After a disappointing outing week 1, the rookie phenom proved why he is worth the 4th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Marvin Harrison Jr. put to rest any concerns about his ability to separate and show speed on the football field. After a paltry showing in week 1 where Harrison Jr. had a max speed of 16.7 MPH, he lit up the Rams secondary like a Christmas tree.
The highly touted rookie wide receiver had 4 receptions on 8 targets and totalled 130 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. There was an obvious connection from the beginning of the game which leads to the belief that week 1 against the Bills was an anomaly.
Gamers who held onto Marvin Harrison Jr. or who bought low during the week are waking up to a euphoric feeling in the box score. Harrison Jr. is a set and forget top-12 wide receiver and climbing going forward. Up next for the Cardinals is a shootout in the desert versus the Detroit Lions.
Arizona Cardinals rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr....
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed on ...
Arizona Cardinals rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr....
Marvin Harrison Jr. finished his first NFL game against the Bills with just one catch resulting in four yards.
“Maserati Marv” ending up looking more like “Mazda Marv” in his NFL debut- reaching a top speed of just 16.7 mph in week 1, which ranks 1699 out of 1730 receivers who played at least 25 snaps in a game since 2023. While the receiver position is about more than just speed, the lack of productivity in week 1 combined with looking visibly slow and uncomfortable on an NFL field is concerning.
When asked about getting the ball to Harrison, Quarterback Kyler Murray deflected his response towards Offensive Coordinator Drew Petzing, insinuating that he ultimately determines who the ball is going to. Petzing commented that getting Harrison the ball is at the “top of their mind” going forward after the week 1 loss.
Fantasy Managers shouldn’t overreact after one bad week. Harrison is one of the best receiver prospects in NFL history and played 90% of snaps in week 1 for what looks to be one of the better offenses in the NFL. For now, Harrison still needs to be in your starting lineups, and this could even be a “buy low” opportunity if some of his managers are spooked from his slow start.
MHJ is facing a legal fight in an alleged breach of contract
The ongoing situation between the company Fanatics and Marvin Harrison Jr. continues. A lawsuit filed in New York Supreme Court on Saturday claims that Harrison did not fulfill his obligations and estimated the damage to be in the “millions of dollars.”
Fanatics claims, despite paying Harrison twice, he has “refused to fulfill his obligations” after several requests. The company claimed Harrison rejected or ignored every request that was sent. On the other hand, Harrison is publicly denying this contract exists.
It’s important to note that Harrison Jr. does not have an agent and instead receives advice and representation from his father, Marvin Harrison, a Hall of Fame wide receiver.
Fanatics recognized Harrison’s superstar potential and initiated talks for a longer deal with him. According to court documents, the parties finalized a binding term sheet on May 16, 2023, after extensive negotiations. Harrison signed the agreement that day, and Fanatics representatives signed it two days thereafter.
Usually in breach of contract cases, involving at least one sophisticated party, there’s no dispute about whether the contract existed. Instead, the question is whether both sides performed their respective obligations under the contract. This situation might have been avoided if Harrison Jr. had proper representation to oversee his contract obligations. Either way, this situation win or lose, will not affect Marvin Harrison Jr.’s play on the field. This should be a relatively short case, if Fanatics can prove that this contract exists.
The Arizona Cardinals draft Marvin Harrison Jr. 4th overall.
It’s been a while since the Arizona Cardinals had a 1000 yard season from a WR. That was DeAndre Hopkins in 2020. QB Kyler Murray and the Cardinals brain-trust hope Marvin Harrison Jr. can be the guy to make the feat a yearly occurrence. The Cardinals didn’t trade out of the 4th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and chose, instead, to anoint MHJ as the chosen one.
Harrison, the product of Brian Hartline’s Ohio State wide receiver pipeline was the consensus best WR in the draft. Carrying the Hall-of-Fame legacy of his father, Harrison, at 6’4″ and 205lbs gives Kyler Murray the Alpha X target on the outside that he desperately needed. Harrison is an excellent route runner, an elite ball tracker, and has extraordinary body control. All traits that could lead to a career full of top 5 WR finishes.
MHJ was the pre-draft 1.01 in single-QB dynasty leagues and has been showing first-round placement in best ball and redraft formats, and that won’t change. MHJ in AZ should be a one0way ticket to the HOF.
Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. did not participate at the NFL Scouting Combine, and it won’t hurt him one bit.
You know how you know if someone is good at football? When they let everybody else at the position “do their best” at a scouting showcase, don’t participate themselves, and remain the top choice at the position. Such is the case with Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison skipped the NFL Scouting Combine events over the weekend, and judging by the early “updated” and “post-combine” rankings in the mock draft and fantasy communities, Harrison’s place at the top of the class hasn’t moved, at all. While other wide receivers upped their draft stock by breaking the Combine’s 40-yard dash record, or decreased it, by dropping balls in the drills, MHJ is still firmly planted as the best receiver in the class.
So, why did he skip the workouts? It’s because he had nothing to prove. Harrison interviewed in Indianapolis with 9 different prospective teams, and was measured. At 6’3″ and 209 lbs., with a wingspan of 77.25″, Harrison’s size is elite. And, as the top prospect, any failures at the combine could have been used against him. He was better off letting imaginations wander and is still the WR1 in 2024 Dynasty Rookie Drafts.
The Chicago Bears have found their new OC in Shane Waldron.
Shane Waldron, former Seattle OC, is closing in on a deal to become the new OC in Chicago. Waldron spent the last three seasons in Seattle, making Geno Smith into a relevant QB in 2022. In 2023, Seattle’s offense finished in the middle of the league for points and passing yards per game, back-half of the league in yards per game, and in the bottom 5 in rushing yards per game.
Although there was rumor of USC’s Kliff Kingsbury getting the potential job, it now looks like it’s now Shane Waldron’s job. Waldron has worked with QBs like Jared Goff, Kirk Cousins, Russel Wilson, Geno Smith, and now perhaps Caleb Williams.
In 2023, Seattle drafted the first WR off the board with Jaxon Smith-Njigba at pick 20. Fantasy Managers should keep an eye on if Waldron will ask the Bears to get the first WR off the board again in 2024, or if they will draft their “Franchise QB.”
