The David Harris landscape

Of course they are! Expect a lot of this sort of talk in the AFC East with all the cross-pollination going on.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported today that the Dolphins are expected to pursue David Harris in free agency.
This is an easy one to connect the dots on.

Mike Tannenbaum is now the Dolphins VP of football operations.

How did he land that job?

Thanks in part to his strong relationship with Matt Higgins, who is now Stephen Ross’ right hand man with the Dolphins. This was after Higgins was one of Woody Johnson’s right hand men with the Jets. That cat knows how to climb the corporate ladder.

It took some time, but Higgins got his guy in there this off-season. It’s a move that been in the offing for quite some time.
Tannenbaum drafted Harris in 2007. It was one of his better picks.

So now with Harris being a free agent, and Tannenbaum running the Dolphins’ football operation, it makes sense for this angle to now be popping up.

Also keep in mind that Tannenbaum is very close with Harris’ agent Alan Herman. Very close.

In fact, when there were rumors about Tannenbaum’s job security with the Jets, late in the 2012 season, Herman came to his defense in a Newsday article by Bob Glauber. Herman and Glauber are also close.

But keep this in mind – perhaps Miami is interested in Harris, but also, by floating that interest out there, Tannenbaum, Herman, whoever, could drive up the contract numbers the linebacker gets from the Jets. Always good to make opponents eat up extra cap space.

So this could end up costing the Jets more.

I don’t think Harris would want to leave the Jets for the Dolphins if the money is close.

First of all, the Dolphins plays a 4-3 defense. He has played in the 3-4 his entire NFL career. I’m not saying he can’t play in the 4-3, but does he really want to change his position at the age of 31? He’s very comfortable playing ILB in a 3-4.

Also, he, his wife and kid (I know he has one child – he could have two at this point, I’m not sure) are settled in Parsippany. Harris is a great family man. I just don’t see him wanting to uproot his family, or be away from them on an extended business trip, if you will, in Miami.

But like I said in the open of this article, expect a lot of cross-pollination in the AFC East, with Rex in Buffalo and Tannenbaum in Miami.

Jets free agents are going to be targeted by these clubs. There is no doubt about it.

I bet Rex makes at guys like Nick Bellore and Leger Douzable. It’s always helpful to bring guys along to help teach the defense and the mindset. Remember, when Rex took over as Jets coach, he had the team sign defensive players on all three levels (defensive lineman Marques Douglas, linebacker Bart Scott, and safety Jim Leonhard) to help him install his defensive program and philosophy.

So the Jets could have some battles on their hands in free agency, from rivals up north and down south.

February 25, 2015

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