What a Monday it’s been for the Vikings.
After the team agreed to extensions with Kirk Cousins and C.J. Ham, the team also used the franchise tag on Pro Bowl safety Anthony Harris, per Ian Rapoport.
A surprise: the #Vikings have franchise tagged S Anthony Harris, either keeping him in Minnesota or allowing them to trade him. Maybe the top FA safety won’t be free.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 16, 2020
The thought was that Harris would be too expensive for the Vikings to bring back, or that his particular position wasn’t essential to Mike Zimmer’s defense.
While the Vikings could still trade him, the move shows that Rick Spielman and Co. are still in win-now mode. Bringing Harris back certainly helps that. With Harris and Harrison Smith, the Vikings still have two of the best safeties in the league.
It’s Minnesota’s first time using the franchise tag since 2011 when the team did so on linebacker Chad Greenway.
Harris’ tag number is expected to be around $11.441 million, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.
We don’t know what Minnesota’s cap situation looks like right now, but we’ll surely update you when the dust settles.
Harris, 28, graded as the league’s best safety in the NFL last season per Pro Football Focus.