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juggalo6772 · 05-01-2006, 12:24 AM

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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http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

juggalo6772 · 05-01-2006, 12:27 AM

Browns pass on trade with Lions for QB Harrington
The Lions handled the Joey Harrington situation like a game of poker Sunday.

Detroit told Harrington's agent, David Dunn, that they were going to try to trade him to Cleveland. The Browns called Harrington and the quarterback told them that he didn't want to come to Cleveland.
So what did the Browns do? They kept drafting and didn't make a trade. They took four players -- linebacker Leon Williams, guard Isaac Sowells, halfback Jerome Harrison and cornerback DeMario Minter, leaving them only sixth and seventh round picks to move.

The Lions' threat so far hasn't worked as Harrington continues to plan to go to the Dolphins. Now, the Dolphins are considering not giving the Lions a sixth-round pick in 2007 and just waiting for him to be released in June.

Harrington visited the Dolphins and the Bengals after the Lions gave him permission to shop himself with a trade. He canceled a visit to the Broncos and decided to go to the Dolphins. Harrington and the Dolphins worked out a two-year agreement that would facilitate the trade. Because he has a $4.45 million salary and a $4 million roster bonus due around June 15, Harrington needs to restructure his contract before any trade.

Although Lions president Matt Millen told Harrington he would let him go where the quarterback wanted, the Lions don't want to trade him for the sixth-round choice in 2007 being offered by the Dolphins. The Lions prefer a draft choice Sunday.

The Dolphins' position is that Harrington wants to join their team. The Lions' position is that the collective bargaining agreement doesn't permit a secret deal and might go to the NFL Management Council for help.

The market for Harrington in a trade diminished when the Broncos drafted Jay Cutler and the Chiefs drafted Brodie Croyle, leaving the Browns as one of the few options for the Lions aside from Miami.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2427730

coldarmy20 · 05-01-2006, 12:46 AM

Sadly.. it looks like we wont get anything for Harrington the way things are shaping up.

Millen dropped the ball by making it obvious they were gonna move harrington.. meh i dont know.. I guess it would be impossible to hide that after signing Kitna, McCown, and King.

**Professor** · 05-01-2006, 02:13 AM

that sucks, millen continues to take ineptness to a new level, LOL

**stormdriver** · 05-01-2006, 03:28 AM

It blows my mind on almost a daily basis just how ignorant Millen is. Now he can either pay the 4 million or cut him and get nothing for him where he could have at least gotten some good picks in exchange for a loser QB. This is a special kind of stupid if you ask me...

pumzy · 05-01-2006, 10:06 AM

I wonder if millen has his own private short bus....

PoppaPoe33 · 05-01-2006, 10:22 AM

Unfortunately for the Lions, they'll never really get out of their funk with Millen making personnel decisions. Wise up Detriot, get rid of the monkey!