Eagles sign standout safety Anthony Harris to one-year deal
The Eagles have made their first major splash of free agency this season, signing former Minnesota Vikings’ safety Anthony Harris to a one-year contract. Following the flurry of signings early on, Harris was the best defensive free agent available and was a stellar safety in Minnesota for six seasons. Anthony will be making $5 million during his one-year deal, using almost all of the Eagles’ current cap space.
Anthony is no stranger to this Eagles’ defense. New defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon worked with Harris while he was an assistant defensive backs coach with the Vikings from 2015-2017. Philly needs Harris’ help in the passing game following Jalen Mills’ departure to the New England Patriots.
During his several years with the Vikings, Harris was one of the NFL’s standout safeties, especially in recent memory. In 2019, PFF had Harris as their second-best safety trailing just Justin Simmons with a 90.5. Alongside that high rating, Harris had an NFL leading six interceptions, a career-high.
Although he dominated in 2019, his 2020 season failed to meet those same expectations. While his interceptions went from six to zero, Harris had over 104 tackles in 2020, nearly double that of the two years prior combined. The Vikings had shopped Anthony for a mid-round pick before letting him walk this offseason.
Adding Harris’ elite coverage over the top provides a much-needed boost to a secondary that showed some serious flaws last season. This signing also allows Rodney McLeod some extra time if needed to recover from his torn ACL. After making this big of a splash in the secondary in free agency, the Eagles will likely turn their eyes towards offense and the front seven during the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.
Mandatory Credit: NFL.com
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