Marvin Harrison's Greed Ends His Career in Indianapolis

I don't get it.  Marvin Harrison is steadfastly refusing to take a pay cut, with his cap number too high for the Colts to stomach.  Does he think he will get more in free agency? For a 36 year old who has shown signs of slowing down the last couple of seasons, this hardly seems worth it. 

I don't see anyone offering Harrison anything close to what he's currently making on the open market, so Marvin will be taking a pay cut one way or another for next season. Why leave Peyton Manning & Tom Moore, arguably the best in the business, for the unknown?

If I was a Colts fan this would leave a sour taste in my mouth.  Personally, I would have been upset if Rod Smith had ended his career in another uniform.  I believe Smith was asked to take a pay cut toward the end of his career, and he obliged, recognizing his declining skills didn't warrant the lofty cap number.

Harrison has seen a steep decline in his numbers the last couple seasons, due to injuries & Reggie Wayne taking his place as Peyton's No. 1 option. Take a look at the last five years:

2004: 16 GP 86 Rec 1116 Yards 12.9 avg 15 TD

2005: 15 GP 82 Rec 1146 Yards 14.0 avg 12 TD

2006: 16 GP 95 Rec 1366 Yards 14.4 avg 12 TD

2007: 5 GP 20 Rec 247 Yards 12.4 avg 1 TD

2008: 15 GP 60 Rec 636 Yards 10.6 avg 5 TD

Who wants to remember Jerry Rice as a Raider or Seahawk?  Not even fans of those teams. I'm guessing Marvin's next stop will be completely forgettable once his career has run its course. 

I think the Colts will be fine, with Anthony Gonzalez waiting in the wings.  They can spend a middling draft pick on a receiver and be ready to go. As for Marvin, I think he ends up with his hometown team, the Philadelphia Eagles. 

If Plaxico can't play next season, the Giants may also take a look. I would expect his 2009 numbers to look something like this: 14 GP 47 Rec 525 Yards 11.1 avg 3 TD.

Marvin could have spent his entire career with a hall of fame QB & the same team, something you don't see every day. He & his agent have other ideas, which is a shame for the Indianapolis Colts & their fans.