Source: Jets to tag David Harris

I hope they can work out a long term deal to reduce that $9.6 million cap hit.

 

I think Harris is a beast but if it came down to it I think Rex could replace him easier just because of the position he plays. I hope they can get something long term worked out with him if he is staying because he does deserve some security.

 

Good news. Nothing wrong with protecting Harris.

This is going to be a very interesting couple months coming up.

 

Not happy... hoped we would've been able to get a long term deal in place with Harris and apply the franchise tag to someone we could've subsequently traded.

But then again... I really wouldn't want to lose Harris so if this is what it takes to not risk losing him fine.

 

I don't have a problem with this, but I hate how much money is going to be tied up in our linebackers when they only did half the job last season.

 

If they trade Harris (our only good & young LB) I'm going to impale Tanny with a cactus (not BT, a real one).

 

This is just to ensure they won't lose him. This will keep other teams from sniffing around and possibly throwing him an offer that the Jets can't match.. something with poison pills or what not.

It shows you who their top priority was and how highly they think of Harris. Now they can work on a long-term deal without worrying about losing him.. or if they do, we get 2 first round picks back, which most teams are never willing to give up.

 

this is very plausible.

In past trade scenarios involving the Jets...it seems that the teams the Jets were talking with, Harris is the player they tried to pry away from us. (ie: the possible Cutler trade w/ Denver). So, we know there's interest in Harris from other teams.

I'd like to keep Harris, but a trade wouldn't be bad either.

 

What if they get the 1 and 3 (that could move up to 2 based on playing time/stats) that you suggested in your thread?

 

Ok let me rephrase that... unless a team goes crazy and offers us a crazy pick(s) (like a 1st and a 3rd or a high 1st) I don't want the Jets to trade Harris.
He sets the tone for our D and is the present and future of our LB corp (and we all know the 3-4 relies on LBs a lot)...

Probably they're discussing of franchising Harris because the off-season timeline (when teams can franchise, FA, draft etc) will be screwed up thanks to the CBA negotiations and they don't want to risk him hitting FA.

 

Some of you guys are really only looking at it from one side. This could mean that they simply wanted to get something from Harris in case they do decide not to bring him back. If they feel they can resign Santonio/Braylon without worry about other teams then this would be the smartest move.

 

Tag doesn't mean shit in terms of the Jets' plans to retain him, IMO.

It just means he can't walk on his own accord.



That said, they will probably retain him, lol.

Me? I tender him high and take it (if you can tender him).

 

I think I read somewhere on here as well that wide receiver is considered pretty much the easiest position to fill. Maybe they feel that even if Edwards or Holmes do receive an offer that we can't or won't match, it won't be as difficult to find a replacement as it would be for Harris.

 

Nobody is giving up anything like this. You have to give him a monster contract to make the tag and trade worthwhile (otherwise he's a free agent in a year and you have to tag him or let him walk).

How many teams want to pay a guy 5/50 AND give up major picks? I'll bet none.

 

Without knowing the Jets' intentions, I can't really say whether I like this move. First off, they can't apply shit as of right now. Letting it 'leak' that they plan to tag Harris when there's the threat of a long gap before free agency and the status of the franchise tag is very much in question simply signals:

an intention to make it difficult for other teams to grab him

OR

signals that the team very much wants to keep him

If it's the former, as someone said above, Harris has been sought after by other teams in the past. Tagging him ensures we can work with different trade scenarios and get the maximum return for him in a trade situation.

If it's the latter, keep in mind that Harris wasn't too pleased that the Jets dealt with the other 3 members of the core four, but were unable to deal with him because of the uncapped year complications. Simply reaffirming their desire to keep him on the team sends a message and sets the tone for contract negotiations.

My biggest problem is that the franchise tag implies a certain starting negotiation value. If Harris seeks a top 5 contract in the range of $8 million, someone else needs to re-work his contract to free up some serious space. Otherwise, Harris just ain't worth keeping.

 

Thats always been my opinion. Fast black guys who can catch the football are a dime a dozen

 

He's not going to get 5/50 regardless of whether a team is giving up picks. I can't see anyone paying him more than Patrick Willis.