Harris has become a common affair since the crucial minicamp ended and it’s likely due to some of the things Steelers GM Omar Khan discussed about the recent signing with the undrafted England Patriots in a recent radio interview . RB Ramondre Stevenson inked a deal extension a few weeks ago that reportedly included a minimum of $9 million in unused cap cash.
The future is not one I am one to secure operations on a stable basis because I view placement as an extremely variable one, I believe the Steelers will have to reach a deal with Harris this summer. Signing an extension needs to be seriously considered. Unused cash is equal to or significantly more moderate than Stevenson’s business.
Before we go any further, I want to explain my tinfoil hat perspective on why the Steelers would not have picked up the fifth-year option on Harris in May and especially at the position they ultimately have the most points of interest. Signing a significant contract extension before the start of the 2024 regular season. Your idea, it’s just an idea.
For starters, if the Steelers had picked up Harris’ fifth-year option, Operating would technically have had an additional two years on his Tide agreement. The Steelers have a long precedent for not extending pledges to non-quarterbacks with a few years left on their Tide deals. What makes everyone so cruel? Obviously, if the Steelers had a contract extension for Harris ultimately materialize had he picked up his fifth-year selection, it could be considered a precedent-breaker by the group.
After that two-year precedent was broken, the Steelers would have primed themselves for fifth-year option-exercising players given the Harris result and thus would have hoped to get an extension for themselves in the same off-season. In which the decision was revealed. , Understanding construction?
Now, when it comes to Harris’ fifth-year selection decision the only way out in my opinion is if the Steelers eventually sign him to an extension before the start of the regular season. Oh, and the amount of unused cash from such an extension would be much more moderate than the amount of Harris’ fifth-year pick that was set in 2025 ($6.79 million). Any other option other than that outcome would inevitably result in my opinion coming across as a cockamamie and unproven, not that I haven’t had a few of those for some time now.
Now, why do I believe that Harris having to sign a contract extension before the start of the regular season and having an unused cash infusion will be more moderate than Stevenson?
For starters, Harris has held his own in overall production compared to Stevenson during his first three NFL seasons and he’s done so primarily while playing in a clunky offense run by former offensive coordinator Matt Canada. The Steelers also had QB Kenny Pickett under center in nearly two of those three seasons.
The fact that Harris has managed to tally three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons since entering the NFL is quite remarkable. Not only that, but Harris may also be the only NFL player to accomplish this feat in the last three seasons. Only six different running backs have recorded more receptions than Harris over the past three seasons, as well as only five others have recorded more yards from scrimmage than him. Harris has also yet to miss an NFL game and has touched the football 978 times in regular season games so far, a remarkable feat in itself.
While the future Harris undoubtedly wasn’t much of an explosive contributor in terms of percentage during his college tenure at Alabama, he has managed to contribute in that statistical department since entering the NFL. Harris has recorded 15 runs of 20 yards or more, and only 10 alternative running backs have recorded more runs than him over the last three seasons. By the way, Stevenson has 8 such runs in his name in the last 3 seasons.
Now, I’m not trying to portray Harris as some great irreplaceable guy who is on the same plane as San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey. He is not even like him anymore. With an APY of $19 million, McCaffrey is again the highest-paid operating back in the NFL and here’s why. Still, I believe Harris is no less useful than what McCaffrey has been recently. This suggests an APY of $9.5 million or so.
Green Bay Packers RB Josh Jacobs is the fifth-highest paid player at his position in the NFL with an APY of $12 million. For my part, I believe it is a great achievement for Harris to rule on them this summer. On the other hand, the $9.5 million of unused APY for Harris this summer would still rank him 7th among NFL running backs, behind Joe Mixon of the Houston Texans and one spot ahead of Stevenson. It seems like a perfect placement.
Now let’s take a look at Harris’ tight end placement with the Steelers. In line with over the cap, Harris’ APY of $3,261,861 ranks seventeenth among the Steelers at the end of June. He’s two spots behind rookie OT Troy Fautanu ($3,763,824) and three spots behind OG Nate Herbig ($4,000,000), who only played 156 offensive snaps in 2023. This turned out to be as flawed as Harris’s own first production. 3 NFL seasons.
Many people will probably comment that Harris signed his rookie deal and thus he has to play it out like that. From a fan perspective I really enjoy that time. I also find the market to be in line with positions in the NFL from a trade standpoint and personally Harris is currently severely underpaid.
I’m certainly not advocating that Harris have to become one of the five highest-paid players in the NFL again this summer. If he is aiming for that head, I believe it may be a mistake on his part. On the other hand, I think Harris may be right if he’s looking to rule out Stevenson and possibly Mixon a bit as well. The projected deal I made last Friday reflects the type of trade I believe is valid for both Harris and the Steelers.
Not that the Steelers would seriously believe in using the franchise tag on Harris after the offseason, but having not exercised a fifth-year selection on their former first-round draft selection in May, it could now be worn as a . Talk on different types of weapons. As things go, Harris is slated to make a max salary of around $15.5 million through 2025 with the condition that he receive the franchise tag closer to the 2024 season. The spread this summer could be a move away from the original level I made in my latest contract projection.
Of course, the Steelers have another very successful player in Jaylen Warren, who really won’t be able to seriously suit up for an undrafted trade until the offseason at the earliest. I’m a negative way of discounting Warren by making a case for Harris getting an unused contract. I’m just taking an unwanted look at the Harris situation.
With Stevenson getting paid now, I have to wonder if Jacksonville Jaguars RB Travis Etienne could be the player in his place to receive a commission this summer. If this type of summer trade is in the cards for Etienne, it’s hard to believe he’s accepting anything less than Stevenson’s untapped trade performance. In short, if the Steelers have any passion for extending Harris before the start of the 2024 regular season, they might want to think seriously about beating the Jaguars and Etienne to the proverbial altar.
Recently, Khan addressed the Steelers’ decision to not pick up Harris’ fifth-year selection in May.
“Love Naji as a player and a person,” Khan said on 93.7 The Fan. “Just because we didn’t choose it doesn’t exclude us from having anything to do with Nazis in the long run. I would love to say that the Nazis were here and had a long career in Pittsburgh. “He really represents us well on and off the field.”
Everyone can know from Khan’s reaction what they are going to do. On the other hand, I believe Harris will struggle to sign a fair-market deal extension this summer given her latest response to Khan.
If Harris ultimately doesn’t sign an extension before the start of training camp, I can see him completing a form hold-in once the team arrives at St. Vincent School in Latrobe. For my part, I am expecting that to happen and believe that this will be his immediate plan of action. Whether this will get him a place or not is anyone’s guess. However, I can say this, Harris is by no means going to be a happy camper in 2024 if he doesn’t get an undrafted trade before the start of the regular season.
Finally, I take a look at Harris’s Tide position on what is legitimate and what is the right factor to do. For my part, I believe he is worthy of an extension and has significantly more unused APY than Stevenson. Furthermore, such an extension would no longer have to come with a fully assured cash month 2024, so only a signing bonus and minimum salary. Essentially, if you’re going to do this it’s a one-year, $10.2 million trade that includes two option years.
Most families looking at this situation with Harris, and especially the fact that the Steelers have not picked up his fifth-year selection, will move forward thinking that there is negative earthly hope that he gets an extension before the start of 2024. of the regular season. I really get that kind of thinking. Still, I don’t think a summer extension is completely out of the question for Harris. For my part, I believe that he possesses the qualities of the only cognate I will describe later. Will he get one? I don’t have enough confidence to believe that he will do this and probably many of you reading this post will be extremely satisfied.
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