Getty Damon Harrison #98 of the New York Giants walks onto the field for warm-ups before taking on the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium on October 22, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Could the Green Bay Packers spend their Week 5 bye acquiring a former All-Pro talent for their defensive line?
According to ESPN’s Josina Anderson, free-agent defensive tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison says he is scheduled to visit with the Packers on Wednesday after spending Tuesday with the Seattle Seahawks. The eight-year NFL veteran tallied 49 tackles, two sacks and three pass deflections in 15 games last year for the Detroit Lions.
Free agent DT Damon Harrison tells me he’s now visiting with the #Seahawks on Tuesday. “Then I have a visit with Green Bay on Wednesday,” Harrison told me.
Harrison confirmed early last month the Packers had previously reached out about acquiring his services at some point, but the 31-year-old free agent also indicated there were reasons why he had not yet signed with a team for the 2020 season, despite several other teams showing some interest.
The Packers could potentially use some reinforcements for their defensive line with star nose tackle Kenny Clark still out of the action with a groin injury. He has not played since the first half of Week 1’s opener, leaving the responsibilities to a thin group of defensive linemen led by Kingsley Keke, Dean Lowry and Tyler Lancaster.
The Packers still have two spaces available on their 53-man active roster after placing inside linebacker Christian Kirksey and wide receiver Allen Lazard on injured reserve over the weekend. Former CFL standout Reggie Begelton was signed to fill one of the spaces ahead of Monday’s game, but he was released Tuesday afternoon.
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Packers Can Afford Him, But . . .
The Packers wouldn’t have to look too hard to find the money to sign Harrison with four games already gone in the 2020 season, but the bigger question is whether he will even make it out of Seattle for Wednesday’s visit in Green Bay.
Harrison’s workout with Seattle was made official on the NFL’s daily tryout/visits list for Tuesday, but no roster moves were immediately announced heading into the evening. It is possible Harrison — who received multiple offseason contract offers — is waiting until after his visit with the Packers to make a decision.
If it came down to a bidding war, the Packers have more cap space to play with than the Seahawks ($7.37 million versus $4.67 million, per Over The Cap). It would also allow Harrison to ensure he lands the best possible deal to play in 2020.
Bakhtiari: Adding Snacks Would Be ‘Very Exciting’
One person who knows how effective Harrison can be as a run-stopping defensive lineman is Packers All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari, who has matched up against him several times over the past few years together in the NFC North.
Harrison also faced off against Bakhtiari twice during his 2016 All-Pro season for the New York Giants, including a meeting in the postseason on Jan. 8, 2017 where Harrison tallied five total tackles but none for a loss.
“I didn’t even know he was coming in for a workout,” Bakhtiari said Tuesday when asked about Harrison during an appearance on Wisconsin’s 1250AM the Fan. “He’s a good player. For being just a run-stopper that can give you a great presence in the middle, especially when you play base personnel, when you got a bunch of bigs out there, he’s a tough man to move. He’s a very smart player, very instinctive, and he’s garnered the accolades. All that has been earned for him. So, yeah, it would be very exciting to see if we do get him. It would definitely help build depth … and definitely a big man in the middle for our team.”
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