In the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft, the Los Angeles Rams landed one of the most athletic players in the class. Jacob Harris, at 6-foot-5 and 219 pounds, ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash at his pro day, jumped 40.5 inches in the vertical and had a broad jump of 11 feet, 1 inch.
Unfortunately, he was also a very raw prospect with a skill set that needed a lot of developing. Not to mention, he only played wide receiver for two seasons in college and the Rams tried to convert him to tight end early on before reverting him back to receiver in 2022.
He was a piece of clay ready to be molded into an NFL receiver, but it appears the Rams are finished with this project. Harris was released before the start of last season but was re-signed to the practice squad and eventually added to the active roster later on.
He became an exclusive rights free agent this offseason but surprisingly, the Rams chose not to tender him. It’s not as if tendering him would’ve cost them very much. He’d have been kept on the roster at the league minimum.
They did so with Michael Hoecht, Shaun Jolly and Christian Rozeboom, who will all have cap hits below $1 million in 2023, according to Over The Cap. Why not do the same with Harris and continue trying to develop him into the hybrid receiver-tight end they envisioned him being?
Opting not to tender Harris does not mean his time with the Rams is done. He’s now an unrestricted free agent who can sign with any team, and so far, no one has signed him yet. The Rams can still bring him back, but that seems unlikely after passing up the opportunity to keep him at the league minimum.
For a prospect who once looked promising thanks to his athleticism, it’s disappointing to see Harris’ time with the Rams on the verge of ending. Injuries likely played a factor in that after he missed time in each of his first two years, but perhaps someone else will give him a chance and hope he can stay healthy.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]