New York Jets: Making the Case for Damon Harrison
The New York Jets have several decisions to make in preparation for 2016, as several key players are set to hit free agency when the new league year begins. One of those players is Damon Harrison. Should the Jets bring him back?
Mike Maccagnan and the New York Jets spent a great deal of money prior to the 2015 season rebuilding a porous secondary. Rebuilding the defense did take money, but the results were there, with a 10-6 record, falling just one game short of a playoff berth.
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But now, it’s decision time. The Jets have several key free agents, including Muhammad Wilkerson, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Chris Ivory. Another big one is Damon Harrison, the man they call “Snacks”. He has rapidly ascended to the position of being one of the best nose tackles in the NFL. His impact is felt all over the defensive side of the football, and will command a big contract. Should he receive it in New York?
The answer is yes, and Harrison may be even more deserving of a big deal than Muhammad Wilkerson.
Most Jets’ fans know Harrison’s story. He entered the league as an undrafted rookie out of William Penn University. After a year on the bench, he became a starter in 2013, hasn’t missed a game since, and elevated himself to elite status, especially in the run game.
“Snacks” has posted 193 tackles over his three years as a starter, including a career-high 72 tackles under Todd Bowles in 2015. According to Pro Football Focus, here are his yearly rankings in run defense among nose tackles since 2013: first, fourth, and second. Since 2013, Harrison has been the top nose tackle in “Run Stop Percentage”, which refers to the amount of times he makes a tackle for a loss in the run game against total run snaps.
These are dominant numbers, but not the entire reason that he deserves a big paycheck from the Jets. He deserves it, more so than Wilkerson, because of what DOESN’T appear on a stat sheet.
At 6’4″, 350 pounds, Harrison takes up 1-2 bodies on the offensive line on every snap. What does that do? It gives the players on the outside the opportunity to make plays. If it wasn’t for Harrison taking up multiple bodies, there would be more linemen to block the other defensive players, making their production diminish. A big guy like Harrison is an influence that just can’t be quantified with stats, nor can it be replaced.
Keeping Harrison would also be a page out of the playbook of their friends to the northeast. You want to beat the Patriots? All kidding aside about cheating, putting together a team the “Patriot Way” wouldn’t hurt.
From 2004-2014, the Patriots only had one season where a defensive player didn’t produce at least seven sacks. From Willie McGinest to Chandler Jones, and everyone in between, the production was there. The pass rushers changed, but the results remained. Who remained the constant in New England?
This guy was the constant, Vince Wilfork. He anchored the middle of the Patriots defensive line from 2004-2014, and his teammates on the outside excelled. It is not coincidence. The bodies he occupied in the middle of the line were a huge part of the equation.
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Vince Wilfork is 6’2″, 325 pounds, making him smaller than Harrison. The numbers don’t like, making Harrison more productive against the run at times than Wilfork.
The Jets will be fine with Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams along the line, but they won’t be if Damon Harrison walks out the door.