Teams have began releasing players to save some salary cap. On Thursday night, the Lions released defensive tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison.
Now a free agent, Harrison is bound to draw interest from teams across the league. Could one of them be the Los Angeles Chargers?
When you look at the depth chart, you see the young interior defenders in Justin Jones and Jerry Tillery, but both players play the three-technique. At the nose tackle position is only Brandon Mebane, as both Damion Square and Sylvester Williams are set to hit the free agency market.
Mebane, 35, was re-signed to a two-year deal last offseason, despite the fact that he was contemplating retirement. This past season, he only amassed 27 tackles, marking the lowest in his career since the 2016 season. Mebane missed three games due to an injury.
With only one more year remaining on his contract, the Bolts could elect to move on from him to clear up some of their own cap space before he enters his 14th professional campaign.
Should the Chargers move on from Mebane or simply look to add more beef and talent in the trenches, Harrison is a viable option that the team could pursue.
Harrison started 15 games for the Lions in 2019, finishing with 49 tackles, two sacks and three passes defensed. He had 99 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in 25 games with Detroit.
Prior to joining the Lions, Harrison played with the Jets and Giants. His best season came in 2016, finishing with 86 tackles, six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. For his efforts, he earned First-Team All-Pro honors.
Durability is key when acquiring players and fortunately, Harrison has been one of the most healthy individuals for years. 2019 marked the first time he missed a game since his rookie season back in 2012.
Even though he was scheduled to make $8.5 million this upcoming season, it’s likely that Harrison could take a pay cut to join a team that’s likely to contend for a playoff spot, which the Chargers are.
At the age of 31, Harrison offers the player that Los Angeles needs in the middle of the defensive line to make plays as a pass-rusher and against the run, along with the same type of locker room presence that Mebane offered the past few seasons.