Maybe. While I am not going to argue Harris is elite when it comes to DTs, I would argue he needs a healthy 16 game season this year. If he has another season hindered or shorted by injury, I am not sure he will get the mega-payday he expects. FA is always a gamble, but when you are talking about giving up $30m guaranteed, health of the player should not be a big concern.

 

If he has another productive year, and stays healthy, I agree he will be the top paid DT in the league. Top defensive player, I am not so sure. But if he doesn't stay healthy, I think his contract will drop quite a bit.

 

Agreed. The last thing I want is to put up the kind of guarantee he is looking for if I have issues with his health. Which makes me think of a new topic altogether.

I think all this injury concern stuff is a bit unwarranted. The guy had one injury and even though he was hurt pretty much all this past season (lingering effects of the previous injury), he put up his best season statistically.

He has had injury issues, and while he played through some, there was also plenty of talk about how he was hindered by the injury.

 

It is an issue because he wants to be the highest paid defensive player in the NFL, which means he is seeking $30m. That is a massive investment/risk for anyone, but for a player who has seen some injury issues over the past two seasons, then the risk shoots up. Also, as I said at the start. If he has a fully healthy, productive year, then the injury issue is largely forgotten. But if he has further injury issues this year, even playing through them, then it becomes a HUGE issue when he is asking for so much money.

 

As for this being his best statistical season, take a deeper look. 7 sacks in his first 8 games. 1 sack in his final 8. Harris may have finished w/ good overall numbers, but his 2nd half stats sure do indicate the injury did hinder his season.

He has had injury issues, and while he played through some, there was also plenty of talk about how he was hindered by the injury.

 

It is an issue because he wants to be the highest paid defensive player in the NFL, which means he is seeking $30m. That is a massive investment/risk for anyone, but for a player who has seen some injury issues over the past two seasons, then the risk shoots up. Also, as I said at the start. If he has a fully healthy, productive year, then the injury issue is largely forgotten. But if he has further injury issues this year, even playing through them, then it becomes a HUGE issue when he is asking for so much money.

 

As for this being his best statistical season, take a deeper look. 7 sacks in his first 8 games. 1 sack in his final 8. Harris may have finished w/ good overall numbers, but his 2nd half stats sure do indicate the injury did hinder his season.

that is why I put statistical. 06 was his best season until the injury.

But it still defied your point.

 

Your point was the injury questions are unwarranted. You also "seemed" to make the point that even though he was injured, he had his best statistical season, and thus the injury was not really an issue.

 

My point is that his injury this past season was an issue, and a big one. The fact that he had 7 sacks in the first 8 games, and looked unstoppable, then 1 sack in the final 8 games as he dealt w/ the injury, sure seems to indicate the injury was in fact an issue, and a big one.

 

Further, I question your comment that his injury this year was "lingering affects" from his original injury. He sure seemed fully recovered and healthy in the first half of the season when he was unstoppable. It appeared to be as two separate injuries.

I just don't think it's that big of an issue. Is it an issue, sure. But this has been his first serious injury. I don't know, I guess I just have a different point of view and going on with this anymore would just being going in circles.

But it still defied your point.

 

Your point was the injury questions are unwarranted. You also "seemed" to make the point that even though he was injured, he had his best statistical season, and thus the injury was not really an issue.

 

My point is that his injury this past season was an issue, and a big one. The fact that he had 7 sacks in the first 8 games, and looked unstoppable, then 1 sack in the final 8 games as he dealt w/ the injury, sure seems to indicate the injury was in fact an issue, and a big one.

 

Further, I question your comment that his injury this year was "lingering affects" from his original injury. He sure seemed fully recovered and healthy in the first half of the season when he was unstoppable. It appeared to be as two separate injuries.

I'll add that he had 5 sacks in the 1st 5 games of 06 and zero for the remainder. It goes to show that he degrades as he absorbs punishment. Agreed he not only need to show he can stay healthy for 16 games, but also remain productive throughout. I don't care if he's the greatest, 1st half of the season, player the league has ever seen. If he can't be a beast in December, what is his true worth? Ask the Eagles if they'd sign Kearse again on hope.

Yeah, let an all pro LB go. Some overrated guy he is.

 

 

If you think every player who is an all-pro once or twice deserves the kind of money and committment that Briggs wants automatically, then you are sadly mistaken. There are plenty of players who were all pros at one time or another that did not prove to be exceptional players......look down the rosters of past all pro teams if you doubt...

Briggs stats:

 

2003: 16 games, 78 tackles

2004: 16 games, 126 tackles

2005: 16 games, 107 tackles

2006: 16 games, 134 tackles

2007: 14 games, 103 tackles

 

Man, is he just terrible.

 

 

As mentioned in this thread and many others, have you ever been made aware of the theory that Briggs benefits from playing the linebacker position that he does in the current defensive structure, AND benefits from playing next to Urlacher?

Sort of makes you think back to his college days too. While he was a starter at Oklahoma, they used a rotation which limited his actual snaps and reps. I remember it very much being a question whether he could play at the high level seen in college as an every down starter in the NFL. While I realize we do employ a rotation ourselves, it is more often the other DT that rotates out.

lovie just said at the combine that he thinks devin hester has the the potential to be a #1 WR....not that it means a whole lot, but obviously how the team views Hester as a WR has a big impact on what we will do with berrian