Getty The Vikings cornerbacks struggled in 2019.
The Minnesota Vikings have reached the 11th hour in their contract negotiations with Anthony Harris. Harris, considered the best free safety in the league, signed a franchise tender in May that could cost the Vikings more than they’d like this season.
And time is ticking. The deadline for players who have received a franchise tag to sign a long-term deal is Wednesday at 3 p.m. CT. If a deal is not met, Harris will carry an $11.4 million cap hit this season, which is the seventh-highest safety salary in the league — ahead of Harrison Smith’s $10.75 million deal.
Restructuring Harris’ 2020 salary is a potential avenue the Vikings could take to create more cap space and sign Dalvin Cook this offseason, which remains a top priority. Some dominos will have to start falling soon if the Vikings are to reach a deal with Cook, and settling with Harris is an opportune start.
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Harris a Must-Have For 2020 After Mass Exodus at Cornerback
GettyHarris is one half of the NFL‘s best safety duo, which will be needed with inexperience at cornerback.
Even when Harris, 28, was offered the franchise tag back in March, his outlook for the 2020 season was still uncertain. There were rumors the Vikings were going to trade him for a 2020 draft pick as the Vikings parted ways with five defensive starters this offseason — including all three starting cornerbacks.
After the Viking signed two rookie cornerbacks with their first three picks, it became abundantly clear that the Vikings have every intention to keep Harris in 2020 as one half of the NFL’s best starting safety corps. Harris will be especially needed to keep a lid on the defense early in the season while the Vikings cornerbacks get up to speed.
Although general manager Rick Spielman called this season a “soft rebuild” the expectation is still to make the playoffs. Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer are both in contract years, which made it even more imperative to have assurance in the secondary and keeping Harris around.
Will the Vikings Want to Keep Harris Beyond 2020?
While having the top safety duo in the league is a nice feather in the Vikings’ cap, its utility is arguably detrimental. The Vikings, under Harris’ franchise tag, spend the third-highest amount at the safety position that has yet to have any secure depth to either Smith or Harris.
According to Will Ragatz of Inside The Vikings, Coach Mike Zimmer said this offseason “if you put up the positions most important on defense it’s probably not going to be safety,” signaling the team might be prepared to let Harris walk before he signed his franchise tag. Smith is set to reach free agency in 2022 at age 33 as the Vikings will have reached a crossroads with their longtime franchise safety.
Harris in his prime will demand more money than Smith if he reaches free agency in 2021, but there is a possibility of keeping the duo around for a few more years before the Vikings begin signing their current young cornerback corps to second contracts.
The immediate need right now is to clear enough cap space to sign Cook and there are few contracts more up for reconstruction than Harris.
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