Chicago Bears: Early look at sneaky free agent adds in 2019
By Ryan Heckman
Safety Anthony Harris
After taking over for injured starting safety Andrew Sendejo, backup Anthony Harris rose to the occasion. The 27-year-old is entering his fifth year in the league and is a restricted free agent for the Minnesota Vikings. Depending on if he receives an offer from the Vikings, and for how much, the Bears could end up getting a bargain.
Harris is coming off a season in which he appeared in 15 games while starting nine of them. He finished with a total of 46 tackles, six passes defended and three interceptions — one of them should be familiar to Bears fans.
Top 7 graded #Vikings on defense in 2018:
— PFF MIN Vikings (@PFF_Vikings) January 3, 2019
1.) S Anthony Harris 89.0
2.) S Harrison Smith 79.7
3.) CB Mackensie Alexander 78.2
4.) ED Danielle Hunter 77.9
5.) DI Linval Joseph 75.6
6.) DI Sheldon Richardon 72.2
7.) LB Anthony Barr 71.4
The Virginia product could fill in nicely for Adrian Amos, who is also a free agent. If Amos commands a decent amount of money (which he likely will), the Bears could be forced to let him walk. With that being said, Harris would be a cheaper replacement who could step in and continue the momentum he’s built at this stage in his career.
Behind arguably the best front seven in football, and one of the best secondaries in the NFL, Harris would be surrounded by tons of talent to continue his development. Is he a starting-quality safety in the league? Based on last year alone, absolutely. But, is his play sustainable? That’s another question altogether. He’s never been in that position. For his price, he would be worth an offer.