This past week, David Harris got his unexpected release from the New York Jets after 10 years. His release was the latest move in the Jets salary purge of veteran players. So where does the 33-year-old veteran linebacker land for the 2017 season? The New York Giants would be an ideal fit.
At this stage of his career, David Harris is likely trying to win a championship. With a top-ranked defense in the league, going to the Giants would give him that opportunity. The Giants are coming off an 11-5 season and are looking to build on a solid 2016 year.
Most of the Giants top-ranked defense has been retained. But even with most of the defense back, the linebacker position is one the Giants have struggled with.
With Jon Beason retiring and J.T. Thomas injured, Keenan Robinson stepped up and Kelvin Sheppard played decently. But they don’t have the kind of impact that Harris would bring.
Even at 33, Harris can still tackle with the best of them. He recorded 94 total tackles this past season for the Jets. The year before, Harris had 108 tackles with 4.5 sacks. Sure, he might be older. but Harris can clearly still play.
Staying on the field also isn’t an issue for Harris either, considering he’s missed all of six games in his 10 years. Since 2009, David Harris has missed one game, which was last season. Injuries wouldn’t be a concern for the Giants with regards to Harris.
Now granted, Harris probably isn’t looking to take a drastic pay cut; his release was likely due to that. But at this point, you want a team to play for. Harris is a consummate professional and loves to play the game. David Harris was looking forward to being the “last man standing” with the Jets. He was the lone leftover of the Eric Mangini and Rex Ryan teams. But now, Harris is a free agent looking for work.
So with a month to go until training camp and a week until mini-camp, David Harris needs work. Going to the Giants wouldn’t force him to pick up and have to move elsewhere. He can keep his home and family where they are; just like Brandon Marshall did.
But more importantly, David Harris as a football player makes sense because he’s a leader the Giants need on the field. Even if it’s on the short-term, the Giants are in a win-now stage. Putting Harris as the quarterback of a defense that possesses a good pass rush and a solid secondary is a recipe for success.
The Giants, for the most part, are already set up for the 2017 season on defense. But adding someone like David Harris into the equation can only help things. He could be the missing piece the defense needs that puts them over the top.
Adding David Harris to an already stacked defense would be a smart move for the Giants to make.