Seahawks Excited to Add 'Big, Strong, Stout' Damon Harrison, Bolster Defensive Front

RENTON, WA - For the past several months, the Seahawks have been consistently linked to former All-Pro defensive tackle Damon Harrison, making the team's decision to sign him an unsurprising one.

But as the latest sign that these are vastly different times in the NFL, few could have expected a former All-Pro of Harrison's pedigree to begin his time in Seattle on the practice squad. Yet, that's exactly what happened on Wednesday, with him filling a vacancy left by the release of Demarcus Christmas one day earlier.

For those panicking about the possibility of "Snacks" taking an offer from another team, however, coach Pete Carroll quickly put such unwarranted fears to rest. The Seahawks have big plans for the 350-pound nose tackle and his inclusion on the practice squad is only a formality as the team evaluates his conditioning and readiness to play.

"He's been a real force in the league and he's got a real special style and he's so big, strong, stout in the middle," Carroll said in regard to Harrison. "This opportunity to get him now and to get him on the practice squad is to get him some chance to work and get ready, learn what we're doing, and see where he can fit in as soon as possible."

The signing of Harrison is just the latest example of Carroll and the Seahawks capitalizing on new league rules established by the CBA as well as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Teams are allowed to keep 16 players on their practice squad, with six of them allowed to have unlimited service time.

During the first four weeks of the season, Seattle received major contributions from safety Ryan Neal, defensive tackle Anthony Rush, and linebacker Shaquem Griffin, all of whom were promoted from the practice squad for games without counting against the 53-man roster. All three of those players are now on the active roster and for this week at least, the team will be able to protect a player like Rush while still having the ability to call up Harrison to play against the Vikings.

Now, for the million dollar question: will that actually happen? Having not seen Harrison on the practice field yet, Carroll couldn't commit to him playing in such quick order but also didn't rule out having his services to help defend the NFL's leading rusher in Dalvin Cook.

"Let me see him on the practice field first. I don't know," Carroll commented. "I gotta see what he looks like running around. Learning the defense, he'll be fine there. He's a really smart football player, that's not gonna be a problem. It's just how fit he is - he's a big man, so we gotta see what he looks like."

Now in his ninth NFL season, Harrison has been widely regarded as one of the league's premier run stuffing defensive tackles for nearly a decade. Even in what some viewed as a down season by his standards in Detroit last season, he produced 49 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and three passes defensed, proving he could provide some contributions in the pass rushing department as well.

At his peak, Harrison averaged 80 tackles per year from 2016 to 2018, including a career-high 86 tackles for the Giants in 2016. Though he wasn't selected to the Pro Bowl, he garnered First-Team All-Pro honors that season.

As star linebacker Bobby Wagner noted, Harrison isn't just a wide-bodied space eater. While his ability to stone-wall double teams will be beneficial to all of Seattle's linebackers by helping keep them clean from linemen at the second level, he's also a disruptive force who can make plays in the backfield on his own accord.

"It's somebody you definitely have to account for," Wagner remarked. "I think he makes any linebacker's job easier because if you try to come up to me really fast, he's able to get into the backfield and make plays, so I'm excited to have him and we can't wait until he gets out there."

Only having participated in one playoff game during his entire NFL career, Harrison prioritized joining a contender with Seattle and Green Bay scheduled as his first two free agent visits. While financial terms haven't been disclosed, by willingly starting off on the practice squad as he gets caught up to speed and works into football shape, this decision clearly wasn't about the money and all about winning.

On the field, Harrison's massive presence should instantly make the NFL's third-ranked run defense even better. Off the field, he's a fun-loving personality who Carroll anticipates will be an excellent addition from a team chemistry standpoint as well, providing just another reason why the Seahawks couldn't pass up on the opportunity to bring him into the fold.

"He's a player that's got big character in the locker room, his attitude and personality that you add to the team is really special, and so whenever we can do that, we're trying to get better and so hopefully he'll be able to add in. Right now, we just want him to get to work and get going with us."