Maurice Harris visiting the Patriots after Redskins choose not to tender him
Maurice Harris became an unrestricted free agent when the Washington Redskins decided not to tender him. Now, he’s visiting the New England Patriots.
Though Maurice Harris was coming off his best season as a member of the Redskins, it was widely assumed that he wouldn’t be returning to the squad. Receiver has been a weakness of the ‘Skins since the departures of Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, and while Harris was a solid role player, the team is going to be looking for upgrades in their group. That made Harris expendable and though they could have brought him back, they chose not to.
The Redskins didn’t tender Harris as a restricted free agent. That made him an unrestricted free agent and he will be able to take visits with other teams now. And he is taking advantage of that right away.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo broke the news that Harris was set to visit the Patriots via Twitter.
Former #Redskins WR Maurice Harris is visiting the #Patriots today, source says. Had 28 catches for Washington last year but was not tendered as an RFA.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 14, 2019
Harris would be a good fit for what the Patriots like to do with their receivers.
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The Patriots tend to bring in undervalued players to make up their receiver corps. They value versatility, as they like to be able to move their players around to create mismatches and keep opposing defenses on their toes. Harris would fit the bill, as he can play all positions in the receiving corps.
Also, Harris has good hands and a nice catch radius, something that the Patriots value. He may not gain great separation, but when he has an opportunity to make a catch, he typically can do it.
Harris could still have untapped potential. He was able to catch 28 passes for 304 yards last season, both career highs, so he’s still clearly growing. The ‘Skins just didn’t bring him back because they need an injection of new talent in the receiver group. Plus, Michael Floyd started to take some of his snaps to close out the season. So, the team may have viewed Floyd as their preferred backup.
The team may have a “big splash” planned at the position anyway, so perhaps that influenced their decision making.
Next. 3 positions the Redskins can afford to settle at. dark
The Patriots’ interest in Harris is certainly intriguing, but it’s also not surprising, as he gives them something they would value. While the Redskins might have wanted to keep Harris, they appear to be ready to go in a different direction this offseason.