HARRINGTON SITUATION GETTING UGLIER (OR LIONS GETTING STUPIDER)
John Clayton of ESPN.com reports that the Detroit Lions are considering a challenge to the financial arrangement that quarterback Joey Harrington has worked out with the Miami Dolphins.
The Lions decided several weeks back to part ways with Harrington. Instead of cutting the No. 3 overall pick in the 2002 draft, the Lions have been trying to get value for him via a trade. It's a foregone conclusion that, if the Lions can't trade him before June 15, when Harrington is due to receive a $4 million roster bonus, Harrington will be released.
So Harrington and his agent, David Dunn, engaged in talks with teams like the Bengals and the Dolphins in effort to work out a new financial agreement. After all, no team is going to give up a draft pick and then assume a contract requiring it to cough up $4 million in less than two months.
Harrington and Dunn worked out a deal with the Dolphins, and Dunn recently announced that Harrington wants to go there.
The only glitch? The Lions and the Fins can't get together on compensation.
Now, the Lions are complaining about the deal that they invited Harrington and Dunn to make with the Fins in an effort to secure a trade.
Because Harrington has in hand an acceptable financial package with the Dolphins, Joey apparently is refusing to work with the Browns or Broncos or anyone else who might be interested in acquiring him. But Harrington has no obligation to restructure his deal. If Cleveland or Denver want to acquire his rights, they acquire the whole package -- including the $4 million roster bonus.
Obviously, no team will work out a trade until after they first work out an acceptable financial package. In this case, the Dolphins worked out the terms with Harrington, but then reached an impasse with the Lions.
The best move for the Lions at this point would be to shut up. They created this mess. The blame for the fact that it's not being cleaned up in the manner that the Lions prefer falls only to the Lions.
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