Jerome Harrison to finally receive more carries…in Philadelphia.
Despite his success at the end of last season, the Cleveland Browns had zero intention of making Jerome Harrison their long-term fixture at running back. That’s why they decided not to give him a new contract in the offseason, that’s why they drafted Montario Hardesty in the second round in April and that’s why they stuck him behind battering ram Peyton Hillis when Hardesty went down with a knee injury in the team’s first preseason game this year.
With that in mind, the Browns didn’t hesitate to send Harrison to Philadelphia on Wednesday in exchange for running back Mike Bell. What this basically amounts to for the Browns is that they trade one running back that they had zero desire to give carries to, for another running back that they’ll probably have zero desire to give carries to. The difference is that some in the media kept asking Eric Mangini why Harrison wasn’t getting any carries and now nobody will care if Bell doesn’t receive any because he’s Mike Bell (who wasn’t exactly tearing it up behind Shady McCoy in Philly).
I hesitate to say that this was a “great” move by the Eagles because Harrison will be stuck behind McCoy, but at least he has a higher ceiling than Bell. After all, he rushed for 4.4 yards per carry in 14 games last year and racked up 561 rushing yards in the final three games, including a 286-yard performance at Kansas City in Week 15. Bell rushed for 143 yards in Week 1 against the Lions last year while a member of the Saints and then never broke 100 yards again the rest of the season.
There’s a possibility that this trade amounts to nothing for either team in the end, but as it stands right now the Eagles are getting a potential steal.
Owners waiting for Jerome Harrison to produce should probably be happy with this trade, though Peyton Hillis’s quad injury could have opened the door for Harrison over the next few weeks. McCoy isn’t exactly the most durable RB, so there’s a decent chance that Harrison is seeing starter’s snaps at some point this season. The Eagles are also more likely to use him as a backup, whereas he was getting little to no run behind Hillis in Cleveland. I wouldn’t run out and pickup Harrison unless we’re talking about a deep league, but if you have a open roster spot, he wouldn’t be a bad pickup. As for Bell, he’s a decent handcuff for Hillis owners.
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Posted in: NFL
Tags: Anthony Stalter, Jerome Harrison, Jerome Harrison Mike Bell, Mike Bell