Buffalo Bills and Eli Harold Agree To A Deal
Harold was a third-round selection out of Virginia by the San Francisco 49ers in 2015. Harold showed his versatility at the combine and was projected to be a second-day pick. With the ability to line up at outside linebacker and potentially rotate in as a defensive end on passing downs, Harold’s ideal fit would be opposite of a more dominant pass rusher.
That dominant pass rusher opposite of Harold never materialized in San Francisco. Harold was able to appear in every game as a rookie but had to wait until his second season to be a regular starter. He would end up starting in 13 games that year and 11 during his third season. Over his three seasons in San Francisco, Harold totaled eighty-four combined tackles and five sacks.
The 49ers opted to trade Harold to the Detroit Lions for a 2020 conditional seventh-round pick prior to the 2018 regular season. The Lions were able to generate 40+ sacks as a team even with their best pass rusher, Ziggy Ansah, only supplying four total. Putting Harold on the opposite side of a more dominant pass rusher still sounds like the best role for him but the production from last season also shows he can contribute even with limited snaps.
Eli was transparent about what the trade did for him and is clearly motivated to build off his experience in Detroit. While his total tackle numbers were low, Harold added four sacks as a rotational pass rusher for the Lions. At 25 years old, coming off his most productive season, Harold can still provide impact as part of a pass rush rotation. Taking the trade and new situation in stride also shows that Harold is committed to putting the work in to become an even better player in the next phase of his career.
