Getty Damon Harrison
The England Patriots have some cap space (about $7.7 million to be exact), and rumors are swirling about Bill Belichick and Co. using the available funds to shore up the defense. There are a number of possibilities, but don’t be surprised if talks concerning free-agent nose tackle Damon Harrison begin to surface in the next few days.
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Harrison Visits Foxborough
Harrison tweeted something that seemingly gave his location away but quickly deleted the post. However, as is always the case, a Twitter user captured a screenshot before it could be taken down.
For those who don’t know, Union Straw is a well-known restaurant in Foxborough, and if you’re wondering about the food, one look at the images on their Instagram account should tell you all you need to know.
It doesn’t take much to understand why Harrison-to-the-Patriots rumors could spring from this tweet.
Why Harrison to the Patriots Makes Sense
Schematically, Harrison aka Snacks is the kind of nose tackle that has anchored the Patriots’ defensive lines for years. Most recently, the now-departed Danny Shelton held this post. At its best, the position was held down by Vince Wilfork, who was one of the best defensive linemen in the team’s history.
No one is saying Harrison is on that level, but he has been a centerpiece for defensive lines that function similarly to the Patriots. In fact, Harrison has played for former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who is now the Detroit Lions’ head coach.
When you consider Harrison is still a free agent, the Patriots recently freed up a good amount of money that could be used on someone like him, and the DT strongly implies he was in Foxborough, there’s more than enough smoke there to discuss a potential fire.
Obviously, the tweet was sent almost a week ago, but it’s possible the two sides could at the very least, have had discussions. At this point, the Patriots are looking to Beau Allen to fill the void left by Shelton, but adding some depth wouldn’t be the worst thing.