Pats sign former Jet LB David Harris

[Ring 6]

Really like this signing.
Harris is good but is also versatile, which is important.
I expect him to be about a 60-70% of the snaps player.

 

[goheels22002]

There's a good reason why the Jets were trying to get him into a low-cost contract. Harris' stats are on a clear decline on a bad team. We'll see. I like the idea of a vet coming in to push the younger guys, but I'd like to see the contract and some live action.

If I'm David Harris, I am thrilled to get an opportunity to experience success surrounded by a defense that is as good as the Patriots'. He can truly focus on doing his job well. I hope this works out for everybody.

I must say, a linebacker trio of Harris - Hightower - Ninkovich is like having three defensive coaches on the field . With the safeties and Gilmore and Butler locking down outside the numbers, teams are going to struggle to get any YAC whatsoever.

I wish the Pats had a receiver that could take the top off the defense - oh, wait, what? they got one of those, too?

Holy crap!

 

[woolster22]

 

[patsinthesnow]

PFF has him as not falling off at all last year and as a top 25 LBer in coverage. They think he isn't good in run defense. Isn't he the opposite?

Skeptical but hope they are right.

 

[Nunchucks]

This is an excellent signing, filling a clear position of need on the team. Smart veteran MLB. I love this signing. Sure, he may retire in training camp, but still love it

 

[Galeb]

Would love to see him get a solid couple of years in NE... as well a couple of rings.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Do you guys really see him as a backup? I think he can start alongside HT and Ninko.

 

[mgteich]

He still is a tackling machine. Led the Jets in tackles last year I believe. He was one of my favorite Jets (if you can actually have a favorite). This is a great signing, I can see him being a great mentor for Elandon Roberts.

More likely, he is the replacement for Roberts.

 

[jah]

PFF has him as not falling off at all last year and as a top 25 LBer in coverage. They think he isn't good in run defense. Isn't he the opposite?

Skeptical but hope they are right.

PFF is pretty terrible. I think, as you said, we know he's more of a run defender.

 

[jah]

More likely, he is the replacement for Roberts.

They're competing for the same jersey number but that's about all I see as far as similarities go.

 

[BobDigital]

PFF has him as not falling off at all last year and as a top 25 LBer in coverage. They think he isn't good in run defense. Isn't he the opposite?

Skeptical but hope they are right.

Yes he is. Kinda. From what I know of him (admittedly not much) he is more of a side tackler than thumper who stops forward momentum coming at him. He is good in certain coverage tackles when the play happens within a few steps of him and he gets to them before the guy gets momentum or his speed up. Also he is good around the line when the initial block is there and a guy needs to go sideways or doesn't have all his force going forward. However in the open field with space between him and the RB/WR in the flat he isn't a guy I want covering. His speed/quickness is mostly gone and if forced to make a more athletic tackle he will be in trouble i think. Also the same if left alone in the middle with a big hole and a heavy/power or quick RB with him 1v1 I think the power back falls forward for an extra yard or 2 (2-3 yards vs 4-5 yards is a big difference) and a quick back breaks his ankles if he can't get an angle on him.

So really it is how he is used. Luckily the Pats have beef up front so won't get blown open down the gut much and I don't think he will be asked to cover a wide area in the flat much either. If used right he can still be pretty effective i think.

At his best he is a guy reading the play and after a short catch as soon as you turn he is in your face knocking you down for a loss or short gain and at the line he is best stopping you trying to squeeze through a hole or trying to turn up field on the edge. He does those things a lot and very very successfully over his career.

But really this is going off a pretty vague impression of him. Take it with a grain of salt.

 

[The Gr8est]

YEAH!!! I love it! Not only does he help patch one of the few needs on the team (backup LB), his signing brings pain and tears to the Jete fans I'll absolutely take a solid experienced LB who can tackle. He can probably even fill in for Hightower relatively well in the same sort of role if (when) Hightower gets hurt for a few games.

Speaking of Rats' pain and tears, I was thinking just this morning that it would be fun to go to a rodents' site and read their Superbowl game thread.

Now I have two reasons to go.

 

[Schmo]

On par with the Seau signing. Well established, smart, leader who can still bring the hit.

I was just going to compare him to these 2 guys. Fills almost the exact same role as Mayo.

As far as older linebackers go, Harris' durability gives us reason to believe he WON'T be declining sharply at 33. I'm not exactly going to compare the two, as seau was just a freak of nature, but he only missed a handful of games until he was 35yo, and he played an incredibly important role for us for a couple seasons in his late thirties (one of the biggest reasons why the 2007 SB loss stung so bad.) While he wasn't the same as a young seau, he really helped this team. Harris' durability has been even better than seau's.

This is a big move. We will now have three lbs capable of wearing the green dot, and I see HT blitzing more.

 

[luuked]

Do you guys really see him as a backup? I think he can start alongside HT and Ninko.

We will know after training camp, kinda pointless to speculate before that. Especially after last year's Terrance Knighton debacle.

Anyway.. I love the signing. It will not break the bank if it fails and realistically should solidify our LB situation. Hope he still has something left in him and will be on the 53 after camp.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

Not bad if he still has any speed, otherwise won't make it out of camp...kind of feels like John Lynch, Joey Galloway, Haynesworth, Reggie Wayne, etc....we shall see...

I Remember when they signed Chad Brown when he was on his last legs. Brown gave the Pats a halfway decent season in 05 I think....Perhaps Harris can mirror Brown's return....

Maybe too much to ask for, but if he could mirror the productivity of Junior Seau, that would be amazing. When They signed Seau, many people thought he had nothing left who was brought in as a "kick the tires" curiosity. However, he ended up playing 4 seasons in NE with 2 of them being highly productive.

 

[Schmo]

Do you guys really see him as a backup? I think he can start alongside HT and Ninko.

I honestly see him letting HT rush the edge more (and win us more SBs).

He's been one of my favorites over the years, but I think this could really end up cutting down Ninko's snaps.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I think the fact that he signed a 2 year deal instead of a 1 year deal is quite telling.

The proportion of guaranteed money, if any, will be more telling.

 

[BobDigital]

Also this is what I could find for highlights. Very little here. Those "passionate" Jets fans don't like one of their cornerstone players of a decade enough to make a best of 5 minute highlight video on youtube? Really? Freaking Jets...

David Harris Highlights as a Jet
Harris Highlights: 'The Tackling Machine'

Also some nice leadership of course.

Inside Access: Pregame Speech from David Harris

 

[DSting]

Speaking of Rats' pain and tears, I was thinking just this morning that it would be fun to go to a rodents' site and read their Superbowl game thread.

Now I have two reasons to go.

Anybody have a link to the rats superbowl thread? Great reading, slow day at work.

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

I'll be interested to see what Lombardi says about it.

He talked about Harris on one of the recent podcasts (sorry I can't remember which one) and mentioned that Harris certainly wasn't the player he used to be - lacks the same speed - but that he was still worth having for the Jete at a lower salary.

Ultimately, I hope he makes the team because it means that there's very likely something good left in the tank. If he's marginal, I think they prefer to go with the more developmental younger player, whomever that may be.