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Five best landing spots for Chris Harris Jr. in free agency

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When the news broke a few days back the Denver Broncos will trade for AJ Bouye from the Jacksonville Jaguars, it all but confirmed two things. The Jags look to be entering a rebuild mode and the Broncos are preparing for the potential loss of Chris Harris Jr.

It was a smart move by the Orange Crush to get younger at the cornerback position. As well as acquiring this capable play-maker, they are now prepared for all eventualities. For sure, Harris and Bouye would be able to co-exist. Equally however, there is no shortage of teams who need to get better in the secondary.

Read on for five potential scenarios.

New York Jets

Gang Green’s roster has a number of needs on both sides of the ball. Getting depth in the secondary should be considered a top priority. Their best corner last season, Brian Poole, will likely become a free agent. If Poole decides not to return to New York, the talent possessed by the Jets is sparse.

Whilst youngsters Blessuan Austin and Maurice Canady showed some promise last year, the requirement for some veteran presence is approaching desperate. This is why making a lunge for Chris Harris Jr. makes a lot of sense here.

       

Current safety for the Jets, Jamal Adams, has collated his own wish-list for free agency, mostly focusing on pass rush help. If NY can land one of these names listed and clinch the signature of Harris, it will go a long way to improve this porous unit.

Philadelphia Eagles

It’s no real secret the woes suffered by the Eagles defence, especially at cornerback. Their current collection of CBs produced a sub-standard 2019 season to say the least. An upgrade for 2020 is absolutely vital.

Going after Chris Harris Jr. would be smart business. Although, the Eagles seem to have their sights set on another player. Current Dallas Cowboys corner Byron Jones will likely be left on the outside looking in for the members of the ‘boys looking for their payday. In which case, Jones may well stay in the NFC East with the Eagles.

Should Dallas and Jones reach an agreement however, Chris Harris Jr. is a pretty decent plan B to have.

Minnesota Vikings

It’ll be a tough off-season for the Vikings. Ranking #32 in cap space leaves them with little room for manoeuvre in the free agency market.

       

Nevertheless, with some shifting of the figures through releasing players and restructuring contracts, they should be able to acquire at least one or two veterans. A prime candidate for release is cornerback Xavier Rhodes. When targeted, he allowed for 84% pass completion rate. Simply put, not good enough for a guy earning over $70 million.

Fellow corner Trae Waynes looks set to test free agency. So in the event of Waynes also departing the Vikes, the addition of Chris Harris Jr. makes perfect sense.

Carolina Panthers

A disappointing 2019 season for the Panthers saw heads roll. A 5-11 record culminating in an eight game losing streak brought about the end of Ron Rivera’s tenure as head coach in Carolina.

With much of the talk focusing on who may depart the Panthers this off-season, sight must not be lost of potential additions. As they seek a return to their former (almost) glories, casting an eye over their Super Bowl 50 victors is a smart idea.

Chris Harris Jr. was a member of the Broncos “no fly zone” that played a key part in defeating Carolina back in February 2016. Now with the Panthers having a clear weakness in the back-end, they should remember the old adage of ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’.

Cincinnati Bengals

Perhaps the weakest roster in the entire NFL is possessed by the Bengals. Holes and cracks show up all over the field, new faces are an absolute must.

Whilst the quarterback position will presumably be sorted via the draft, they must be aggressive with a whole of host of other positions. Cornerback being one of them. The 2020 draft class is not especially deep at corner, so the Bengals need to look to free agency to address this need.

It may take some convincing to bring Chris Harris Jr. to Cincinnati, but this does not mean the Bengals should give up. A new project will begin in 2020 for Cincy, it is up to them to sell this proposition to any potential new additions.

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