After making a pair of splash trades, one of them landing an elite offensive tackle and the other bringing in a former first-round pick, the Commanders turned to defense in free agency. After adding a defensive lineman, they signed an ex-Saints and Lions safety, according to a post on X by Mike Garafolo.
The #Commanders have agreed to terms with S Will Harris on a two-year, $8 million with a max value of $10 million, source says.
Former third-round pick of the #Lions heads to Washington after a season with the #Saints.
The Lions grabbed Harris in the 2019 NFL Draft. He doesn’t have any Pro Bowl seasons on his resume, but turned in his best year in 2021 with 93 tackles, four passes defended, and 17 games started. In 2024 with the Saints, Harris totaled 74 tackles, five passes defended, and picked off a pass while making 13 starts.
Commanders add S Will Harris to secondary
Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. (8) rushes against New Orleans Saints cornerback Will Harris (5) during the first half at Caesars Superdome.
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
The 29-year-old Harris graded out below average for the Saints, according to Pro Football Focus. His overall mark of 62.5 ranked 94th out of 170 safeties. His pass-rush grade of 61.3 turned out to be his best mark, ranking at No. 46 in the league.
What this move means for the Commanders’ secondary is up for debate. But the player he potentially replaces — Jeremy Chinn — didn’t have great numbers across the board, either.
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Harris joins a defensive unit that had its ups and downs in 2024. But, as defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. pointed out, the Commanders showed good teamwork, according to golongtd.com.
“We might not do things perfectly, but we run and hit and we play hard together,” Whitt said. “If we give up a play, you don’t see anybody dropping their heads. You don’t see anybody pointing fingers. You don’t see the defensive line looking back at the secondary like, “What are y’all doing?” Everybody plays together.
“And that’s what I’m most proud of with this unit. We run, (and) we play hard. (Also,) we hit, and we’re a good tackling team. We’re a good tackling team because we’re connected to each other and you’ll see. We haven’t really got it this year, but that’s coming.”
One thing Harris enters is a little different world than other organizations. Whitt pointed out the difference of why Dan Quinn is a special coach.
“When I got the job in Atlanta, DQ already understood how my kids moved from Green Bay to Cleveland, Cleveland to Atlanta, and it was going to be another move,” Whitt said. “He knew how hard it was going to be for them. He handwrote them letters — all three of them. How important I was to him to get me on his staff and how he was going to make it work for them. Now, it didn’t work out for us in Atlanta, but it worked out for us in Dallas. And it’s definitely working out for us right now, being connected with him. My kids love DQ. They still have the letters to this day.”