it is to keep happy an almost 40 year old guy who will not be playing on this team next season anyway.
4) By James own admission, he asked for his release early in the season. He became a malcontent early. It's very likely that the team said "f-him" regarding practice and playing time at least partially in response to his complaining.
5) Even if not, plans change. They did not necessarily "lie" to him. The coaching staff did what they felt was in the best interest of the team for reasons we will never know for sure. They very well could have signed him with the intent of giving him snaps and circumstances change.(BTW, the 2 year contract is pretty good evidence that they planned to use him to some degree. An insurance policy on the bench would not be given more than a year contract.)
6) He got paid. If the owner of the company I work for says he wants me to do A and then says to do B, which is easier than A, I am not going to complain as long as the paycheck is the same size.

Yes to all the above. JH--->RIP. He is gone so who cares what he does

[Ernie]

1) Your backup LBs need to play special teams. James cannot/does not.
2) Even as a backup, he has the same limitations scheme wise that the other backups do not.
3) It's more important to develop younger depth than it is to keep happy an almost 40 year old guy who will not be playing on this team next season anyway.
4) By James own admission, he asked for his release early in the season. He became a malcontent early. It's very likely that the team said "f-him" regarding practice and playing time at least partially in response to his complaining.
5) Even if not, plans change. They did not necessarily "lie" to him. The coaching staff did what they felt was in the best interest of the team for reasons we will never know for sure. They very well could have signed him with the intent of giving him snaps and circumstances change.(BTW, the 2 year contract is pretty good evidence that they planned to use him to some degree. An insurance policy on the bench would not be given more than a year contract.)
6) He got paid. If the owner of the company I work for says he wants me to do A and then says to do B, which is easier than A, I am not going to complain as long as the paycheck is the same size.

This is a solid analysis. The only thing I would add as sort of a 'Rebuttal'... is JH's statement about not getting any reps in camp. If this is the case, he wasn't given much of an opportunity to compete for the job.

[winwithd]

Maybe he was brought not to play so much as to be a role model for the younger guys

[Ernie]

Maybe he was brought not to play so much as to be a role model for the younger guys

(Your scenario) would explain why they lied to him about his snaps (25%)... told him what he wanted to hear when he signed...because they knew he wouldn't go for the player/coach thing.

[Slapstick]

1) Your backup LBs need to play special teams. James cannot/does not.
2) Even as a backup, he has the same limitations scheme wise that the other backups do not.
3) It's more important to develop younger depth than it is to keep happy an almost 40 year old guy who will not be playing on this team next season anyway.
4) By James own admission, he asked for his release early in the season. He became a malcontent early. It's very likely that the team said "f-him" regarding practice and playing time at least partially in response to his complaining.
5) Even if not, plans change. They did not necessarily "lie" to him. The coaching staff did what they felt was in the best interest of the team for reasons we will never know for sure. They very well could have signed him with the intent of giving him snaps and circumstances change.(BTW, the 2 year contract is pretty good evidence that they planned to use him to some degree. An insurance policy on the bench would not be given more than a year contract.)
6) He got paid. If the owner of the company I work for says he wants me to do A and then says to do B, which is easier than A, I am not going to complain as long as the paycheck is the same size.

Well said, sir!

[ikestops85]

1) Your backup LBs need to play special teams. James cannot/does not.
2) Even as a backup, he has the same limitations scheme wise that the other backups do not.
3) It's more important to develop younger depth than it is to keep happy an almost 40 year old guy who will not be playing on this team next season anyway.
4) By James own admission, he asked for his release early in the season. He became a malcontent early. It's very likely that the team said "f-him" regarding practice and playing time at least partially in response to his complaining.
5) Even if not, plans change. They did not necessarily "lie" to him. The coaching staff did what they felt was in the best interest of the team for reasons we will never know for sure. They very well could have signed him with the intent of giving him snaps and circumstances change.(BTW, the 2 year contract is pretty good evidence that they planned to use him to some degree. An insurance policy on the bench would not be given more than a year contract.)
6) He got paid. If the owner of the company I work for says he wants me to do A and then says to do B, which is easier than A, I am not going to complain as long as the paycheck is the same size.

Here is the problem. Some of us still think Harrison can still play in which I am one. Others think he is done. I think your number 1 is silly. Of course he could and would play special teams. I'm not saying JH is what he once was but the 22 or so snaps he played this past Sunday showed he can still be a force in the game. Read the *'s forums and you will see what they are saying about the open field tackle he made. Evidently he made the guy look like a tackling dummy. Now those of us who think he can still play wonder why he couldn't have gotten some snaps each week the same way Tuitt and Heyward were rested with Alualu and Walton.

As for your No. 3 I agree that we need to develop younger players but we also need to shore up team weakness and we are very weak against the run. JH is very strong against the run. Developing younger players doesn't mean we start Connor when Bell is on the bench. Actually running back is a good position to look at. If we want to develop younger players then why aren't Watson and Fitz doing all the playing instead of Ridley, and older/slower player, starting?

As for No. 5 it's the only one I can agree with you on. If they really think JH didn't add anything to the position more than the other linebackers then they played it right although I'd still rather hang on to him than give him to our competitor. But that's just my personal preference.

No.6 is ludicrous. So your boss gives you nothing to do for a year but still pays you and you don't complain? Now after that year your boss decides to get rid of you so you show up at my place for an interview. I see from your resume that you didn't do anything for a year so the interview ends and you are out the door. That's what you want out of your job? Give me Harrison's attitude any day of the week.

Now I will say I hate that he had such a bad attitude about his situation. He certainly should have handled that better. I think both sides should have handled it better.

[Slapstick]

Again, it isn’t Tomlin’s job to keep James Harrison happy. It is his job to run the team.

Also, you claim that the Steelers are weak against the run, but the Steelers had the #10 rush defense in the NFL this past season...not what we are used to, but well above average and certainly not “very weak”...

[ikestops85]

Again, it isn’t Tomlin’s job to keep James Harrison happy. It is his job to run the team.

Also, you claim that the Steelers are weak against the run, but the Steelers had the #10 rush defense in the NFL this past season...not what we are used to, but well above average and certainly not “very weak”...

It's not the total rushing yards that bothers me. It's the average yards per carry. We gave up 4.4 yards per carry which ties us for 27th which certainly is "very weak".