New England Patriots running back Damien Harris has been an early-down workhorse with 1,897 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns in his first four seasons of his career. Harris was selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft, but he has yet to turn into the three-down versatile back that is becoming increasingly more common as each year passes.
Harris, 25, is an incredible goal line back, but he’s in the last year of his rookie deal and is set to hit the open market at a young age with plenty of suitors. The Patriots, on the other hand, have Rhamondre Stevenson, who has been dipping into Harris’ share of touches since 2021, and by the look of things, he may have finally overtaken the former Alabama standout as the lead back, thanks to his pass-catching ability.
Stevenson has 25 catches on the season, which is second behind Jakobi Meyers for the team lead.
Although the Patriots could be in line for a compensatory pick, if Harris leaves, that pick will not kick in until 2024 and is contingent on the level of talent New England brings in to replace talent lost. As the Patriots are projected to have decent cap space to make additions, with room to create more space, the compensatory selection may never find the light of day for Harris.
The Patriots may not re-sign Harris, as the only backs who get second contracts in New England are the ones who can also catch passes. And Stevenson does exactly that.
Harris is good enough to warrant a long-term contract, but in New England, I have the utmost faith they can draft and develop the next guy, like they have done for years at the running back position. If the Patriots are looking to move Harris for something, they must do so by the November 1 NFL trade deadline.
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams have been struggling to find a running back to take the pressure off Matthew Stafford and help manage games late. Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson are good players, but both haven’t panned out in this league like Damien Harris has.
The Rams are also not shy about adding talent for the right price, and Harris is a 25-year-old running back coming off a 15-touchdown season in 2021.
The Rams would be bringing in a stud running back to add to their team with hopes he is the missing piece as they look to win back-to-back Super Bowls. And the Patriots would be unloading a running back that probably will not return for what the compensatory selection most likely would have been anyway.
Patriots guarantee the pick, while also signaling to Stevenson that he will be the lead back for the team moving forward.
Rams get: Damien Harris
Patriots get: 2024 4th-round draft pick
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons could pull the trigger and take a chance on a player like Damien Harris, who could fit the timeline of their rebuild and also give Desmond Ridder—or whoever is under center in 2023—a bell cow back to help bring them along. Harris is on an expiring deal, but the Falcons could look to bring him in for the remainder of the season with hopes of retaining him in the offseason.
The Falcons currently have Cordarrelle Patterson, Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley in their RB room, but Damien Harris is an immediate upgrade over all of them and is young enough to play long-term in Atlanta. Patterson is a good talent, but he is more of an offensive weapon than a true running back and can be on the field at the same time as Harris. Patterson is also getting up there in age and may be on his last legs.
Atlanta gets: Damien Harris, 2024 5th-round draft pick
New England gets: 2023 4th-round draft pick
Seattle Seahawks
Chris Carson announced his retirement early in training camp, leaving Rashaad Penny and rookie phenom Kenneth Walker III as the two main featured backs for the Seahawks. Entering the trade deadline, the Seahawks are without Penny for the 2022 season, as he is on injured reserve with a broken fibula. That leaves Walker and Deejay Dallas as the two main backs with Walker carrying the majority of the workload.
If it weren’t for Geno Smith, this trade wouldn’t be considered. But the Seahawks have a chance to compete down the stretch and could opt to add some running back depth with Damien Harris to take the workload off Walker to preserve him as much as possible. Not that Walker needs to be preserved, but there could be some anxieties in Seattle as they have lost two of their top backs in the past season due to injuries, with one retiring for good.
Harris is an impending free agent, but the Seahawks could end up paying him long-term to compliment their star-in-the-making back.
Seahawks Get: Damien Harris
Patriots Get 2023 5th-round draft pick (From PIT) and 2025 5th-round draft pick
