The case for/against Najee Harris...

By now everyone here knows that Najee Harris's 5th yr option was declined.. let's discuss the benefits of keeping him or letting him go.... here goes.

For:

1. 1,000 yds each of his 1st 3 seasons (never done before in black and gold)

2. #1 was accomplished with sub par o-line

3. Already knows our offense and will need no breaking in process

4. The Najee Harris stiff arm of doom is the stuff of legends

5. Superlative ball security

6. Is a load when he runs like a 240 lb back


Against:

1. Suspect vision and doesn't always trust the hole

2. Often forgets he's a 240 lb back and resorts to dancing too much

3. 1,000 yds is a bit pedestrian when you do the math... 62 yds per game, and now 58 yds per game with the 17 game schedule... hardly elite numbers

4. Only one season with an ave yds per carry of 4.0 or better when his running mate averaged more than 5

5. His running mate

6. Incoming crop of elite rb's in next yrs draft that may fit this offense better


OK guys..... have at it

 

Good write up as always. But let's face it. By declining the option the Steelers have essentially made their decision. This will be Najee's last season in Pittsburgh.

 

I severely doubt it's his last season. If he is productive (and most likely will be) he will be signed to a multi-year. Declining the 5th means next to nothing.

 

I would agree with you except that with the holes (no pun intended) basically covored on the o-line, Najee may blow up and turn the plan upside down

 

He's like, 25? 26? Young yet even for his miles.

 

On the pro side you forgot to mention he's not a jagoff. I see it as a quarter of it's been Canada and the bad routes and timid predictable transparent calls, a quarter's been Trubisky using Najee as a dumping ground in coverage whenever he got scared, a quarter of it's been the total absence of any kind of hole to run through off tackle where a 240 lb back oughta be running often, and what success he's been able to make out of the rest of it has just been personal grit and determination of which Najee's got a slew. So, we got him, see how he does with hopefully all those problems fixed, and pay him what he's worth in '25 if he and the Steelers both want to. This year face it is a one-off shot and there'll be a lot of personnel changes next year. Plus as always there are future stars on the team already who we haven't found out about. And in closing, as Mr Harris has mentioned a time or 2, running backs go pretty cheap.

 

I think Najee may blow up this year as well. But now that they declined the option, I cant see the Steelers paying more than what the option would have been to keep him. If they do, then declining the option was quite a blunder.

 

The Steelers passed up on having Najee back for a 5th year at a discount price. Why would they pay him even more now? They know what type of player Najee is at this point. To me, it seems like the Steelers are planning to have Warren on the field a lot more. Never say never, but I would be shocked if he is on the roster in 25'.

 

And to reiterate a little on the jagoff angle, his stats are affected by Jaylen Warren's production and it:s pretty rare to find a top quality RB who'll be content to work in that kind of situation.

 

It's also increasingly difficult to find a team that relies on 1 bell cow runner

 

Couldn’t disagree more. It’s entirely possible the Steelers intend to sign him to a long term contract.

 

Then not picking up the option would be beyond stupid.

 

This is a good summary of both sides. Regarding the positives, let's not underestimate the importance of ball security. That is a huge advantage for Harris over Warren. One thing you left out was that he has proven he can carry a heavy workload. He is one of those backs who seems to get stronger as he carries the ball more. It is getting harder and harder to find guys like that.

Let's address the negatives.

1 and 2. I think the poor offensive line contributed to No. 1. Far too often, he couldn't trust the blockers in front of him. More consistent play from the line should lead to him trusting the blocking more. I also think that was part of the reason he dances too much.

3. I keep seeing this argument that 1,000 is pedestrian, but Harris was seventh in the NFL in rushing this past season. That is not pedestrian.

4. That season of him averaging over 4 yards was his most recent, which I see as a positive trend. Remember, he was only a rookie in 2021 and he was severely hampered by a foot injury the first half of 2022.

5. His running mate got the ball in different situations, which was part of the reason for the difference in average per carry. It isn't all unusual to see the No. 2 back/third-down back with a higher average per carry for this reason. Among other things, Harris is the one getting the ball in short-yardage situations. Successful runs in those situations often hurt a running back's average per carry.

6. The Steelers have many holes to fill next year, including quarterback. Why create another one when they had cost certainty with Harris?

 

If they picked up the 5th year then 7million per is the starting point for negotiations

 

I like Najee Harris and hope him and Steelers
Can work something out for their mutual benefit.

 

That's the thing. If you pick up the option, there is no negotiation.

It's like walking away from a hot dog stand because you dont want to pay $7 for a hot dog. Then you return a day later and pay $15 for the same dog. The Steelers aren't going to do that.

 

Um no. If they picked up his 5th year it’s a guaranteed 7 million. If they chose to extend him the yearly contract starting point will be 7 million per. Now they’re free to negotiate.

 

I do not think anyone really knows what the team is thinking, but isn't this the contract year for Warren? I doubt they could keep both (especially if they both produce in a run heavy O). It's not even about 'if' they have the money, it's about investing guaranteed money for 2, at a time where the position is not as coveted as it once was. If nothing else they can tag one if no deal is imminent, the tag this year was 10 million, more than the 6.8 he would have gotten with the option, but a gamble they are willing to take.

 

This, and the option amount can be turned into a prorated bonus or some such thing, at least half the options were not picked up by teams this year, some of these guys are not busts, but the play just did not warrant it. Seeing the contract amounts RB's are getting it actually makes sense for the team to wait it out.

 

This Actual STAT of rushing yards does not count???? Is this a PFF thing where they don't count actual Stats like yards, and prefer to tell us something like Win/loss percentage.

At least now I know why people are saying this STAT does not count. 2021, 2022, 2023 Name the RBs in the NFL that had over 1,000 yards rushing in each of the last 3 years......

Najee Harris is the only RB in the NFL to crack the 1,000 rushing yard barrier in each of the last 3 years.

I guess for most fans it is easy to say it doesn't count because only 1 elite RB was able to do this in the last 3 years.
NFL Conference Rushing Stat Leaders, 2023 Regular Season - ESPN

 

So they declined the option to pay him more? Got it. They will NOT overpay Najee Harris. Or any running back.

He will hit free agency and then the market will be set and the Steelers can then decide. If someone opens the checkbook thanks for the memories.

You can get a running back at a fraction of the cost in the later rounds that can be productive.

 

when was the first RB even drafted this year? The tide may change in time, but right now the position is not high caliber as it once was.

 

If they had picked up the option, there would be no need to negotiate until 2026. If the Steelers aren't willing to pay him 7 mil to play in 2025, then they sure as hell aren't going to extend him for more than 7 mil now. That doesn't make any sense.