Packers Activate Bigby, Not Harris
The Packers have activated safety Atari Bigby.
By PackerAaron
The Packers announced the activation of safety Atari Bigby off the Pysically Unable to Perform list this afternoon. The team had one roster spot available so no corresponding move was made.
Cornerback Al Harris was not activated. The Packers must decide by Monday to activate Harris, place him on season-ending Injured Reserve or to cut him outright.
The move for Bigby was not unexpected as he had taken all the snaps with the number one kick coverage unit this week in practice. The Packers would seem to be playing it extra safe with Harris who is coming off a devestating knee injury. The secondary's strong play has also allowed the team to be extra cautious with the veteran cornerback.
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Comments (41)
November 06, 2010 at 03:54 pm
I hope they don't IR him...or worse yet, release him!?!?!
You never know what brews inside the mind of the diabolical Ted!
November 06, 2010 at 03:59 pm
I'd think the decision will be more McCarthy's than Thompson's... though of course Ted will have the final word. The Packers aren't like their neighbors to the West.
;-)
November 06, 2010 at 06:32 pm
The decision is Thompson's. And, with Harris' age, don't be surprised if he is released with the play and health of Williams and Shields. Of course, we all would like to see him back.
November 06, 2010 at 04:20 pm
If Harris is really fit & ready to play (as he says), you could see Pat Lee put on IR to make room for him ....... I haven't read anywhere that Pat Lee is seriously injuried but NFL teams always cheat when it comes to using the IR list anyway ..... One more time can't hurt.
The quandry really lies with Starks (& Nance) ....... Starks claims to be healthy & ready to go ..... Isn't it against the rules to IR a healthy player? ..... I think Starks or Nance going to the PS will result in losing that player ..... Any injury (dare I say it) in the Cowboy game may make all these decisions easy ......
November 06, 2010 at 06:34 pm
Agreed, if Lee may be done (or near done for the year), Harris is good insurance.
November 06, 2010 at 06:37 pm
I hope all the praise about Harris by the staff isn't a way to pay lip service to him, so when he's released, he gets more offerings... A way to do him right, even though they're going to cut him...
November 06, 2010 at 06:41 pm
Why not? If he is going to be released?
November 06, 2010 at 09:46 pm
Yeah, I tried to write "I hope this isn't indication that he'll be released" in a cute way...
November 06, 2010 at 10:05 pm
I know what you're saying, he's been a great player for us over the years.
November 06, 2010 at 03:54 pm
Of any move right now, this is probably the one that made the most sense.
November 06, 2010 at 03:58 pm
Hard to figure where Al Harris exactly fits in anymore ....... Tramon's not going anywhere (except maybe the Pro-Bowl) ...... And it would be unwise to slow down Shields development by reducing his on-field time ...... I've always liked Al Harris but only an injury to Williams or Shields is going to get him on the field to any great extent ....... We'll know on Monday.
November 06, 2010 at 04:20 pm
has Bigby ever been tasked with any return duty ?
PackerAaron
November 06, 2010 at 04:34 pm
No.
November 06, 2010 at 04:37 pm
From the tone in his voice and the look on his face during recent interviews, I'd guess that Al Harris is wondering the same thing- where does he fit in? He seems worried that his time in GB- or at least, his time as a starter in the NFL- may be coming to a close.
If Anthony Smith continues making plays on ST, there's always the chance that Packers fans get their biggest wish and see Jarret Bush released to make room for Al Harris. Beyond his ST acumen, Bush was cross trained as a safety to bolster his worth and justify keeping him on the roster. If Anthony Smith can fill BUsh's role on ST, he could be the guy who bumps bush out of the roster.
November 06, 2010 at 04:47 pm
However, Jarret Bush is actually doing fairly well in a role he can handle (as opposed to his role last season) ...... Plus, who can possibly say no to some 'good bush' ......
November 06, 2010 at 04:56 pm
For that matter bad too.
November 06, 2010 at 05:15 pm
For once I agree, Jarret Bush hasn't really done that bad on ST this year. He's always the first guy down the field on punt coverage and he's made a handful of tackles on KRs.
November 06, 2010 at 06:38 pm
And Harris is OLD.
November 06, 2010 at 11:24 pm
Oppy, I saw the same thing in Harris' eyes. Actually that same thing has been there in his eyes since right b4 the decision to put him on the PUP. I really want him to play, at least a little bit.
November 06, 2010 at 04:16 pm
If the IR pace continues there will be a roster spot open for Harris by Monday morning.
maxginsberg
November 06, 2010 at 04:20 pm
Hopefully, Harris gets activated on Monday. You can never have too much depth in the defensive backfield.
maxginsberg
November 06, 2010 at 05:01 pm
The more I think about it, the more I realize that it makes sense to wait until Monday to activate Harris. Shields is playing well, so you don't necessarily need Harris to immediately step in and play.
And by waiting until after the Dallas game, the Packers allow themselves one more game to decide which player to cut. Plus, as Jeremy said, if someone gets hurt, the Packers decision becomes much easier.
And yes, I did just reply to myself. *sigh* I'm lonely.
November 06, 2010 at 06:38 pm
Yes, the edit button is sorely missed...
November 06, 2010 at 06:42 pm
And spell check.
November 06, 2010 at 11:26 pm
Perfect.
November 06, 2010 at 05:18 pm
I could easily see Derrick Martin going to IR. That way you can list Bush as the backup safety to Nick Collins and make room for Al.
November 06, 2010 at 05:20 pm
Never mind. I think Martin's on IR already.
November 06, 2010 at 05:20 pm
Good move to wait with Harris. I agree, that if there is an injury Sunday night it makes it easier. It was a bad injury for him, so IR is not a horrible way to go.
November 06, 2010 at 05:22 pm
I think I'll...
November 06, 2010 at 05:23 pm
"reply" to myself, too...
November 06, 2010 at 07:16 pm
Seems like Mike McKenzie was in the exact same situation last year as Al Harris is now. They cut him, he sat at home, and then got the call in time for the Super Bowl run. I think that Harris is too good for another team not to come after him, but a lot of people would have said the same about McKenzie a year ago.
November 06, 2010 at 07:35 pm
I honestly think activating just one player makes sense. Our secondary depth is great right now. Rather than cut a player, we might as well wait until the Dallas game is over. Hopefully there aren't any injuries, but if there are, it may make the decision that much easier, and we won't have cut an additional player.
I honestly don't see the Packers releasing Harris or putting him on IR. The only question I have is, how will Capers find a way to utilize all of our backfield talent. I've always thought Bigby would be a nice replacement in certain sub-packages that allow us to then have three "safeties" on the field. Bigby could be a decent linebacker hybrid.
November 06, 2010 at 08:07 pm
Regarding Starks, unless there is a RB injury versus Dallas, look to find him on IR Monday. No revelation here.
November 06, 2010 at 08:40 pm
If Starks goes on IR and comes back next season, that will be two years that guy hasn't played any football. Does that bother anyone else?
November 06, 2010 at 08:59 pm
yes.
November 06, 2010 at 09:02 pm
He was a 6th round pick. Not many others over the years have stuck. I'm not happy, but am OK to see what will follow.
November 06, 2010 at 09:19 pm
It kinda bothers me, but he's a running back. And Ricky Williams proved a RB can take time off and still have years left later in life.
Also, in the interest of schadenfreude, I'm going to go the Vikings game tomorrow. I want to see the place scream for Chilly's head. And.....I've never been to the metrodump, I can be back home for the Packers game on TV, I live on the train route, and the ticket was cheap. I PRAY they blow it against the Cards...
November 07, 2010 at 11:04 am
Just make sure that you visit a priest to get cleansed of all the evil that you most certainly will encounter before sitting down to watch the Packers.
November 06, 2010 at 09:50 pm
My bet? He gets released and signed to the PS. Risk of losing him, but I think it's the best decision, to give him some football training, and that way he can be re-activated later on.
November 06, 2010 at 10:08 pm
I agree, but we need to wait to see what happens tomorrow (today?).
November 06, 2010 at 10:17 pm
No, wait. no reason to release him. Put him on IR, and start over next year.