NFL Free Agency 2020: Best landing spot for top 20 players
By Phil Watson
The Minnesota Vikings have some salary cap challenges that could preclude them from retaining safety Anthony Harris, who shared the NFL lead with six interceptions last season with Stephon Gilmore of the Patriots and Tre’Davious White of Buffalo.
Harris also had 11 passes defensed, was in on 60 tackles — one for loss — and threw in a quarterback hit.
He missed the Vikings Week 11 win over Denver with a groin injury and sat out the finale against the Bears to rest for the playoffs, then had an interception a pass defensed and three tackles in the Wild Card Playoff win at New Orleans before getting six stops in the loss to the 49ers.
Harris’ 14 starts was a career-high after starting 17 games combined over his first four seasons after signing with Minnesota as an undrafted free agent in 2015 out of Virginia. He became a full-time starter over the final nine games of the 2018 season, logging two interceptions and four passes defensed after the promotion.
Harris was targeted 23 times last season, allowing 15 completions for 151 yards and no touchdowns, with the six picks (including a pick-six) accounting for opposing quarterbacks compiling a dismal 44.2 passer rating. He was nearly as good in 2018, surrendering 10 catches on 17 targets for 110 yards and one score with a passer rating of 58.1.
Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus thinks the Philadelphia Eagles — with their secondary issues detailed earlier — could be a good landing spot for Harris. It’s hard not to improve any secondary with a playmaker in center field.