Time for Colts to “cut” ties with disgruntled Harper

By John Onan  |   Thursday, April 06, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Indianapolis Colts
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Indianapolis Colts cornerback Nick Harper is not a happy man at the moment, and it's not because of his knife-wielding wife or the teasing he's received since the playoffs after being tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Nick Harper has been outspoken over his desire for a raise from the team, as he is currently one of the lowest paid starters at his position in the NFL. After Indianapolis management told Harper that he wouldn't be getting a raise in 2006, he has decided to skip the team's voluntary offseason workouts that began this week.

Harper has also gone as far as to ask general manager Bill Polian for his release if the deal he signed prior to the 2005 season is not reworked. It's worth $2.4million over two years. Harper has started all but three games in the past three campaigns for the Indianapolis Colts, but may have become expendable with the development of corners Marlin Jackson, Jason David, and Kelvin Hayden.

Granted, Harper is underpaid in comparison to other starting corners, but he has yet to come close to the statistics he mustered back in 2003. That year, he had 98 tackles and four interceptions and his totals have tailed off in each of the past two seasons. He has played through nagging injuries and will turn 32later on this year, so he may be headed towards the downside of his career.

After falling short of their goals in 2005, the last thing Indy needs is a player who could eventually cause a major distraction towards getting over the hump in 2006. Now that Harper is taking his case to the media, there's a very good chance he will be shown the door before the upcoming NFL Draft and Polian will select another talented cornerback in the first three rounds.

Money will be tight for other clubs this summer, so Harper likely won't be too pleased with what is offered on the open market, either.
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