Pros and cons of the Vikings signing Anthony Harris to a long-term deal

Minnesota Vikings safety Anthony Harris was franchise-tagged and he recently signed his tender. Should the Vikings try to lock him up with a long-term deal?

Anthony Harris has had himself two very productive seasons in a row for the Minnesota Vikings. After taking over the starting position in 2018 and starting nine games, Harris made a name for himself during last year’s campaign with the Vikings.

He started all 14 games that he appeared in and had a career-high in interceptions with six. He also racked up a whopping 11 pass breakups. His massive year at safety led him to be Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded safety last year.

With the big season that he had happening during a contract year, Harris was going to be looking to get paid in a big way this offseason.

With his representation and Minnesota unable to get a deal done immediately, he wound up getting franchise tagged and eventually signed his one-year tender. But what does this mean going forward?

Do the Vikings look to trade Harris in hopes of a significant return? Do they force him to play on the franchise tag in hopes that he doesn’t hold out? Or does Minnesota sign Harris to a long-term contract?

Let’s look at the pros and cons of signing Harris to a long-term deal and see if it’s the right direction for the Vikings to go in.