Jets re-sign David Harris (3 years, $21.5M, $15M guaranteed) [MERGED]

[jetscrazey]

It's a lot of money by 2012-13 standards....by 2015 and beyond standards, not so much.

The cap is increasing a lot fellas, therefore baseline salaries for competent players are gonna increase too

[Obrien2Toon]

Harris would've been an all time great, if he played in the 80's

[nj meadowlands]

So double that is just as good?

 

Nick Folk is a good Jet also but I wouldn't pay him $7M/year because you just don't.

 

I guess I just don't believe this is as apocalyptic as you do, is all.

[56mehl56]

People gotta stop crying about the money.  NO ONE knows what the market is going to look like with actual FA starts.  Cap figures have gone up $10 million in each of the last 2 yrs and teams have been dumping salary to create even more room to spend.  Saying this was an overpay at this stage is just guess work.  If players of similar age/skill get signed for alot less Maccags will look dumb.  For now, I'm ok giving him the benefit of the doubt that Harris's value in calling the defense and in run support was worth the money to tie him up vs. letting him test the market

For me its not necessarily the money. I feel we need to get faster(much faster) at the LB spot and this just prolongs that. Also it makes me question how Bowles feels about the leadership of Davis as I believe this was a move to keep Harris as the defensive QB/signal caller.

[UnitedWhofans]

And here come the bipolar Jets fans not thinking rationally.

 

Harris and Davis are the ILBs. What we need is an OLB that can cover and rush the passer.

 

Now they have taken care of 2 major issues in one day.

[Matt39]

Can't blame Woody. If you train a guy to throw cash at names when the natives get restless, what do you think he's gonna do when they start putting up billboards. Giving people what they want is better business than telling them what to want.

Tell me it all goes away with finding a QB

[UnitedWhofans]

Great morning (Marshall) lousy afternoon (Harris).

Any member of the 2010 New York Jets defense who sh-t the bed that badly in Pittsburgh deserves no money. Should have let him go to Buffalo with bells on, get someone half the age at half the price.

SAR I

Who?

[JetBlue]

And here come the bipolar Jets fans not thinking rationally.

 

Harris and Davis are the ILBs. What we need is an OLB that can cover and rush the passer.

 

Now they have taken care of 2 major issues in one day.

This.  

[Tinstar]

Sucking against the pass?

Maybe this HC and Defensive coordinator won't have him do that .  Maybe this coaching staff will have him play to his strengths and not his weaknesses.

[Integrity28]

I feel "meh" about this. 

[SenorGato]

Praise Jah for baseball, I guess. This is not a promising start for the new guys.

[UnitedWhofans]

It's a fair contract to me because:

A: the Jets have a crapload of money still to spend.

B: They're going to get BACK 10 million on the cap when they release Harvin

C: It's 3 years. That's not bad.

D: I bet you they still draft an ILB late. For depth

[Sperm Edwards]

I guess I just don't believe this is as apocalyptic as you do, is all.

 

It's two-fold bad:

 

1. Overpaid for him by a massive amount.

2. Guarantees nobody else will be starting at the position until at least 2017 or 2018, and certainly nobody else will be drafted to do so.

 

It is not just the money. It's what the money means.

 

Same reason guaranteeing a certain Jets QB $20M in March of 2012 was so catastrophic. It wasn't just the money for the sake of worrying about the money. It that so much money meant we weren't going to make any effort to improve at the position by drafting a QB in a comparatively QB-rich draft. 

[HOZ THE JET]

You guys think Harris contract is insane Yall haven't seen nothing yet just wait until Tuesday

[UnitedWhofans]

It's two-fold bad:

 

1. Overpaid for him by a massive amount.

2. Guarantees nobody else will be starting at the position until at least 2017 or 2018, and certainly nobody else will be drafted to do so.

 

It is not just the money. It's what the money means.

 

Same reason guaranteeing a certain Jets QB $20M in March of 2012 was so catastrophic. It wasn't just the money for the sake of worrying about the money. It that so much money meant we weren't going to make any effort to improve at the position by drafting a QB in a comparatively QB-rich draft. 

Wrong. I bet you they draft an ILB this year. You watch.

[UnitedWhofans]

Wait for the Suh contract. That's going to be nuts.

[Warfish]

I like Harris.

 

Glad he'll be back.

 

Price seems high.

[UnitedWhofans]

David Harris has been a good soldier here for many years and this is the treatment he gets from the fanbase. Another reason why Jets fans are the most hated in football.

 

People seem to forget why DeMario Davis was drafted. HE's the coverage ILB, or the FILB (Free ILB). Harris is like the SILB (Strong ILB).

[JohnnyLV]

I think the moves today help us in FA and may save us money overall. To a veteran getting Marshall shows we are committed to improving on offense and signing Harris a home grown talent to a slightly above market THIRD contract show's we are loyal. Makes us much more attractive to the FA we want to sign.

[Jet9]

We cut a $10 mil player and added 2 $7.5 players. You guys are so freaking typical Jets fans. Cannot wait until Tuesday when this is an average deal.

[Seth]

Just a quick question for those who dislike this deal and wanted Harris gone; who exactly did you plan on replacing him with? Granted, we may have overpaid him by a few million, but we have the cap-space and it is only a two year deal in reality. Would you have prefered he sign with Bills and we are left with a gaping hole in our linebackers?

[Seth]

We cut a $10 mil player and added 2 $7.5 players. You guys are so freaking typical Jets fans. Cannot wait until Tuesday when this is an average deal.

People tend to ignore the inflation of contracts that is going to occur due to a higher cap-cealing.

[Snell41]

Is the problem the player that can't cover well 1x1 or the coach that could never scheme a defense that didn't call for guys like Harris covering 1x1? 

 

David Harris is a very good ILB.  David Harris, like most ILB's, should not be asked to cover receivers 1x1 on a regular basis.  Not claiming they're on the same level, but I don't recall praising Mike Singletary for his way awesome coverage skills.  It's time to start realizing that Rex 's "genius" of playing everyone man to man all the time even when it meant guys like Eric Smith and David Harris are left covering 1x1 repeatedly may not have been so genius at all. 

 

Bowles may not have the defensive family pedigree to go writing books about his own greatness and self proclaiming himself as the greatest, but he is one hell of a defensive minded guy who understands the big picture.  He's a hell of alot more well rounded.  2 things I can almost assuredly guarantee is David Harris won't be asked to be running around like a fool covering TE's and RB's in 1x1 covg, and overall this defense will create far more turnovers than at any point under Rex's tenure. 

[UnitedWhofans]

We cut a $10 mil player and added 2 $7.5 players. You guys are so freaking typical Jets fans. Cannot wait until Tuesday when this is an average deal.

Yep. Typical Jets fans: Paranoid, Bipolar, Self-Centered, and Illogical

[smaxor5]

I'm laughing my ass off at everyone freaking out.  You guys act like this prevents us from losing player X.  Newsflash:  There are 32 goddamn teams in the NFL...HALF of them have 24 million or more in cap space...everyone is going to get overpaid in free agency and we weren't going to get that "super team" filled with all of the top free agents.

 

He is the quarterback of the defense and more importantly, he signals to the lockeroom that if you work hard here you will be rewarded for it.  Good signing.

[UnitedWhofans]

Damien Woody ‏@damienwoody  52m52 minutes ago

Re: D. Harris….. #Jets have to spend money….so why not spend on a guy in your own building

[Miss Lonelyhearts]

Just a quick question for those who dislike this deal and wanted Harris gone; who exactly did you plan on replacing him with? Granted, we may have overpaid him by a few million, but we have the cap-space and it is only a two year deal in reality. Would you have prefered he sign with Bills and we are left with a gaping hole in our linebackers?

Yes.

[nj meadowlands]

It's two-fold bad:

 

1. Overpaid for him by a massive amount.

2. Guarantees nobody else will be starting at the position until at least 2017 or 2018, and certainly nobody else will be drafted to do so.

 

It is not just the money. It's what the money means.

 

Same reason guaranteeing a certain Jets QB $20M in March of 2012 was so catastrophic. It wasn't just the money for the sake of worrying about the money. It that so much money meant we weren't going to make any effort to improve at the position by drafting a QB in a comparatively QB-rich draft. 

 

Comparing this to the Sanchez extension confirms to me that you're being a LIIIIITTLE dramatic.  The Jets play a 3-4 and require 2 STARTING ILBs at all times.  There is absolutely nothing that will preclude them from drafting another one this year, or next year.  Or even signing another in FA. 

 

Harris will most likely be cut after 2 seasons.  There will be no clogging of any pipeline.

[UnitedWhofans]

Yes.

[Seth]

Yes.

So who is the replacement then? I am listening....

[rillo]

While we do need to get younger and faster, I like this move. Keep your own and he still produces

[Miss Lonelyhearts]

So who is the replacement then? I am listening....

I'm fine with UDFA being the fallback to some +ev move or other presenting itself between now and then.

[Seth]

I'm fine with UDFA being the fallback to some +ev move or other presenting itself between now and then.

Congratulations, the UFA for ILB is poor and are all worse than Harris. You just let a superior player sign with a divison rival and have downgraded our defense, while simultaenously losing a defensive leader who calls plays.

[Snell41]

^{David Harris probably didn't go signing up in BUF with Rex because he realizes the insane stupidity of asking a MLB of his size and stature to cover TE's RB's and WR's 1x1 all the time.  A MLB's job shouldn't be to cover guys 1x1, it's to play zone and punish the **** out of any receiver that comes into his zone, not go trailing the guy for 20 yards across the field.} 

[Sperm Edwards]

Wrong. I bet you they draft an ILB this year. You watch.

 

For depth, perhaps. But it will be no one of consequence.

 

Comparing this to the Sanchez extension confirms to me that you're being a LIIIIITTLE dramatic.  The Jets play a 3-4 and require 2 STARTING ILBs at all times.  There is absolutely nothing that will preclude them from drafting another one this year, or next year.  Or even signing another in FA. 

 

Harris will most likely be cut after 2 seasons.  There will be no clogging of any pipeline.

 

That's right, they do start 2 ILBers. But Harris being one of them means they will be far less flexible. He is incapable of covering the ground requisite of a MLB. He is a known liability in coverage (I don't expect LBers to cover like DBs but Harris is overboard awful). His tackling prowess is also overrated, as he gets juked out of his lead feet. He's merely a solid tackler, not any sort of great one.  Bowles wanted speed on defense and we just locked ourselves into one of the slowest ILBers in the game for 2 more years (during which he'll get progressively slower still).

 

If the Jets take an ILB in the top 3 rounds after locking up Harris with $15M guaranteed, and probably locking up Davis shortly thereafter, that is not a suggestion that they're taking care of business. That is chicken with its head cut off behavior. We don't need 3 starting ILBers. We need 2 and sometimes 1. Except when we go 1, Harris is one of the last players you'd want. 

 

And now he's ours for 2 more seasons and he'll be force-fed onto the field no matter what. Come back to me if he's a role player next year and tell me how wrong I am. And even if he is, it's still mindless because now we're 1 extra veteran starter short as we pay a backup starter money.

 

This is a zero-upside, huge downside signing. If it was only $4M per, I still wouldn't love it, but at least it says to me they're not marrying themselves to him for the next 2-3 seasons and realize he's not all that.

 

It's the same as the Sanchez contract because it means this player will be on the field come hell or high water. Only a season-ending injury can derail that (in which case it was also a bad signing for another, but then-unforseen, reason).