The Philadelphia Eagles are re-signing veteran safety Anthony Harris to a one-year contract, according to an official team announcement. The deal is reportedly worth $2.5 million.
Harris originally joined the Eagles in free agency last year (just one day short of exactly 365 days ago). There was some intrigue upon his arrival as a buy-low candidate. Harris had strong seasons with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018 and 2019 before struggling in 2020.
Harris failed to really stand out —good or bad — in 2021. In terms of impact plays, he had one interception, three passes defensed, two tackles for loss, and one quarterback hits.
Harris did rebound in terms of Pro Football Reference’s passer rating when targeted metric, which improved from 118.1 in 2020 to 68.7 last year. His missed tackle rate also dropped from 8.8% to 2.7%.
For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus graded Harris 56th out of 98 safeties in 2021. That’s below where fellow Eagles starting safety Rodney McLeod, who is still a free agent, finished at 45th. McLeod, by the way, told Bleeding Green Nation he has interest in remaining in Philly but it’s unclear if the feeling is mutual.
With Harris back in the fold, the Eagles now have the following safeties under contract:
- Anthony Harris (age 31 season)
- Marcus Epps (age 26 season)
- K’Von Wallace (age 25 season)
- Jared Mayden (age 24 season)
Not exactly the most inspiring group.
Harris figures to be a starter. Epps could either start or rotate in as a third safety depending on who else is added at the position. Wallace has failed to justify playing time thus far in his career. Mayden isn’t a lock to make this year’s 53-player roster.
The Eagles seemingly had their sights set higher for the safety position; they reportedly had interest in top free agent Marcus Williams. But Williams allegedly turned down Philly to take similar money with the Baltimore Ravens.
We’ll monitor if the Eagles sign another safety or not. They could also look to address the position in the 2022 NFL Draft, though fan-favorite Kyle Hamilton will likely be out of their reach.
