An Intriguing But Unlikely Possibility
When the news broke that the Steelers and James Harrison had amicably parted ways, coupled with the Ravens inability to pressure Colts QB Jacoby Brissett, the thought of a Ravens/Harrison reunion intrigued many.
Today when asked about the possibility John Harbaugh quipped, “You’ll have to ask Ozzie.”
You may recall that Harrison was signed by the Ravens in late 2003, later reassigned to the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe and eventually was cut. The Ravens seriously considered signing Harrison as a free agent back in 2013, prior to “Fax-Gate” which eventually paved the way to the Ravens signing of Elvis Dumervil. The move put an end to any Harrison reunification in Baltimore.
But does it make sense now?
A poll on my Twitter account suggests that 65% of fans think Harrison is worth a look. Most believe that Harrison would be very motivated to play and perform well against the Steelers, should the Ravens play them one more time this season. And for the record on a similar Facebook poll, 76% agree that signing Harrison would be a good move.
The #Ravens pass rush struggled against the #Colts 32nd ranked O-line per Football Outsiders. Should they kick the tires on James Harrison in an attempt to boost the pass rush?
— Tony Lombardi (@RSRLombardi) December 24, 2017
Given the right situation, the move could make sense. Harrison’s salary was just $1.2M and inking a similar deal with the Ravens would be prorated 1/17 of that amount ($70,588.24) and any playoff earnings are determined later by the league and do not count against a team’s cap. Currently the Ravens are $3.2M under the cap.
Practically speaking, you have to wonder if the addition of Harrison changes anything along the Ravens defensive front. Schematically their blitz packages are unimaginative and not very deceptive. Would the addition of the Steelers all-time sack leader somehow spark the soon-to-be-retired Dean Pees’ creative juices?
Probably not.
Some consideration has to be given why Harrison has been so limited (29 snaps in 5 games) in 2017. Has the 39-year-old, 15-year vet finally hit the wall?
And lastly, if the motivation is driven purely by the revenge factor, Harrison playing against his former mates in a meaningful game is a bit of a longshot at this point.
Unless of course the Ravens are visiting Heinz Field in the AFC Championship.
