Los Angeles Chargers sign or pass: Chris Harris Jr.
By Faustino Felix
Why the Chargers should pass on Chris Harris Jr.
Harris’ fit with the Chargers is questionable. He may be very versatile, but the Chargers have a need at outside cornerback, not slot cornerback where they already have Desmond King. Yes, King had a down year, but that doesn’t mean there is a need there yet.
Signing Harris to play outside may not be the best idea when he is coming off the worst season of his career. The decline in play may also be attributed to other things, like the Broncos’ lack of pass rush and the quality and depth (or lack thereof) in Denver’s secondary because of injuries.
Still, it wouldn’t be smart to spend money on an aging veteran who may already have started to decline.
There’s also another factor, which is that he may not even want to play outside. While Harris has said before that he prefers playing outside rather than in the slot, in his most recent comments regarding the subject, Harris has said he wants a return to normalcy and may ask of the team that signs him that they play him in the slot.
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That alone would most likely deter Harris from signing with the Chargers unless they spice things up with more money.
Talking about money, Sportrac has estimated a market value of $11 million per year for Harris. They estimate a contract of 3 years worth around $33.2 million for Harris. Taking into account that the Chargers may need to throw in some extra money to persuade Harris to play outside, the deal would prove to be an expensive move.
Even at market value, the price may be too high for a player who is going to be 33 when that deal expires, is already declining, and is not even a fit with the defense or personnel. While Harris is definitely a big upgrade at the outside cornerback position opposite Hayward, signing him wouldn’t be an efficient or effective way of addressing the need.
So, should the Los Angeles Chargers sign or pass on Chris Harris Jr.?
Next. Sign or pass: Ndamukong Suh