Colts Give Harrison Big Contract

April 5, 2000 / 4:42 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Signing Pro Bowl wide receiver Marvin Harrison has been a top priority of the Indianapolis Colts during the offseason. The team announced Wednesday the mission has been accomplished.

Terms weren't announced by the club, but it had been reported that the contract was a four-year deal valued at $25.4 million, including an $11.5 million signing bonus.

Harrison declined to meet with the media after signing the contract and participating in a workout at the team's complex.

Club spokesman Craig Kelley said team president Bill Polian would not comment on the signing.

The signing of Harrison, who had one year remaining on the five-year contract he signed as the 19th overall pick in the 1996 draft, continues the offseason work of Polian to retain key members of the team that contributed to a 13-3 record and the AFC East championship last season.

Harrison would have been paid a base salary of $1.02 million next season. The Indianapolis Star reported that the new agreement will lower his base to about $400,000 for the 2000 season.

Earlier, tight end Ken Dilger and right tackle Adam Meadows were signed to lucrative contracts as Polian elected to use most of his available salary-cap room to retain key members of the team rather that go heavily into the free agent market. Dilger, who would have been an unrestricted free agent, signed a five-year deal valued at $15 million with a $4.5 million signing bonus. Meadows, who would have been a restricted free agent, signed a five-year, $20 million contract with a $5 million signing bonus included.

"At the end of the season we said that the most important thing we could do this offseason was to keep our own," Polian said Tuesday. "Marvin is obviously part of that to the extent that we made that our number one objective."

Harrison set franchise records with 115 receptions and 1,663 yards receiving in 1999. His reception total ranked seventh in league history and his yardage total ranked sixth. He'll start next season among the top 10 on the Colts' career list in nearly every receiving category with 311 receptions (sixth), 4,141 yards (seventh), 33 touchdown receptions (sixth) and 13 games with 100 receiving yards (fourth). He's caught a pass in all 60 of his regular-season games, the third-longest streak in franchise history.

"It's a wise decision," quarterback Peyton Manning said of Harrison being re-signed. "I'm happy for Marvin. This is the first season he's gtten some real notoriety. He's getting rewarded for the four years he's had here. I think he sees it more of a goal to go out and achieve."

"You won't see Marvin putting in on cruise control. You'll see him coming in and having a great season."

Harris's agent, Tom Condon, did not immediately return phone messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Manning welcomed management's decision to re-sign his teammates.

"Now with free agency, you see these teams going after all these big players. The important thing now is keeping the players that you have."

Polian, selected the NFL Executive of the Year for the fifth time in his career for his role in the turnaround of a franchise that finished 3-13 in 1997 and 1998, said the signings wouldn't have an adverse effect on the salary cap when it comes time to sign the team's draft picks.

"The money is budgeted. It's there, we don't have to do anything relative to the draft choices," he said. "They've already been accounted for in the overall larger budget. We budget for Sept. 1. We don't budget for now."

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