 |
| QB Graham Harrell |
|
|
|
|
|
Shortly after another tepid performance in Friday's preseason contest versus Seattle, and after being out-shined by newcomer Vince Young, QB Graham Harrell finds himself a free agent on the street, freshly cut from mane of the Packers roster. Harrell had been with the team for three seasons. An undrafted player out of Texas Tech, he set innumerable school passing records and just generally chucked it all day long. The team had high hopes for harnessing his obvious intelligence and improving his physical tools. They liked him enough to let backup Matt Flynn go before the 2012 season, essentially handing Harrell the backup job. But Harrell's body of work since then has been unflattering at best. Aside from his only in-season snap last year resulting in a goal-line fumble, Harrell has generally looked like a deer in headlights, never mastering the calm cool needed to be proficient at the NFL level. His inability to show poise in the face of game-speed, and the anxiety with which he routinely overthrew receivers, left the team with no choice but to cut him. Fans have been calling for Harrell's ouster for weeks, and the relief, justified or not, has been palpable—Like a stubborn scab finally excised.
There is now an opening at backup quarterback. In Vince Young and BJ Coleman, the Packers have two QB's with immense physical talents, but with similar track records of poor decision making. The job is each of theirs to lose, and the final preseason contest against Kansas City will be a telling job interview for both.
I agree with the decision to cut Harrell. He hasent shown any improvement throughout his three years in GB, where Vince Young has had plenty of regular season starts. Even if Young has peaked, he is better than Harrell's potential.
ReplyDeleteYou nailed it. Harrell has not progressed. His biggest issue has continued to be his lack of composure once a play exceeds 4 seconds and begins to break down. This is actually an area of strength of Vince Young. Young, whose negatives are plentiful, seems to almost function better when the chips are down. McCarthy said it best. Vince Young is a winner. You saw it in college, and his pro stats bear it out too. Good under pressure. Not saying he's the second coming of... anyone. But he's someone who can be called upon to execute in less-than-perfect scenarios.
ReplyDelete