Why Erik Harris is so important to the Oakland Raiders
By Brad Weiss
He may not be the best safety on the Oakland Raiders roster, but Erik Harris has proven himself to be a valuable piece of the franchise.
The Oakland Raiders took a chance on Erik Harris is September of 2017, and since bringing him into the franchise, he has rewarded them big time. A guy who seemingly gets better every single practice, Harris has become a team leader, and will be expected to play a big role in what this franchise does over the next two seasons at least.
Playing his college ball at Division II California University of Pennsylvania, Harris was an all-conference player, but went undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft. After a stint in the CFL, Harris was added to the New Orleans Saints organization on a reserve/futures contract, but a torn ACL ended his time in the Bayou.
After being released on September 2, 2017, Harris would end up being singed by the Raiders only three days later, and ended up appearing in 15 games for the team, mostly on special teams. In 2018, he found himself in the rotation at the safety position, starting four games, while appearing in all 16 contests for the Silver and Black.
For Harris, last season was a significant jump in his role with the team, and when he was in the starting lineup, he played very well. It is not often you see a player overcome so much to become such an important part of a franchise, but that is exactly what Harris has done.
This offseason, the Raiders made a commitment to Harris, signing him to a two-year extension back in March. Now a significant part of the defense, Harris will be expected to continue to develop as a player, all the while serving as an inspiration, and example for the younger players on this roster.
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The drafting of Johnathan Abram likely means Harris will not be a starter for the Raiders in 2019, but that does not mean that he will not play an important role for the team. He has earned everything he has gotten at the NFL level, and you can be certain he will make at least a few plays this upcoming season that lead to a Raiders victory.