With Harrison Smith locked down for the foreseeable future and the Vikings being strapped for cash, does the team have to let Anthony Harris walk?
Obviously, two star safeties are better than one and Minnesota plays two safeties in its defense regularly. But with the other positions that Minnesota needs depth at, such as corner and offensive line, I don’t think you can make Anthony Harris a priority, unless he wants to sign for cheap.
Sportrac.com reported that Harris could command a $13.8 million annual salary in free agency. You also have to consider that there are some teams who would not only pay that, but try to give Harris a five-year deal to lock him in. If you’re Harris, staying on the Vikings will be a move that secures you with a winning team, rather than a move that secures you with a lot of money.
Even if Minnesota cuts Riley Reiff and Xavier Rhodes, the team would then likely need to sign one of its cornerbacks in free agency, or hope that someone in draft could pair with Mike Hughes for the whole season. If the Vikings re-sign Harris, I think they end up relying too much on rookies in the draft, or free agency bargain buys, due to Harris’ potentially high asking price.
There’s also the franchise tag, but the Vikings are a team that almost never does that, and it doesn’t really solve the salary cap dilemma. I don’t think that will happen.
If the Vikings can sign him for less, they should do it. But you have to consider that as good as Harris was last year, Minnesota has another safety who can play. Smith is coming off a year where he had three interceptions and 11 pass deflections. Also a bonus, he’s signed until 2021.
It might be easier to hide a safety with Harrison Smith back deep to help cover than it would to pair a corner with Mike Hughes and expect the pass defense to pick up right where it left off. I think the Vikings should try and sign Mackensie Alexander, draft an offensive lineman or edge rusher in the first round, depending on who’s available, and roll with the defense from there. Maybe draft a safety in the second round and have them adapt to a role where they’re surrounded by players who have been there before, due to the money saved in not signing Harris.