New York Jets will franchise David Harris - NFL update
David Harris, linebacker for the New York Jets, has signed to become a franchise player for the Jets. His new agreement will pay him anywhere between $10.1 and $10.5 million, according to a source.
Harris becomes the fourth player to sign a franchise tender within the last 24 hours. Ryan Kalil, center for the Carolina Panthers, signed his contract, as well as LaMarr Woodley of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Marcedes Lewis Vick of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
As of now, the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) says that the tags do not and will not exist because there is no collective bargaining agreement in place yet for the 2011 season. Harris’ salary for next year is not assured because the NFL
still has to determine whether Harris will earn the average salary of the top five linebackers in the league or 120 percent of his 2010 salary, depending on which one is greater.
Another problem is that the Jets still have not made the news public, so no one knows if Harris will have an exclusive franchise tag or non exclusive one. As of now, only two players have received an exclusive franchise tag, Indianapolis Colts quarterback
Peyton Manning and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. Manning will make about $23 million during the 2011 season, while Vick will be paid the average of the top five quarterbacks in the league, which comes out to be about $16 million, which is a
big raise from the $3.75 million he made in 2010.
Besides Harris, the Jets are also working their hardest to keep some other players with expiring contracts on their roster. Santonio Holmes, Brad Smith, Antonio Cromartie and Braylon Edwards top that list of players.
Harris himself has had a great season. The linebacker has had 99 tackles, 66 of which were solo, along with three sacks, all of which were stuffs, for 16 stuff yards. He has also forced one fumble and defended three passes. Easily his best performance was
in the AFC divisional playoff game against the New England Patriots. Had had a total of nine sacks and one interception which he returned for 58 yards.
He was drafted 47th overall by the Jets in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft and has accumulated 428 tackles over his four year career. He has also managed 14.5 sacks and eight stuffs for 25 stuff yards. He has also had a total of five forced
fumbles and two interceptions for a total of 24 yards, as well as 10 passes defended.
In the 2010 postseason, he has had 30 tackles, two stuffs for five stuff yards and one interception for 58 yards, along with one pass defended.
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