Trade speculation surrounding Marvin Harrison Jr. is starting to get louder.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported this week that teams around the NFL are monitoring Harrison’s situation with the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona has not indicated that Harrison is available, but his reduced role and disappointing production have apparently been enough to get other teams curious.
Harrison has just four catches for 73 yards through three games this season and has been targeted only nine times.
If Arizona reaches the point where it is willing to listen, these five teams make plenty of sense.
This would immediately become the most interesting destination.
Harrison and C.J. Stroud were teammates at Ohio State, with Harrison catching 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns during Stroud’s final college season.
Reuniting Harrison with the quarterback who helped turn him into a college superstar isn’t difficult to sell.
Buffalo has another connection to Harrison.
Bills wide receivers coach Drew Terrell coached Harrison during his first two seasons in Arizona. Buffalo also has Josh Allen and an obvious reason to keep searching for receiving help.
The interesting question would be price.
Buffalo has enough young talent to at least make that conversation interesting.
Yes, another receiver connected to Kansas City.
There’s a reason it keeps happening.
Harrison would give Patrick Mahomes a 6-foot-4 outside target with considerably more upside than his current numbers suggest.
Harrison hasn’t looked like a No. 4 overall pick in Arizona.
Betting that Andy Reid and Mahomes could change that isn’t exactly crazy.
Pittsburgh was also identified as a team with a need at receiver.
This would be about buying low.
Harrison is only 24, and Arizona would almost certainly be selling him for substantially less than the fourth overall pick it used to acquire him.
NFL executives reportedly have differing opinions on Harrison’s current value, with estimates ranging from a second-round pick to something closer to a third-rounder plus another asset.
If the price drops, Pittsburgh should be interested.
The obvious storyline writes itself.
Harrison’s father spent his entire Hall of Fame career in Indianapolis, finishing with 1,102 catches, 14,580 yards and 128 touchdowns.
But nostalgia isn’t enough reason to make a trade.
Indianapolis also happens to be among the teams identified as needing help at receiver.
Harrison would get a fresh start while joining an offense that could give him a much larger role than the one he currently has in Arizona.
For now, there’s no indication the Cardinals are actively shopping Harrison.
That could change quickly.
If Arizona decides its former top-five pick needs a fresh start, there should be no shortage of teams willing to find out whether Harrison’s disappointing start says more about the player or the situation around him.
