HEADLINES

Anthony Harris

Eagles, S Anthony Harris Agree To Deal

March 19th, 2021 at 6:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Anthony Harris‘ 2021 salary will not match what he earned on a franchise tag in 2020, and the former Vikings safety will relocate to Philadelphia. The Eagles and Harris agreed to a deal Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The Eagles are signing Harris to a one-year deal worth $5MM. This represents a bargain for Philly, considering Harris played last season on an $11.4MM franchise tag.

Rodney McLeod will have a third safety tandem partner in three years, with Harris following Malcolm Jenkins and Jalen Mills in this capacity. Harris will also rejoin Jonathan Gannon. The new Eagles DC spent time coaching defensive backs with the Vikings. Gannon worked as Minnesota’s assistant DBs coach from 2015-17.

Harris, however, broke out after Gannon’s departure for Indianapolis. He joined the Vikings’ starting lineup in 2018 and emerged with a six-interception 2019, forming a top-tier safety duo with Harrison Smith. The Vikings now need to replace Harris, whom they kept off the market last year. Harris loomed in trade rumors, being connected to Cleveland, but played on the tag in 2020.

Coming off an interception-less season, the 29-year-old defender did record a career-high 104 tackles. After grading him as a top-three overall safety in 2018 and ’19, Pro Football Focus ranked the 29-year-old defender 38th at the position last season. This contract comes after Harris changed agents, per Darren Wolfson of KSTP, who notes he is now with Drew Rosenhaus (Twitter link). This one-year pact will give Harris an opportunity to determine his long-term future while giving the Eagles a proven safety.

Ravens Waive QB Robert Griffin III

January 19th, 2021 at 10:41am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens have officially waived quarterback Robert Griffin III. The team will also cut defensive backs Davontae Harris and Tramon Williams, plus wide receiver De’Anthony Harris. 

[RELATED: Ravens Cut Ingram]

The Ravens got a jump start on their spring cleaning this week by releasing Griffin & Co, plus running back Mark Ingram. It all amounts to a professional courtesy, since the Ravens were eliminated by the Bills on Saturday.

Griffin first joined the Ravens as a backup for Joe Flacco and stuck around to be Lamar Jackson‘s primary backstop. In three years, RG3 started twice and threw one touchdown against four interceptions. One of those starts came this year, a 19-14 loss to the rival Steelers.

The former No. 2 overall pick tweeted that “the best is yet to come,” an indication that he’ll seek another job in 2021. Griffin, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2011, turns 31 in February.

Trade Notes: Harris, Texans, Geno, Browns

October 29th, 2020 at 5:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

After trading Yannick Ngakoue, the Vikings appear to be reopening the door to dealing their franchise player. Anthony Harris is again available, per Albert Breer of SI.com. The Vikings discussed at least one tag-and-trade deal involving the 2019 breakout player-turned-tag recipient this offseason but moved forward with Harris as a starter for the third season. The price was believed to be a Day 2 pick at that point. Harris has more than half of his $11.4MM tag salary due. Harris joins safety mate Harrison Smith, tight end Kyle Rudolph and left tackle Riley Reiff as available Viking veterans.

Here is more from the trade market, with five days to go until the deadline:

  • We have heard trade rumors surrounding the bulk of the Texans‘ receiving corps. The Packers, among others, inquired about Will Fuller; Randall Cobb and Brandin Cooks have also come up in talks. The Texans are prepared to part with any of their wideouts — for the right offer, of course. Every Texan except Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt, Laremy Tunsil and right tackle Tytus Howard is available, Breer adds. Fuller and Kenny Stills are on expiring contracts; Cobb is signed through 2022; Cooks through ’23.
  • NFL INT leader Xavien Howard has surfaced as a name to watch ahead of the deadline. While the Dolphins have fielded calls on the fifth-year cornerback, they have not received a firm offer, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes. The Dolphins also appear dead-set against dealing Howard, with Jackson adding that it would likely take multiple first-round picks (an unrealistic ask) for Miami to consider a deal. Howard is in the first season of a five-year, $75MM contract.
  • The Bengals traded all-time sack leader Carlos Dunlap to the Seahawks, and teams are wondering if the franchise’s No. 2 all-time sacker (Geno Atkins) is available. Teams have contacted the Bengals on the 11th-year defensive tackle but have been told he is not being traded, Breer notes. Atkins is signed through 2022, and although he has voiced frustration about his role, the Bengals will hang onto the perennial Pro Bowler.
  • In the thick of the AFC playoff race at 5-2, the Browns may still be dangling Olivier Vernon. Although the veteran defensive end came off Cleveland’s trade block this summer, the Browns shopped him for a while. They may be doing so again, with Breer indicating the 30-year-old edge rusher is being viewed as available. However, the Browns would move to replace the veteran opposite Myles Garrett. They were in on the first Nkagoue sweepstakes in August but lost out to the Vikings. In the final year of his contract, Vernon does not have a sack this season.
  • Entering their Week 8 game, the Panthers may be straddling the buyer-seller line at 3-4. However, they are still in a rebuilding phase in Matt Rhule‘s first season. Any buyer’s deal Carolina makes would be for a player controllable beyond this season rather than a rental who could help the team secure a wild-card spot, Joe Person of The Athletic writes (subscription required).
  • Prior to signing Mohamed Sanu as injury insurance this year, the 49ers finished second to the Patriots for Sanu at last year’s deadline. The 49ers offered the Falcons a third-round pick for Sanu, Breer notes, but the Pats gave up a second-round pick. San Francisco’s subsequent Emmanuel Sanders addition ended up being more impactful, and Sanu is currently training for his next opportunity.

Vikings’ Anthony Harris To Play On One-Year Deal

July 15th, 2020 at 2:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Vikings safety Anthony Harris will play out his one-year tender, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The sides are still talking, but the St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson notes a deal is a “long shot” as the deadline nears (Twitter link). Per the franchise tag rules, the two sides will have to wait until next year before resuming extension talks. 

Harris took his time, but he eventually signed his one-year, $11.4MM tag. There was never a real threat of a holdout, though Harris was eager for a pay bump.

The advanced metrics position Harris as one of the league’s very best safeties and the market has advanced significantly in recent years. He graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1-ranked safety last season, a campaign during which he intercepted six passes. A long-term extension for Harris would likely pay him upwards of $14MM per year, in line with the position’s salary leaders.

Minnesota will carry Harris’ lofty tag figure and Harrison Smith‘s $10.75MM cap number on its books this season. With Smith remaining the centerpiece of the Vikings’ secondary, it seems likely the Vikings will need to address his deal — which has fallen from first to 11th over the past four years. It remains to be seen if the Vikings will revisit extension talks with Harris next year. This will be the breakout performer turned 29 in June, so his next negotiations — with the Vikings or another team — will come just ahead of his age-30 slate.

Status Of All 15 Tagged Players Prior to July 15 Extension Deadline

July 6th, 2020 at 7:19pm CST by Ben Levine

The clock is ticking for tagged players to sign extensions with their teams, per the league calendar.

July 15: At 4:00 p.m., New York time, deadline for any club that designated a Franchise Player to sign such player to a multiyear contract or extension. After this date, the player may sign only a one-year contract with his prior club for the 2020 season, and such contract cannot be extended until after the club’s last regular season game.

With less than nine days remaining until the deadline, let’s take a look at where each of the 15 tagged players stand.

Already Signed Tag

*Received transition tag (vs. franchise tag)

Haven’t Signed Tag, Won’t Hold Out

Haven’t Signed Tag, Threatening Hold Out

Anthony Harris Signs Vikings’ Tender

May 17th, 2020 at 2:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Done deal. On Sunday, Vikings safety Anthony Harris announced that he will sign his franchise tender (Twitter link). 

“Although it has been a strange offseason, time spent in isolation with family has been refreshing and energizing. This is just one step in god’s plan for me and my family,” Harris wrote. “I will let my agents and the Vikings work towards long term certainty in Minnesota, but I am excited to be back for the 2020 season.”

Harris, 29 in June, tallied 60 tackles and eleven passes defended in 2019, plus six interceptions (tied for the NFL lead). Beyond that, the advanced metrics have positioned him as one of the league’s best safeties over the last two years. He’s now hoping to parlay that success into a major payday for the remainder of his prime seasons.

The franchise tag for safeties this year pays $11.4MM. That’s not chump change, but there are now five safeties in the league making upwards of $14MM per season. Naturally, that’s what Harris and his reps are eyeing in a new contract.

The Vikings have been keen on keeping their brightest stars. They’ve also overhauled their secondary this offseason, moving on from cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Mackensie Alexander, plus safeties Jayron Kearse and Andrew Sendejo. Still, the Vikings have rejected trade inquiries on Harris, kept him with the tag, and backed him publicly.

“I know we have some big changes in the secondary,” Spielman said earlier this year. “One of the things — not only is Anthony Harris a great football player for us, and great in the community — but by us being able to franchise Anthony, we do have the safeties pretty well set, knowing that we’re going to have a lot of young corners we’re going to have to line up and play with.”

Per the terms of the franchise tag, the two sides have until the July deadline to hammer out an extension. If no deal is reached by then, they’ll have to wait until after the 2020 season to resume talks.

Anthony Harris In “No Rush” To Sign Vikings Tag

April 22nd, 2020 at 8:47am CST by Zachary Links

Anthony Harris is in “no rush” to sign franchise tag, according to a source who spoke with Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). The Vikings and the safety have until July 15th to hammer out an extension, and Harris is gunning for long-term security. Tomasson hears that some talks could take place before the draft gets underway on Thursday night, but it’s unlikely that anything will be hashed out soon.

[RELATED: Percy Harvin Eyes NFL Return]

Harris, 28, was tagged back in March, but many figured that he would be a tag-and-trade candidate. That still remains a possibility, but GM Rick Spielman claims Harris is very much in their plans for 2020.

“I know we have some big changes in the secondary,” Spielman said this week, referencing the departures of Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Mackensie Alexander. “One of the things — not only is Anthony Harris a great football player for us, and great in the community — but by us being able to franchise Anthony, we do have the safeties pretty well set, knowing that we’re going to have a lot of young corners we’re going to have to line up and play with.”

Either way, safety is on the Vikings’ to-do list this weekend, because they need to find support for Harris and Harrison Smith.

According to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, Harris has been a top-five safety in each of the last two seasons, including exceptional coverage grades last year. Between 2018 and 2019, he’s totaled nine interceptions, 17 passes defended, and 106 tackles.

Vikings Pursuing Anthony Harris Extension

March 31st, 2020 at 5:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Linked to being a tag-and-trade candidate early in free agency, Anthony Harris now appears likelier than not to suit up for the Vikings again. The expectation is for the franchise-tagged safety to play in Minnesota in 2020, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The Vikings had dangled Harris in trades for a return as low as a late-round pick, but Tomasson notes they are now discussing an extension for the breakout defender. Harris would welcome a Minnesota re-up but wants to be one of the league’s highest-paid safeties, Tomasson adds.

Minnesota already employs one of the NFL’s highest-paid players at this position, with Harrison Smith still tied to the five-year, $51.25MM deal he signed in 2016. Devoting extensive cap space to two safeties is out of the ordinary, but Tomasson notes the Vikings now view keeping Harris as key for its defense’s success.

While the Vikings have valued continuity, building their defensive core for years through pricey extensions, they have seen many pieces of its defense stripped away this month. They released Xavier Rhodes and Linval Joseph and will not re-sign Everson Griffen. Minnesota also is starting over at corner, having seen Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander defect to Cincinnati. Safeties Jayron Kearse and Andrew Sendejo also left for Detroit and Cleveland, respectively. Keeping Harris may be more important now than it was at free agency’s outset.

Pro Football Focus graded Harris as one of the NFL’s best safeties over the past two years. He will turn 29 this summer, making his next contract critical for his earning potential. The 2020 safety tag is worth $11.4MM, but five safeties now earn north of $14MM per year. It is also possible a new Harris deal would prompt Smith to seek a raise, given his 5-0 Pro Bowl edge on his safety sidekick, but nothing is known on that front yet.

AFC North Notes: Browns, Ravens, Steelers

March 23rd, 2020 at 9:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns have long been mentioned as the primary suitor for Redskins left tackle Trent Williams, and while no trade is on the immediate horizon, Williams does remain an option for Cleveland, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. At the moment, Washington is asking for too much in trade compensation, while Williams is demanding too expensive an extension. If either of those prices drops, the Browns could make a move for a (much-needed) new blindside protector.

Here’s more from the AFC North:

  • While the Browns are still considering Williams, Vikings safety Anthony Harris –= whom Cleveland has reportedly considered in trade — is no longer an option for the Browns, per Cabot. Minnesota apparently wants at least a third-round pick in order to part with Harris, while the 28-year-old defensive back would want a new deal to supersede his franchise tag. Instead of pursuing Harris, the Browns signed free agent safeties Karl Joseph and Andrew Sendejo.
  • Franchise-tagged edge rusher Matthew Judon is not close to reaching a new deal with the Ravens, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Judon will earn $15.828MM in 2020 if he sticks on the franchise tender, but he was reportedly asking for $20MM annually earlier this year, per Zrebiec, who adds that asking price may have since come down. The 28-year-old Judon played 80.8% of Baltimore’s snaps last season and posted a career-high 8.5 sacks.
  • Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward has been eyeing an extension since at least January, and according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the 30-year-old should receive a new deal “soon.” Heyward, is set to earn $9.5MM and count for ~13.25MM on the Steelers’ salary cap in 2020. An extension would give Heyward more immediate cash but likely lower his cap charge for next season.

Browns Exploring Trade For Vikings S Anthony Harris

March 17th, 2020 at 5:58pm CST by Ben Levine

The Browns are exploring a trade for Vikings safety Anthony Harris, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. It would take at least a third-rounder to get a deal done, “and probably a second.”

The 28-year-old was slapped with the franchise tag on Monday, but there were whispers that the Vikings were going to try to tag-and-trade the defensive back. Harris is set to make $11.44MM next season. As Cabot points out, the Browns have the ammo to get a deal done. The team currently owns one second-rounder (#41) and a pair of thirds (#74, #97).

Harris has a natural connection to Cleveland, as he played under Browns pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach Jeff Howard in Minnesota. Browns head coach (and former Vikings offensive coordinator) Kevin Stefanski is also familiar with the long-time Vikings safety.

The former undrafted free agent has evolved into a starter in Minnesota, as he started a career-high 14 games in 2019. He finished the campaign with 60 tackles, 11 passes defended, and six interceptions.

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