Why the Raiders should pass on signing David Harris

Why the Oakland Raiders should pass on signing former New York Jets linebacker David Harris, despite their need at the position.

Tuesday evening, the New York Jets announced that they had released veteran linebacker David Harris following 10 seasons with the team. The Oakland Raiders have a need at the position, so naturally, there is a question of whether or not Reggie McKenzie should bring him on board.

Over the past 10 seasons, Harris has recorded 708 tackles, 35 sacks and 6 interceptions — a rather impressive career. But that in no way means the Raiders should pull the trigger on this one, despite their need at the position.

If Harris were to sign on with a team, he’ll be entering his 11th season in the NFL at the age of 33. The last thing the Raiders need on the defensive side of the ball is a slow linebacker who has been steadily declining the past few years.

Edward Gorelik gathered some analytics on Harris, and the outlook isn’t good:

Compared to his prior seasons, it’s clear that Harris has taken a step back. He was a much more effective player a few years ago, but it doesn’t seem like he has much left to offer. In 2016, his efficiency percentage was -2.92, which isn’t very good.

So pair that with him being on the tail-end of his career, and it’s simply not logical for the Raiders to kick his tires. Even if it was just for one season, he might not even be an upgrade over the players currently on the roster.

During OTA’s, Cory James and Tyrell Adams have been competing for the starting inside linebacker position. Although neither player is an ideal starter, they are both much younger and cheaper options than Harris. Factor in Marquel Lee and a fully healthy Neiron Ball, and that leaves no room for Harris. The better route would be to go with one of the young players and see what they bring to the table.

If the Raiders do want to find a stop-gap option, then Perry Riley Jr. should be that player. He’s younger and already has familiarity with the defense. So considering he was already in the locker room last season and that he proved himself on the field, it’d be stunning if Harris was signed over Riley.

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Either way, Harris is not a player the Raiders should consider signing. With the young players already on the roster and Perry Riley still out there, it makes more sense to invest and stick with the current linebacker group over an aging vet like David Harris.