3 free agents Texans can sign to replace D.J. Reader
By Jair Lopez
Damon Harrison
Damon “Snacks” Harrison, 31, remains one of the better run-stuffing defensive linemen in the NFL and an ideal candidate for the Houston Texans. Once considered one of the elite interior defenders at his position, Harrison could still play at a high level at this point in his career surrounded by talented defenders in J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus.
Harrison showed his prowess in stopping the run in his first two stops with the New York Jets and the New York Giants. However, he saw a drop off from his usual dominance when he was traded from the Giants to the Detroit Lions for a conditional 5th round draft choice in 2018.
Harrison admitted his fit in Detroit was questionable, and he was recently released from the Lions to open up cap room to make other moves for the start of free agency. Harrison’s talent in anchoring against the run has never been in question, but his production was marginalized by the astronomical contract he signed with the Giants that made him one of the highest-paid nose tackles at the time.
Houston can offer Harrison stability at this point in his career on a fair market deal and acquire a dependable defensive lineman that can still make it difficult for any offense to impose their run game.