When the Jacksonville Jaguars take the field Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, they will be facing an old teammate in starting safety Ronnie Harrison. As many can recall, the Jags traded him in early September in exchange for a 2021 fifth-round pick.
Needless to say, the upcoming battle between the Jags and Harrison is one the former third-round pick is excited to watch unfold. This week, he told the media that being traded was a heartbreaking moment for him, however, the deal is one that worked out well as he’s playing great football at the moment.
#Browns Ronnie Harrison admits “I was heartbroken at the moment” when the #Jaguars traded him but now “I can’t imagine a better fit for me”
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) November 27, 2020
While there are likely several departures general manager Dave Caldwell wishes he could take back, the play at safety has been respectable since Harrison was traded. Rookie Daniel Thomas, who is now on injured reserve, had been making plays for the team before his injury.
Thomas has frequently been around the ball and caught the eyes of the staff enough to start in a pair of games and accumulate 18 tackles, two pass breakups, and a pick. He also blocked a punt against the Los Angeles Chargers, proving he can help the Jags through many phases.
As for Harrison, he found his way to Cleveland after the team had a search to replace rookie Grant Delpit, who suffered a torn Achilles this summer. That presented the perfect opportunity for the Jags to trade him away as it just wasn’t clicking in Duval for him. Now, he’s found his footing in Cleveland and has a 74.6 Pro Football Focus grade, which is good for 15th at the position. He’s also been healthier than he was during his time in Jacksonville.
When stepping back and evaluating Harrison’s trade, it’s a rare case where both sides came out fine. He’s now playing the best football of his professional career with a team that is playoff bound while the Jags got to give one of their rookies a chance that he’s flourished with so far.