Veteran safety Anthony Harris will likely return to the Minnesota Vikings in 2020 after the team designated him their franchise player, but had he hit free agency, there were several teams ready to come calling.
Courtney Cronin of ESPN reports that multiple teams had lined up and were waiting for Harris to become a free agent, including both the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants.
Cronin called the Browns and Giants “serious suitors.”
The New York Giants and Cleveland Browns were among several of the serious suitors interested in Harris, according to league sources, but he remains with the Vikings.
Although Harris was hit with the non-exclusive franchise tag, a trade to land the safety remains a possibility. However, indications are that the Vikings’ ask is entirely too high, which scared both New York and Cleveland off.
It’s possible that the asking price is too high — what Minnesota wants in return for a trade and the salary Harris would like on a long-term deal.
It’s possible that the situation in Minnesota could deteriorate, leading Harris back to the open market, but even then the Giants may remain out of the hunt after burning through a good portion of their salary cap space.
Still, if nothing else, this indicates that the Giants are taking their need at safety seriously and could still look to add a veteran player or even a rookie prospect at that position sometime in April.
