Seahawks didn't waste a thing with the Nick Harris Experience

Some folks seem to think the Seattle Seahawks wasted their time bringing Nick Harris to Seattle, only to trade him away. The timeline and circumstances tell a very different story. The Hawks needed Nick Harris until they didn't; it's that simple.

The Seahawks made wholesale changes to the team this offseason. Maybe you've noticed a few changes here and there. For one thing, there's a surprising absence of discarded Bubble Yum wrappers at the VMAC these days. Speaking of that, has anyone checked the stock price of the Hershey Company since the Hawks hired Mike Macdonald? Probably dropped 10 points.

Anyway, we were talking about the team on the field. One of the many players John Schneider brought to Seattle to help revamp the team was Nick Harris. The former Browns lineman signed with the Seahawks to compete with second-year player Olu Oluwatimi at center. There didn't 'appear to be a clear winner in the competition, even though Oluwatimi got more starts with the first unit in camp. That all changed when the Seahawks brought Connor Williams to the Emerald City.

The Seattle Seahawks made something out of nothing by trading Harris

Calm down, Harris fans. I'm not saying that he was nothing, or didn't contribute to the Hawks. But it's a simple fact that once Seattle signed Williams, either Harris or Oluwatimi was expendable. Let me rephrase that: one of them had to go, as I pointed out a few days ago.

Williams is a better center than either of the players the Hawks had on the roster; I mean, that was the whole point in signing him. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as last year's second-best center in the league. The other shoe had to drop once he was officially signed this past Sunday.

As I wrote then, Harris was the likely candidate. Yes, he had played at right guard in his first season, but he was undersized for the position. There was no way the Seahawks were going to keep him as a swing player on the offensive line. The Hawks saved more money by moving on from Harris instead of their own draftee to the tune of about $500K. It's also more likely that Oluwatimi will improve much more in his second season than Harris would in his fourth.

I know some 12s have been grumbling that the move makes no sense. They're asking why Schneider signed the guy, only to trade him away again for "next to nothing". It's all about the timing. There was no reason for the Hawks to assume that a play like Williams would be available.

At the time, signing Harris was an excellent move. Trading him back to Cleveland adds that $500K back to the cap space, but also moves up from a seventh-round pick to a sixth-rounder. Moving up a round, even on the last day of the draft, is a pretty sweet bonus considering that Seattle would have received nothing if they had just released Harris.

I guess we know why the Seahawks started Harris against the Chargers now, right? It was their chance to showcase what he could do, and his as well. Thanks for the experience, and thanks for the draft pick, Nick. Good luck in Cleveland!

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