After 10 seasons with the team, the Pittsburgh Steelers cut ties with outside linebacker James Harrison in a salary cap move to avoid paying him $6.57 million for the 2013 season. The move came one day after the two sides reportedly met in an attempt to re-work his contract so that he could finish his career with the Steelers; however, no deal was made.
2013 NFL free agents: Where will James Harrison land?
While he’s turning 35 in May and saw a drop in production in 2012, there are teams that can benefit from the addition of James Harrison.
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Harrison, 34, was elected to five consecutive Pro Bowls between 2007 and 2011, and was named the 2008 AP Defensive Player of the Year, accumulating 54 sacks during the five-year span. However, he fell off that double-digit average in 2012, finishing the year with only six sacks.
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That drop in pass-rushing ability, combined with his age, makes Harrison a risky free agent to go after. However, Khaled Elsayed of Pro Football Focus says that his run-stopping ability is still up to par:
In essence, the worst case scenario with Harrison is you've still got a player who can operate relatively productively on early downs. The upside being that his 2012 was an aberration and not the start of a trend.
That is why a lot of teams, perhaps focused on names like Paul Kruger and Cliff Avril, might be wiser to look at a cheaper and more proven pro like Harrison
It’s unlikely that Harrison gets more than a year or two on a new contract with a team, but prototypical 3-4 outside linebackers that can make an instant impact in the starting lineup aren’t easy to find. Several teams have a need at the position, particularly those that have made recent switches to the 3-4 defense.
The Cleveland Browns are one team that is expected to switch to that scheme in 2013. While the team is in prime position to take a pass rusher like Dion Jordan or Barkevious Mingo with the sixth pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, it can ease that transition for a rookie with a player like Harrison.
Another team making the switch to a 3-4 is the New Orleans Saints, which has holes all over its defense. While the Saints don't have the cap space to go after a top pass-rushing free agent like Cliff Avril or Paul Kruger, they could afford to bring Harrison as a stop-gap in the starting defense.
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