Time to pay the man in the trenches

Vince Wilfork is holding out. And can you blame him??? He signed a six (!!!) year contract upon being a first round draft pick with New England for about 1.5 million a year. Now, after some stellar seasons, Vince looks around and sees some of the ridiculous money that Nose Tackles are hauling in...like Albert Haynesworth's multi-million dollar explosion. Vince says he doesn't want to break the bank, he just wants to be "comfortable". And you know what, I agree with him. He is slugging it out on the front lines and doing an All-Pro job at just about bargain pricing. Not to mention the fact that the whole New England/Bill Belichick defense starts with a dominant Nose Tackle who creates gaps for the speedy Linebackers to penetrate. I realize, and RESPECT, the Patriot stance on renegotiating an active contract, but I think they should give some ground on this one. Vince has been a workhorse and a respected player who commands the sought-after double-team. We need him and we should reward him for the seasons of playing far beyond his salary.

Thank you, Mr. Harrison

And so, to no surprise, Rodney Harrison announced his retirement yesterday. He was jocular and his old self, but he made it clear: He is retired and did not feel the urge to prepare for another season in the NFL. Rodney probably should have retired before the start of the 2008 season. If you saw him like I did, you would have noticed a player who had lost his speed and was caught off guard often by younger receivers. Instead of the first pumping animal we enjoyed for our Super Bowl runs, I noticed he put his hands to his own helmet as if to say..."how could I have missed that?" He was more than a step behind, but he could still hit.
I hope we can find a real menacing hitter like Rodney, he had quite the command of centerfield.
Harrison was smart, tough and a clutch player who served as a great mouthpiece for the defense. He will be sorely missed.
...but Brett, watch how a real pro retires!!!!