The Detroit Lions made their deal for Harrison official Thursday morning, then suited him up for practice this afternoon. Harrison was wearing a blue No. 98.
ALLEN PARK — Glover Quin said he’d be excited about the Snacks Harrison trade once he saw the 355-pound running back destroyer on the practice field.
A day later, he got his wish.
The Detroit Lions (3-3) made their deal for Harrison official Thursday morning, then suited him up for practice this afternoon. Harrison was wearing a blue No. 98.
It remains unclear whether Harrison is expected to play Sunday against Seattle (3-3). Coach Matt Patricia last spoke to reporters on Wednesday, before the deal was finalized, and won’t take questions again until Friday morning.
An interesting wrinkle: Harrison was traded from the Giants, who haven’t had their bye yet, to the Lions, who have had their bye, which means he’s currently slated to play 17 games without a break. If Detroit is concerned about that, the club could use this week as an opportunity to get him some rest as he learns the scheme.
But if playing Harrison 17 games isn’t a concern, he should be ready in time to contribute against the Seahawks. Detroit’s defense shares a lot of similarities with the Giants’ scheme, which might explain why Detroit has now scooped up former Giants like Harrison, Devin Kennard and Romeo Okwara for the front seven.
“We’re going to have the whole Giants D-line over here in a minute, right?” safety Glover Quin quipped.
Quin said he believed Harrison’s arrival could change the fortunes of the Lions run defense, which is allowing the most yards per carry in the league.
“Iif you have a dominant D-lineman, what an offensive line coach (schemes) for the week is, ‘Hey, we can’t let this guy wreck the run game,'” Quin said. “So now they’re probably spending more time doubling him or making sure they keep more eyes on him. Well, if they’re committing two to possibly three guys at any time to make sure he’s not tackling the running back in the backfield, well then that’s opening up more space for other guys, putting them in one-on-one situations.
“It’s the same way defensively if you’ve got an offensive guy that’s a super stud, you’re going to pay attention to him more, you’re going to put more eyes on him so he doesn’t wreck the game, well then it’s going to give other guys more space.
And Harrison is a super-stud?
“He can stop the run good as far as I know,” Quin said. “Had 80-some tackles last year, which is crazy.”
Linebacker Jarrad Davis (calf) and cornerback Darius Slay (toe) were also practicing despite injuries. Davis, who didn’t practice Wednesday, had a wrap on his leg.
The only player who did not practice for Detroit was running back Theo Riddick, who has been slowed by a knee injury. He didn’t play last week against Miami, and with just one practice left this week, his chances of suiting up against Seattle don’t seem great either.
