You talk like Harbs was stuck with Lamar and didn't know what to do with him. Like he was the last one to see how bad the situation had become. That is so wrong.
That he was wedded to Joe. That is so wrong. Divorce was on the horizon once Lamar was drafted. The whole organization was wedded due to the astronomical divorce fee due to Joe winning a bet with Stve and Steve caving in and not letting the market set the cost.
Fact: Harbs was screaming in Ozzie's and Erics face to get Lamar draft day. He saw what 30 other teams didn't. He jumped for Joy. He promoted Roman (who he brought in..give him credit...he gets good coaches...oh...I ask too much. sorry). With Eric, they crafted the vision for Lamars/Roman's offense. Most of the experts were totally skeptical saying it's not sustainable. Too old School and unconventional. That it will flop. Harbs stuck to his guns thank God. Harbs and Lamar have transformed the NFL. He's an ahead of the curve, creative thinking and calculated risk taking coach.
A winner. Best guess is that half the teams in the league would die to have him.
Any team who has an athletic QB who can run is adding that option. Teams are now drafting and trying to develop the next Lamar.
We all breathed a sigh of relief once Lamar stepped on the field. Everybody, including Joe, knew Lamar was the heir apparent. The Question was when? Joe had a ridiculous CAP number. We all by this point were looking at his contracts length and counting the days. It hurt to watch him.