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The teams in the AFC North continue to display respect for one another—even through heated rivalries.
After the Bengals waived defensive back Chris Lewis-Harris following their signing of defensive lineman Wallace Gilberry this week, the Ravens pounced. Lewis-Harris was awarded to Baltimore on a waiver claim.
Chris Lewis-Harris wont be back w/ #Bengals - awarded to #Ravens
— Jim Owczarski (@JimOwczarski) November 4, 2016
Miami, w/ former secondary coach Vance Joseph as DC, also put in a claim.
As Jim Owczarski of The Cincinnati Enquirer notes, Miami was also in the mix because of Vance Joseph’s familiarity with the fifth-year player as an assistant in Cincinnati the past two years. Lewis-Harris always seemed to be respected by Cincinnati’s coaching staff since his arrival in 2012, but he’s had the unfortunate experience of being bounced on and off the active roster throughout the past five years on numerous occasions.
Lewis-Harris was an undrafted free agent acquisition out of Chattanooga by the Bengals back in 2012 and was a special teams mainstay throughout his five-year Cincinnati career. He did whatever was asked of him there, but also stepped in for other injured cornerbacks on defense.
He finished with 13 total tackles and one interception from 2012-2016 with Cincinnati. The interception actually came this year in Week 4 against Miami, as he filled in for the injured Dre Kirkpatrick.
This isn’t the first time Baltimore has plucked a valued special teams defensive back from the Bengals. Safety Jeromy Miles spent almost four seasons with Cincinnati until he was waived early into the 2013 season. Miles then spent two seasons with Baltimore after being claimed off waivers.
Lewis-Harris will likely be asked to play special teams for the Ravens this year, which is John Harbaugh’s past area of expertise. He’ll be vying for time with eight other players who have played cornerback for the team at some point in their careers.
On the flip side, the Bengals have six corners currently on their active roster. It also appears as if rookie first round pick William Jackson III might be closing in on a return from IR. If so, it might have played a role in the Bengals finding Lewis-Harris to be expendable.