Retaining Anthony Harris needs to be a top priority for the Vikings

The young safety is a free-agent this offseason and the Minnesota Vikings should do whatever they can to make sure he stays on their roster for 2019.

Sometimes, all a guy needs is a chance to shine. Well, that’s exactly what happened for Minnesota Vikings safety Anthony Harris in 2018.

Prior to 2018, Harris had spent the three previous years as a backup safety and a key special teams performer for the Vikings. But this past season, he had the opportunity to be a part of Minnesota’s starting defense for nine games.

Thanks to Andrew Sendejo dealing with a nagging groin injury for the majority of the year, Harris was able to get his turn in the spotlight and he definitely took full advantage of it.

With the Vikings in 2018, the 27-year-old safety racked up a total of 46 tackles, six pass breakups, and three interceptions. Harris was excellent against both the run and the pass last season and he allowed his coverage to haul in just 53.8 percent of their targets.

This year, he is scheduled to become a free-agent. Thanks to his impressive performance in 2018 with Minnesota, Harris might actually get some enticing offers from a number of other teams from around the NFL.

However, the Vikings need to make it one of their top priorities this year to re-sign the young safety. Harris proved last season that he is fully capable of being a starter on Minnesota’s defense and he is a much better option for the team moving forward than Sendejo.

Harris is a very fundamentally sound safety. He’s a good tackler, he does well in pass coverage, and he’s been known to come up with some big-time plays at critical moments during his tenure with the Vikings.

Sendejo has made some impressive plays during his time with Minnesota too. But he’s also a big risk-taker and that can sometimes result in less than ideal outcomes for the Vikings’ defense.

Harris will likely be cheaper, he’s younger, and he seems to be heading in the right direction as a defender. The choice between the two seems pretty obvious for Minnesota to make this year.

If the Vikings opt to release Sendejo this offseason and free up over $5 million in cap space, it should be Harris who the team turns to when looking for someone to fill the opening next to Harrison Smith on their defense.

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