Harris Basically Says Good Bye

[DanoT]

I am of the belief that if Cortez stays as OC then Harris will leave, as will many fans who cannot tolerate the boring predictable play calling any longer.

[Hambone]

Wally made the right football decision regarding Simon, Clermont, Banks and others but whether that was the right business decision is another matter.

If Wally made the right football decision then he made the right business decision. When business factors of retaining older players started impacting football decisions a team is in big trouble.

[The_Pauser]

I am of the belief that if Cortez stays as OC then Harris will leave, as will many fans who cannot tolerate the boring predictable play calling any longer.

Perhaps, but who takes over as OC? And is it really wise to have 4 different OC's in as many seasons?

[Hambone]

He said he really wanted to win a CFL rushing title as a goal and I highly doubt being sat after the 1st quarter sat well with him as Messam played 3 quarters for Calgary so that Messam could reach his goal, and Harris probably lost a big bonus by not winning the rushing title.

I would submit that Harris didn't lose the rushing title because he sat down part way through the 2nd quarter. He lost the rushing title in those games where he rushed for 10 yards or less. It may be the first time in CFL history that a tailback had 4 100+ yard rushing games and 4 games rushing for 10 or less yards. As it was he left that final game with a 115 yard advantage over Sutton. How long do you risk keeping a key player in to achieve a personal goal when the team goal is to come out of the game healthy in preparation for a playoff game coming up?

[MexicoLionFan]

He said he really wanted to win a CFL rushing title as a goal and I highly doubt being sat after the 1st quarter sat well with him as Messam played 3 quarters for Calgary so that Messam could reach his goal, and Harris probably lost a big bonus by not winning the rushing title.

I would submit that Harris didn't lose the rushing title because he sat down part way through the 2nd quarter. He lost the rushing title in those games where he rushed for 10 yards or less. It may be the first time in CFL history that a tailback had 4 100+ yard rushing games and 4 games rushing for 10 or less yards. As it was he left that final game with a 115 yard advantage over Sutton. How long do you risk keeping a key player in to achieve a personal goal when the team goal is to come out of the game healthy in preparation for a playoff game coming up?

And whose to blame for 4 games of 10 rushing yards or less? The RB? Does anyone actually believe that a RB simply "forgets how to play football" 4 times a season? There were many games this season, that the Lions lost, when Harris had 50-60 yards rushing on just 7 or 8 carries and just never saw the football in the 2nd half. That's coaching through and through. With an effective offensive system and clever play calling, Harris would have rushed for over 1,500 yards this season. And remember, Harris did all of this on a BADLY injured ankle from last season. His talent has few peers in the CFL, and if he goes to another team, the Lions will regret it.

[The_Pauser]

Harris also had more touches than any other RB in the league. How many more touches do you want him to get?

[longtimefan]

Perhaps he lost the title because Wally didn't want to pay him the "bonus" in his contract. Sit AH down and he can't win it. I wouldn't put it past Wally to do that when you have to consider that Wally probably wouldn't offer AH enough to stay with the team.

[The_Pauser]

Perhaps he lost the title because Wally didn't want to pay him the "bonus" in his contract. Sit AH down and he can't win it. I wouldn't put it past Wally to do that when you have to consider that Wally probably wouldn't offer AH enough to stay with the team.

When Harris was sat he had a massive lead on the rushing title.

[TheLionKing]

I am of the belief that if Cortez stays as OC then Harris will leave, as will many fans who cannot tolerate the boring predictable play calling any longer.

Perhaps, but who takes over as OC? And is it really wise to have 4 different OC's in as many seasons?

This argument keep coming up: who do you replace him with ? There are a lot of qualified people who could step in. Just look outside the box.

[CardiacKid]

I am looking at this more and more often "in reverse"; namely what other CFL teams are likely to put forward a serious bid for Harris' services and would seem attractive to Harris?
Winnipeg gets mentioned a lot because it's Harris' hometown and their rather dire situation will force them to open the coffers wide. I am not so sure about that scenario... Winnipeg has spent pretty freely the last couple of years on acquiring free-agents; they may need to be a lot more circumspect financially. And what money they do have to spend, might be needed to address what is still a glaring weakness, namely their offensive line. They bolstered it this year but Willy still got knocked out of the season and their overall effectiveness is still questionable. And with a dodgy offensive line, Harris would likely have to kiss goodbye a chance at the rushing title. Lastly, who will be the OC in Winnipeg? Bellefeuille is gone and from various reports, the Bombers are not in a huge rush to replace him at this point. So is Winnipeg an attractive destination? No OC and offensive philosophy/results nothing to write home about and maybe limited funds that would be better spent on continued improvement of the offensive line and a cheap rookie from the States instead of a somewhat pricey National.
Calgary has Cornish, Messam and Walters....why add Harris to the mix with his salary? If Cornish is not likely to overcome his concussions, Calgary has the inside track on getting Messam back for next year. And Matt Walter is a very capable backup to fill in and thus not disrupting the ratio.
Edmonton might be a good fit given Calvin McCarthy is there and helps minimize the disruption to the ratio should Harris go down. But they also have Shakir Bell who is a game changer and is likely a whole lot cheaper.
The Riders have a need but seem quite inclined to go with a youth movement.
Hamilton is probably the last place to splash out for Harris even though it would look like a great place in Harris' eyes. Austin abhors the run and has a back he really likes in CJ Gable; I don't see Harris displacing Gable to be what passes for a feature back in SteelTown.
Ottawa might be a solid destination choice; great success this year and a solid team that may only get better. Jeremiah Johnson is a great back and has the potential to be a league all-star; if he wasn't injured I am sure we would have heard a lot more of him. But depending on that injury, Ottawa may have need for Harris.
Montreal may have the best backfield in the league with Sutton and Routley; rushing champ who absolutely shredded the Eskimoes much vaunted defence in the 2nd to last week of the year. With having two quality International backs, I don't know how much they would want to bring in Harris, especially when it would disrupt the ratio. Plus the Als jettisoned Whittaker this year, a guy similar to Harris in terms of being an older running back with solid pass catching skills.

No I think the team that is the most likely destination for Harris other than the Lions is the Argos. They have Brandon Whittaker, who is a veteran and while solid, is getting older. They have a head coach with a great offensive reputation and a great Hall of Fame quarterback who loves the nickel and dime stuff that would greatly accentuate Harris' pass catching abilities. Plus they have a Canadian running back in Robert Coombes who really impressed me this year and only got better as the year went on. I would be very tempted if I was Toronto to sign Harris as your feature back and use Coombes as back-up; have a National backfield that is ratio friendly. They could continue to groom Coombes and when Harris is done, they have Coombes ready to be the feature back. For Harris, if the money is right, I imagine it wouldn't be very hard to envision great stats resulting from slotting in with the Argos.

Anyhow my 2-bits.......

[Sir Purrcival]

This analysis generally tracks. The big bonus for Harris is his birth cert. That is going to earn him some looks from teams that he wouldn't get otherwise. Something tells me that Calgary might just be a possibility. As much as Messam was a good pickup, he has bounced around quite a bit. That may say something, it may not. I just remember that he had his difficulties when he was here. Cornish on the other hand may just decide to hang them up. Especially if the Stamps win it all this year. He has made no bones about the fact that he is considering his life after football and is worried about the long term effects of the game on his health. If he continues to struggle with concussion symptoms, he might just decide that now is a good time. I"m sure he won't make any decisions right away but I wouldn't be surprised if it did unfold that way. That might make Harris look pretty attractive to the Stamps. Hell, they could even put him and Messam in a 2 back set. Wouldn't that give them some flexibility in other positions...

[WestCoastJoe]

This analysis generally tracks. The big bonus for Harris is his birth cert. That is going to earn him some looks from teams that he wouldn't get otherwise. Something tells me that Calgary might just be a possibility. As much as Messam was a good pickup, he has bounced around quite a bit. That may say something, it may not. I just remember that he had his difficulties when he was here. Cornish on the other hand may just decide to hang them up. Especially if the Stamps win it all this year. He has made no bones about the fact that he is considering his life after football and is worried about the long term effects of the game on his health. If he continues to struggle with concussion symptoms, he might just decide that now is a good time. I"m sure he won't make any decisions right away but I wouldn't be surprised if it did unfold that way. That might make Harris look pretty attractive to the Stamps. Hell, they could even put him and Messam in a 2 back set. Wouldn't that give them some flexibility in other positions...

Yes. This echoes some of my thoughts. Calgary. Wouldn't that be a nice fit? Good for the Stampeders. And good for Andrew Harris. Better even than working in a bank.

[B.C.FAN]

Yes. This echoes some of my thoughts. Calgary. Wouldn't that be a nice fit? Good for the Stampeders. And good for Andrew Harris. Better even than working in a bank.

Jon Cornish works at a bank in Calgary.

[WestCoastJoe]

Yes. This echoes some of my thoughts. Calgary. Wouldn't that be a nice fit? Good for the Stampeders. And good for Andrew Harris. Better even than working in a bank.

Jon Cornish works at a bank in Calgary.

LOL

Well then it would be just about purrfect. Andrew can follow Wally's idea, suggestion or shot, and prepare for career transition. "You want to complain publicly? Not happy. Then go work in a bank."

Old school thinking, it seems to me. Workers should not complain. They are lucky to have a job. Why, when I grew up ... And we never made money like this ...

[TheLionKing]

I think Wally is really feeling the heat from the media and fans.