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Inside the NFL Posted: Wednesday March 19, 2003 9:44 AMNew England shored up its suspect defense with three prime free agents By Peter King
Most impressive about the two signings is the relatively small amount of money it took to get them done. Colvin, who turned down an eight-figure signing bonus from the Cardinals, got $6 million to sign as part of a six-year, $25 million deal with the Pats. Harrison estimates he was an hour or two from agreeing to a contract with the Raiders, in the club's Alameda, Calif., offices, when the Patriots called and persuaded him to fly cross-country and hear their pitch; he accepted their six-year, $14.5 million offer. Throw in cornerback Tyrone Poole, signed away from the Broncos on March 5, and the combined first-year salary-cap figures for New England's three new starters in 2003 is $3.73 million. That's amazing when you consider that as free agency kicked off last month an acceptable cap number for Colvin alone would have been upward of $3 million. Poole, 31, gives the Patriots the cover corner they have lacked opposite Ty Law. Colvin, 25, left free by the Bears because they felt they couldn't pay three linebackers (including Brian Urlacher and Warrick Holdman) big money, will play opposite pass-rushing end Willie McGinest. Harrison, 30, brings a chippy attitude that will help New England. Last week the two-time Pro Bowl player, whose style of play has led to more than $100,000 in fines and a one-game suspension without pay for a flagrant hit, was already firing on all cylinders. "I'm here not only because they paid me a little more money than Oakland," Harrison said, "but also because Bill Belichick looked me in the eye and said, 'I need you for this defense. I want you to be a leader.' When I knew how he felt, that was it." Issue date: March 24, 2003
For more Inside the NFL see this week's issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands Wednesday, March 19. Click here to subscribe to SI.
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