Allg. Anregungen & Kritik » to see the appeal to this deal

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin called the decision to sign James Harrison "simple and easy." Figuring out how -- and just as important when -- to use the five-time Pro Bowl linebacker, well, that part is a little trickier. The Steelers brought the 36-year-old Harrison out of retirement on Tuesday to give an injury depleted group some needed depth and a locker room in need of some intensity an added jolt. Harrison, who seemed to end his 12-year NFL career during an impromptu news conference Sept. 5, will provide plenty of both. How quickly he sees the field, however, remains uncertain. "We need to see what he is capable of doing before we etch out any roles for him or others," Tomlin said Tuesday. The Steelers (2-1) reached out to Harrison after young linebackers Jarvis Jones and Ryan Shazier went down in Sunday nights 37-19 win at Carolina. Jones underwent surgery Tuesday for a broken wrist. The team placed their first-round pick in the 2013 draft on the injured reserve/return list, meaning hell be eligible to come back in eight weeks. Shaziers sprained right knee likely wont keep him out as long, though Tomlin ruled out the rookie for this weeks game against Tampa Bay (0-3). Sean Spence will likely take over for Shazier. While Arthur Moats played well filling in for Jones -- recording a sack in the second half as the Steelers pulled away -- the injuries left the Steelers thin at a positon they considered a strength in the preseason. Enter Harrison, whom the Steelers released in the spring of 2013 after he declined to take a pay cut. The 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year eventually signed with Cincinnati, where he played in a diminished role as the Bengals won the AFC North. He finished with two sacks and an interception in 15 games before getting cut in March. He remained in training throughout the preseason but couldnt find work and signed a one-day contract with Pittsburgh on Sept. 5 so he could retire a Steeler. Harrison cited the need to be closer to his two sons as a major factor in his decision. That shouldnt be a problem now. The Harrisons live in a Pittsburgh suburb. Harrison will join a locker room thats undergone an extensive makeover in the 18 months since his departure, particularly on defence. Only three starters -- linebacker Lawrence Timmons, safety Troy Polamalu and defensive end Brett Keisel -- remain from the 2012 season. A fourth, cornerback Ike Taylor, broke his right forearm Sunday night and is out indefinitely. Tomlin allowed it may take a bit for Harrison to get his bearings. "There is comfort in that familiarity but at the same time there are some new, integral pieces to our football team," Tomlin said. "He has an understanding of that. It will be fun to kind of watch him work his way back into the group." Recent history hints it might not take long. Pittsburgh declined to re-sign Keisel over the spring only to call him when the defensive line struggled early in the preseason. He was back on the field nine days later, playing in the exhibition finale against the Panthers. Harrison, like Keisel, is well past his prime. Yet the Steelers are optimistic his savvy and experience can make an impact on a defence that is still finding its way. Pittsburgh needed three games to record a turnover, though the pass rush showed signs of improvement while getting to Cam Newton three times on Sunday night. The schedule gives the Steelers some flexibility. They face the hapless Buccaneers then travel to winless Jacksonville. Two weeks might be all thats necessary for Harrison to find his niche. Its unlikely the Steelers would put him at the top of the depth chart based simply on his resume. If he can show flashes of the burst that helped him record 64 sacks during his 10 years in Pittsburgh, he could be a weapon in pass-rushing situations. Its what the Bengals tried to do with him in 2013, with underwhelming results. Not that Tomlin is using 2013 as a barometer on what Harrison can do now that hes back home. "I dont care about what he did in Cincinnati or what their schematics are," Tomlin said. "Ill base my judgments based off of his capabilities based on what I see back in this setting among us." NOTES: Rookie RB Dri Archer (ankle) practiced Monday and could play this week after missing the last two games. ... The Steelers will keep Taylor on the active roster for and give him some time to heal before deciding whether to place him on season-ending injured reserve. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . Patty Mills had 20 points, Tim Duncan had 11 points and 13 rebounds in limited action, and San Antonio rolled to a 110-82 victory over Milwaukee that kept the Bucks winless in the new year. Wholesale Jerseys Authentic . The Flames are in the midst of a six-game slide (0-5-1), their longest losing streak since an 0-6-3 skid from Jan. 11-28, 2010. They havent won since Nov. 3 in Chicago and most recently went winless on a three-game homestand. http://www.cheapjerseysauthenticwholesale.com/. on the 15-day disabled Monday list because of a strained right hamstring. Cheap Jerseys From China . They probably ruined Tim Duncans hopes of a career change, though. Duncan wants to be a point guard, coach Gregg Popovich revealed Saturday, a wish that wont be granted. Wholesale Baseball Jerseys Authentic . - All-Pro quarterback Aaron Rodgers looked spry enough in pregame warmups Sunday for Green Bays divisional playoff game against Dallas.The Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks hooked up for a deal involving six players and a couple of draft picks. Numbers Game breaks down the deal sending Tyson Chandler back to Dallas. The Mavericks Get: C Tyson Chandler and PG Raymond Felton. Chandler, 31, returns to Dallas, where he was a critical part of their 2011 NBA Championship squad, and gives the Mavericks a more formidable presence in the paint. Chandler is not particularly durable, having missed 65 games over three seasons in New York and there are signs that his game is declining -- his .593 field goal percentage and 16.48 Player Efficiency Rating last season were his lowest since 2009-2010 and his estimated points allowed per possession was his highest since 2008-2009. Those statistical declines could be a reflection of Chandlers unimpressive supporting cast in New York, or it could be an indication of a 31-year-old centre who missed 20 games with a broken leg last season, but Chandler had more productive years in the previous two seasons with the Knicks. He was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2011-2012 and made the All-Defensive First Team in 2012-2013. The Mavericks need Chandler to stay healthy -- the only time in the past six years that he played more than 67 games in a season was his season in Dallas (2010-2011) -- and provide the same sound defensive presence for which hes been known, at least prior to 2013-2014. Chandler is entering the final year of his contract and it pays him nearly $14.6-million. Thats pretty good motivation to have a strong year, either to get an extension from the Mavs or hit the open market next summer. Felton is a 29-year-old point guard who has had ups and downs in his career, and is currently at a low point, having scored a career-low 9.7 points per game while shooting 39.5% from the field, his lowest since 2006-2007, last season. His 12.90 PER last season was the worst of his nine-year NBA career. Earlier in his career, Felton was a durable player, but hes missed 53 games over the past three seasons. Questionable conditioning has likely contributed to his increasing rate of injuries. On top of his poor performance on the court, Felton recently reached an agreement to a plea deal on a gun possession charge, so its probably best for him to get a fresh start somewhere else. Feltons not a strong defender, lacking the lateral quickness to handle other point guards, but if he gets in shape, he can be a contributor. As it stands now, the Mavericks are looking at a backcourt that includes veteran Monta Ellis and 2013 second-round pick Ricky Ledo. There are surely more moves to make, but there are minutes available, if Felton is up to the challenge. This season, Felton will earn $4.36-million on his contract, then has a player option for $4.54-million the following season; not unreasonable money if he bounces back from his down season. The Knicks Get: PG Jose Calderon, C Samuel Dalembert, PG Shane Larkin, SG Wayne Ellington and two second-round picks. Calderon, 32, didnt have a great season in Dallas. He struggled defensively, which is pretty standard, but his shooting wasnt as effective as it had been in previous years and Calderon couldnt get to the basket, earning less than one free-throw attempt per game. While Calderon did shoot a career-best 44.9% from beyond the arc, he shot 45.6% from the floor andd attempted more threes (425) than twos (323) for the first time in his career.dddddddddddd That may be a function of his role in the Mavericks offence, but it also is a reflection that Calderon wasnt getting any shots near the rim. Signed for three more years, at around $22.2-million, Calderon is a decent point guard option for the Knicks -- its not like replacing Felton is an impossible task -- but his defence is already poor and is only going to get worse as he approaches his mid-30s. If his offence is reverting to spot-up threes only, well, thats going to limit Calderons value. Since they didnt have many options, 33-year-old Dalembert started 68 games for the Mavericks last season. Hes an effective rebounder and shot blocker, who has had an above-average PER in four of the past five seasons. He has limited touches offensively, but shot a career-best 56.8% from the field last season and grabbed 6.8 rebounds with 1.2 blockes per game, while playing a little over 20 minutes a night. For all those attributes, which at least suggest that he can be useful in a reserve role, Dalembert could still be looking for a new team next season. The Knicks hold a team option, at under $3.9-million, for next season. Given what they have currently, the Knicks would have room to fit Dalembert in their rotation, but free agent options could be more appealing. The 18th pick in last years draft, 21-year-old Shane Larkin didnt play a lot as a rookie, averaging a little over 10 minutes per game in the 48 games that he played. Hes on the small side, at 5-foot-11, but has quickness and at least in college, at the University of Miami, he could shoot a bit (40.6% on threes as a sophomore). Will he be able to defend enough to play a big role in the NBA? While Larkin may not provide immediate value, he can continue to develop behind Calderon, ideally taking over as the starter at some point in the next couple seasons. 26-year-old Wayne Ellington has bounced around a bit since he was a late first-round pick by Minnesota in 2009. The Knicks will be Ellingtons fourth franchise in the past two years, and he scored a career-low 3.2 points per game as a spare part for the Mavericks last season. Ellington can shoot, 38.6% on threes for his career, but doesnt do enough otherwise to hold down a spot in the rotation. He is going into the final year of a contract that will pay him $2.5-million this season. The Knicks also get picks 34 and 51 in Thursdays draft. Over the past five years, picks in the 30-35 range have yielded an NBA rotation player 20.0% of the time, while picks from 50-60 have resulted in an NBA have provided an NBA rotation player 8.0% of the time. Its easy to see the appeal to this deal for the Mavericks, as Chandler gives them an immediate upgrade, without a long-term commitment. They have some backcourt issues to sort out but, after pushing San Antonio to seven games in the first round of the playoffs, there is some justification to believe that they can get into the title mix next season. For the Knicks, they could have a better point guard situation, both immediately and long-term and the hope is that Larkin can ultimately provide value. If not, there wont be much to gain. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '