Continuing with our deep dives into the Las Vegas Raiders’ free agent class, today we’ve arrived at safety Duron Harmon. The Raiders signed the veteran to a one-year contract to provide mentorship to their young star in the defensive backfield, Tre’Von Moehrig.
Harmon and Moehrig made a fine pairing this season, but the Raiders might be looking to move on. The Raiders could opt to bring back Harmon and have him continue to be a mentor to Moehrig and potentially another young safety, or they might look to replace him altogether.
Let’s look closely at Harmon’s season in Las Vegas and see if he’s earned another contract with the Silver and Black.
Harmon began his NFL career after being drafted in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots by way of Rutgers. He spent seven years in New England and won three Super Bowls, before he made career stops in Detroit and Atlanta.
Before arriving in Las Vegas, Harmon piled up 300 career tackles and 21 career interceptions. He has always been lauded for his football intelligence and ball-hawking skills.
Harmon signed a one-year deal with the Raiders after the Falcons elected not to bring him back. His first season in Las Vegas was a good one, as he recorded 86 tackles, five pass breakups and two interceptions, including a pick-six against the Houston Texans.
Against the Seattle Seahawks, Harmon recorded a season-high in tackles with seven. The Raiders overall were not very good defending the ball in the air this season, but Harmon did what he could.
While he is now 31, Harmon probably is not in the stage of his career where he is going to sign a multi-year contract, which might play into both his favor as well as the Raiders’.
If General Manager Dave Ziegler elects to bring him back, there is a good chance he could be cheap, and he would likely not play much, as defensive coordinator Patrick Graham might look to add some youth next to Moehrig. It would be beneficial for the Raiders to bring Harmon back, but in more in the role of mentor than having him be heavily on the field.
The NFL Scouting Combine is Feb. 28-March 6, 2023, held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. March 7, 2023, before 4 p.m. EST, is the club's deadline to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
March 13-15 is the free agent negotiation period. During that time, starting at 12 p.m. EST on March 13 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m. EST on March 15, clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2022 Player Contracts at 4 p.m EST on March 15.
The 2023 NFL Year and Free Agency period begins at 4 p.m. EST on March 15. The Raiders are expected to be significant players in the free-agent market this season.
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