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NFL Teams Cutting Big Names, Big Contracts
Published by JM Van Horn on February 26, 2009
Over the past week, NFL teams have been busy scouring their rosters to see which players would receive the franchise tag or needed to be released in an effort to help create room against the salary cap.
Six of the players recently released have all achieved a great deal of success during their careers. As a group, Marvin Harrison, Derrick Brooks, Laveranues Coles, Fred Taylor, Lawyer Milloy and Warrick Dunn have amassed some incredible numbers.
The offensive players of this group – Harrison, Taylor, Coles and Dunn – have rumbled for 22,248 yards on the ground, scored 111 rushing touchdowns, and caught 2,529 passes for 29,375 yards and 147 touchdowns.
The two defensive players – Brooks and Milloy – have recorded 3,162 tackles, 31 sacks, 49 interceptions, and 8 defensive touchdowns.
As a whole, this group comprises 4 former first-round selections, along with a second and third-round selection. In total, these six players have earned 28 Pro Bowl selections and 3 Super Bowl championships.
Marvin Harrison – The player who has received most of the attention this week is the future Hall of Fame receiver who earned his stripes with the Indianapolis Colts. When drafted out of Syracuse, no one expected the soft spoken Harrison to become one of the most prolific wide receivers of his time.
Marvin Harrison
Harrison reached the peak of his game from 1999 to 2002 when he hauled in 469 receptions for 6,322 yards and 52 receptions. But after 8 consecutive seasons where Harrison had 80 plus receptions, age began to take its toll.
During the past 2 years, Harrison has a total of 80 receptions for 883 yards and 6 touchdowns. With his advancing years and frequent injuries, Harrison has seen his ability to separate from the defender decrease.
Despite the decline, Harrison is still capable of being a No. 2 receiver on the majority of NFL teams for another couple of years. Rumors have already begun to circulate about Harrison playing with McNabb in Philadelphia though this move may not be enough to help a receiver group that has lacked the big catch receiver.
Derrick Brooks – When football fans talk about the dominant defenses the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had over the years, one of the players always discussed is linebacker Derrick Brooks.
Brooks, who was only 1 of 4 players to be voted to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls, helped solidify the outside linebacker position for 14 years in Tampa. During his career, Brooks has broken the 100 total tackle barrier 12 times while recording 25 interceptions and 25 forced fumbles.
Age may have finally caught up with Brooks, who had his lowest output since his rookie season, recording 73 total tackles, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble. Despite the drop, Brooks can still prove to be an emotional leader on most of the NFL’s defensive units.
The problem is if he can find the right defensive scheme to help ensure he will not be exposed by the opposition. If he is able to find the right team, Brooks should be able to give them another 2 or 3 years.
Laveranues Coles – When the New York Jets made the decision to release Coles and save some money against their cap, they helped provide even more depth to an already talent heavy wide receiver free agent pool.
This third-round pick out of Florida State has been a solid option for quarterbacks during his NFL career. Coles broke 1,000 yards receiving 3 times during his career and tied a career-high with 7 touchdown receptions in 2008.
Coles will fit nicely with a team looking for a No. 2 receiver who can make the possession catch when needed. Though he left the possibility open to re-sign with the Jets, the question at quarterback could determine where he ends up. Expect Coles to wait if there are any other NFL teams interested in one of the top four receivers available on the open market.
Fred Taylor – This former first-round selection of the Jacksonville Jaguars found himself without a job when the team decided to shift towards a youth movement with their running backs.
Fred Taylor
During his 11 years with the team, Taylor has quietly amassed 11,271 yards on the ground while maintaining a 4.6 yards per carry average. The toll of playing the running back position caught up to Taylor in 2008 when he had his worst season in the NFL.
He carried the ball 143 times for 556 yards and 1 touchdown. This was after he recorded two consecutive 1,000 yards seasons from 2006 to 2007. Taylor has already made contact with several teams, including the Patriots and Bills, who could use the veteran as their number two back.
Though Taylor is ranked in the top five of free agent running backs, it shows how lackluster the field is. Taylor will be able to land a job with another NFL team, but do not expect anything more than what we saw in 2008. When it is all said and done, Taylor will have a good chance to finish in the top ten of all-time NFL rushing leaders.
Lawyer Milloy – This former Falcon has spent the last 3 years with Atlanta as their starting safety where he averaged 75 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 interception. The best years of Milloy’s career took place early on when he played with the New England Patriots.
Though this 13-year NFL veteran may not be the fastest on the field, but he will be sure to provide a leadership aspect with the younger players in any secondary. Milloy is one of the top ten safeties who will be available when free agency starts on Friday. Expect him to land with a team with an inexperienced unit and play for another year or two in the league.
Warrick Dunn – When Dunn was drafted in 1997 out of Florida State, no one was sure how long a 5-9, 180-pound running back would last in the NFL. Here we are 12 years later and Dunn finds himself with 10,967 career rushing yards and being another causality of the Buccaneers financial reduction movement.
Five times during his career, Dunn broke the 1,000 yard barrier and seemingly got better with age. Over the last 2 years, Dunn carried the ball 413 times for 1,506 yards and 6 touchdowns while remaining a serious threat catching the ball out of the backfield.
With more teams going with a two-back set, this top five free agent running back will be sure to find a home with another NFL team.
With the NFL feeling the crunch of the economic recession, these veterans will have a hard time finding a high priced contract. If they still have a desire to suit up on Sundays and battle it out on the field, these players will find a way to be signed.
One this is for sure, their new contracts will be no where near what they earned before.
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