New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick didn’t have much to say about signing former Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison while meeting with the media Wednesday.
He expounded slightly Wednesday night during an appearance on FOX Sports Radio with Andy Furman and Aaron Torres.
“Well, he was available,” Belichick said. “It’s hard to get players at this time of year that have that kind of ability to help a team. We got that a couple weeks ago with Kenny Britt. So, things just worked out. We’ll see how it goes.”
The Patriots have a recent history of signing high-profile veteran players late in the season. They added tight end Martellus Bennett and Britt earlier this season, wide receiver Michael Floyd in 2016, running back Steven Jackson in 2015, running back LeGarrette Blount and defensive tackle Alan Branch in 2014 and wide receiver Austin Collie in 2013.
Some, like Blount and Branch, work out better than others, like Bennett and Jackson. The Patriots have suffered a slew of injuries at defensive end and outside linebacker this season, so it’s at least worth seeing if Harrison can be an upgrade over inexperienced players like Eric Lee and Marquis Flowers, who have manned the edge in recent weeks.
