The End of an Era.

In case anyone has been living under a rock during this free agency, you'll notice that some high-profile players have been released by the their teams. Not necessarily "high profile" as in the best players in the game, but rather as in players that have defined the face of their franchises for a long time.

The blockbuster this week is obviously Marvin Harrison. Peyton and Marvin have been the leaders of the Colts franchise for a very long time, and seeing him in another uniform next year is going to be something like seeing Favre in a Jets' uniform.

But even past that, you also have the Bucs releasing Derrick Brooks and Joey Galloway, which I think may actually be a larger impact then Marvin. Then there's New Orleans releasing Duece McAllister or Jacksonville releasing Fred Taylor. And this isn't even mentioning the possibility that Ray Lewis may part ways with the Ravens. Or looking back to last year when our very own Dolphins released Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas.

5 Years ago, the thought of any of these players parting with their teams would've been insanity. All of them were fan favorites and were considered players who would finish their careers with their current teams. This year, however, it seems that we are just hit with shock after shock of players that are being released by their teams.

I look back and I think about all of these players, and I remember how I felt when the 'Fins released Zach Thomas. My heart sank pretty deep down into my chest when I heard Miami was releasing him, and it sank even lower when I heard he was signing with the Cowboys. Zach has always been and always will be one of my favorite football players of all time. He was humble, a great leader, and an absolute beast on the field. He did all of the little things right, and above all was a great person. He is exactly the kind of player I would want on my football team.

And this season, all of those players I named are ones you'd want on your team. Did anyone hear McAllister crying foul when Reggie Bush took his carries? Did Joey Galloway ever proclaim "I Love Me Some Me"? Did Derrick Brooks ever draw any headlines besides simply being an amazing linebacker? Did Fred Taylor ever do anything but bust his ass for the team that he loved and the fans that adored him?

Every one of these players are men who deserve a high level of respect from anyone in the league.  Among the 8 players I named, I feel like at least 4 of them should be Hall of Famers (Harrison, Brooks, Thomas, and F. Taylor), so they will get their recognition, but all of the others still deserve a collective round of applause for doing everything the right way through most of their careers.

These guys may not be done, and some of them may still have something to prove, but let's face it, once a long-time franchise player leaves his team, it's never really the same again.

This season's releases have just been a stark reminder of how cruel and ever-changing the game of football can be.

Or maybe just a reminder that I'm getting older.