Next in our Pittsburgh Steelers’ free-agent watch is outside linebacker James Harrison.
By the numbers: Harrison recorded 5½ sacks and 45 tackles in 11 regular-season games. He missed two games because of a knee injury.
The case for keeping him: Harrison showed he still has plenty of football left in him after the Steelers talked the five-time Pro Bowl linebacker out of retirement following an injury to Jarvis Jones. He finished third on the Steelers in sacks and emerged as their best pass-rusher despite having to play his way into shape. Harrison announced recently on social media that he plans to play in 2015. For a team that registered 33 sacks last season -- its lowest total since 1989 -- and has so much uncertainty at outside linebacker, Harrison is an enticing option to at least provide veteran depth.
The case for letting him walk: The Steelers appear all in as far as getting younger on defense and Harrison turns 37 at the beginning of May. He might balk at returning if he doesn’t have a chance to compete for a starting job, and the Steelers have to commit to Jones at right outside linebacker.
Prediction: The Steelers are likely to wait on Harrison if they have any desire of re-signing him, to see how free agency and even the draft shakes out. There won’t be a big market for Harrison and he would probably like to stay in Pittsburgh to stay close to his two sons. But if former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau wants Harrison to join him in Tennessee, Harrison is likely to play for the Titans in 2015. Harrison is fiercely loyal to LeBeau, Tennessee’s assistant head coach/defense, and LeBeau might want Harrison to help set an example for the Titans’ younger players and to bring some swagger to a team that won two games in 2014. The guess is that Harrison follows LeBeau to Tennessee.
