Raiders Want Harris, QB’s Agent Says

The agent for former West Virginia quarterback Major Harris says the Raiders have asked him to suspend negotiations with a Canadian football team.

Ed Abram said Sunday that he and Harris were ready to go to Vancouver for talks with the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League when the Raiders contacted him.

“They are serious,” Abram told the Dominion Post in an interview published today.

“(Raiders Coach) Art Shell is going to call me,” Abram said. “They have been in contact often. . . . Things have changed a little. They have asked us to hold off talks with BC until certain things have happened.”

Abram said the Raiders’ hiring of former Illinois head coach Mike White as special projects coach could bode well for Harris, who gave up his final year of college football eligibility to seek a professional career.

“Mike White is a quarterback coach,” Abram said. “He works well with them. . . . What is more of a special project than Major Harris?”

Abram said the Raiders are “extremely serious” about signing Harris.

“They are the Raiders and they go against the grain on a lot of different things,” Abram said. “All indications are they are not even remotely thinking about (paying) 12th-round money. That’s one of the things that got our attention. We were told not to worry about 12-round money.”

Abram said he is pleased with the way contract negotiations have gone with the Raiders and the Lions.

“Everybody seems to be concerned and showing that Major is wanted,” Abram said. “At this point we are extremely optimistic that by May 7 or 8 Major will be in the Raider camp full time or in Vancouver.”