New England Patriots: Duron Harmon Loves Playing for Bill Belichick
New England Patriots safety Duron Harmon hit the open market as a free agent and is glad he decided to return to the team that drafted him.
Bill Belichick is making a splash in free agency and it is not just because of the outside free agents he has signed. So far, the New England Patriots have re-signed most of their own free agents, including safety Duron Harmon.
The Rutgers alum re-signed with the Patriots on a four-year, $17 million contract after exploring free agency for the first time in his career. While the process was something he enjoyed experiencing, Harmon said during a conference all Friday that he was glad the experience brought him back to New England.
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The main part of that being the enjoyment he has playing for head coach Bill Belichick.
"“I love it here,” Harmon said, via Patriots.com. “I’ve built a lot of relationships here with people outside of football. My kids go to school here and just being a part of this organization. It means a lot to me. I really love playing for this organization. I love playing for Coach (Bill) Belichick. I love being part of (Robert) Kraft’s team. In the end, just coming back here really wasn’t a hard decision. It was something that I ultimately wanted to do.”"
Increasing his role
Harmon was a key member of the Patriots safety group last season. While Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung got most of the defensive snaps, Harmon was a major factor in the dime and “Big nickel” packages. It was that increased workload that he found enjoyable and ultimately what brought him back to the team.
"“It was definitely enjoyable,” Harmon continued. “I mean, that’s one of the reasons why I wanted to come back. They know how to use me. They know how to really get the best out of me, and I want to continue to grow being a part of this defense. Just being able to play more, being in more situations, being out there more, being relied on more is something that I really prided myself in last year.”"
Harmon went on to weigh in on Malcolm Butler’s current status with the team as well as the departure of longtime teammate Logan Ryan. He also commented on the addition of cornerback Stephon Gilmore to the secondary, saying that communication will be the key in forming and sustaining chemistry as a defensive unit.
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In all, Duron Harmon figures to have a larger role in the Patriots’ defense this upcoming season and he looks forward to that growth.