The regular season is less than a week away, but the Carolina Panthers could add free agent edge rusher Charles Harris between now and the start of Week 1. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, the team recently hosted the former first-round pick on a visit. While the two sides have yet to come to a contract agreement as of this posting, it shows the Panthers are still looking to bolster a pass rusher that lost its best player in Brian Burns.
Charles Harris might not be the biggest name on the free agent market, but the former first-round pick is talented enough to be a decent rotational player on this defensive line. Throughout the course of his career, the Missouri product has recorded 16.5 sacks, 171 tackles, 27 tackles-for-loss, and 53 quarterback hits. Perhaps Carolina lands him, but they have to fight off needy teams like the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs for his services.
Chiefs, Ravens Could Fight Panthers For Free Agent Charles Harris
The Baltimore Ravens lost several key players in free agency, including star pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney. While the Ravens still have several players capable of taking down the opposing passer, they could use some more security on the edge. With Clowney gone, Baltimore’s best pass rushers are a relatively unproven first-round pick in Odafe Oweh and an age-33 Kyle Van Noy. Charles Harris probably wouldn’t start over either player, but the free agent could add some depth and take the pressure off both players.
Last year, the Ravens had four players record five or more sacks. This shows how much they rotate their defensive linemen to keep them as fresh as possible throughout the grueling 17-game season. Van Noy and Oweh will still be the primary starters, but adding Charles Harris as a free agent and pairing him with third-round pick Adisa Isaac will give Baltimore four edge defenders capable of getting after the quarterback. This depth combined with a star defensive tackle in Justin Madubuike should give the Ravens one of the league’s most formidable pass rushes as they pursue their first Lombardi Trophy since the Joe Flacco days.
Chasing History
The Kansas City Chiefs enter the 2024 season looking to make history as the first team to win a Super Bowl in three consecutive seasons. While the team will go as far as superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes can take it, nobody can win a championship on their own. The Chiefs pass rush will be more important than ever with star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed now in Tennessee, and Kansas City could use a complementary free agent like Charles Harris.
Chris Jones is one of the best defensive tackles in football while George Karlaftis provides a reliable presence off the edge. However, 2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah did next to nothing as a rookie and, while it’s too early to completely give up on him, the Chiefs should have a Plan B in case he can’t make the Year 2 leap. With Michael Danna better off as a situational player, Charles Harris can provide Kansas City with some much-needed depth as a free agent and keep everyone fresh for what should be a long season with a deep playoff run.
Main Photo: Junfu Han – USA Today Sports
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