The Pittsburgh Steelers lost another starter on the opening day of free agency. Najee Harris is heading back West, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Chargers worth a max $9.25 million. While free agency hasn’t been great for the team, losing Harris on a deal that expensive may be one of the best things to happen to the team.
Harris never lived up to his first-round billing as a running back. Sure, he was productive on paper, but his efficiency as a runner was putrid. Simply put, he rarely produced himself, and inking him to a big deal was a huge risk for this team.
Instead, he heads to a Chargers team that covets a power running game. I think it is a good spot for him, but at his cost, I am happy to see him go. Nothing in his game warrants that kind of a contract.
The Pittsburgh Steelers already have a better back than Najee Harris
It would be one thing if the team had no running back to replace Harris on the team, but they do. Jaylen Warren should be back in the fold and can easily replace the production that Harris had. This running back draft class is also extremely deep, so they can get another productive back in the draft.
Hanging onto Harris at that price tag would have been a brutal mistake. Paying running backs can work, but you need to have a complete team around you before investing in the position. The Steelers are clearly not there, so wasting resources on a lackluster back would have been foolish.
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At his price, Harris should add even more value for the compensatory formula next offseason. With Dan Moore and Russell Wilson also getting big deals, the team is sitting pretty in that regard. A slim win, but a win nonetheless.
At least one thing has gone right for the Steelers this offseason. Harris getting that much money is a great thing for the team next year, and it also prevented them from signing him this offseason at such a cost. Harris will hopefully find some success in his next home, but his time in Pittsburgh had clearly run its course.