Detroit Lions announced that it has officially signed defender Charles Harris for an undisclosed contract.
Leaving Missouri, Harris (1.83 m, 253 pounds) was designed to be a 3-4 linebacker who had the reach to get his hands on the ground in a 4-3 scheme. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins and was invited to play in front of four men. After three seasons, he produced only three sacks and was traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a choice in the seventh round.
In Atlanta, Harris played almost exclusively at the limit, but he played both with his hand on the ground and as a standing passer. The Falcons used him mainly as a depth player who could give beginners a break in various top positions. He played in about 27 percent of the Falcons’ defensive snaps.
Harris is a player outside the offensive tackle box who is best served when he starts the snap with distance between him and the offensive blocker. He has a good first step and lateral speed, but his calling card has always been his rotation movement. Unfortunately, in addition to the spin, Harris still needs to define his fast-passing technique.
Harris has been ineffective when an offensive tackle catches him, which is part of the reason he has been fighting in the NFL, as he often lines up very close to the attacker. In Atlanta last season, they still used him in a traditional leading role, but they also used him in a wide 9 position, which gave him more time to use his athleticism to avoid blockages and perform assignments. He registered only three sacks in 2020, but that doubled the production of his career in Miami.
In Detroit, I hope Lions will keep him out of the tackle box and give him room to speed up the passer in situations that best suit his abilities. By keeping it outside, Lions can also use Harris to disguise their intentions. He is not a player that you want to put one-on-one on the cover with an offensive player, but he is able to fall into a zone and use his lateral speed to cover the ground.
Here is an example of Harris lining up on the right defensive end at wide-9, falling on the cover and then making a move. He recognizes the quarterback (Taysom Hill) fleeing the pocket and attacks the ball to register a sack.
It doesn’t matter if he plays with his hand on the ground or standing, he still has the range to complete the drop without any problems.
Harris won’t start, and may not even be in the rotation of two deep ones to open camp – he’ll be competing with Romeo Okwara, Julian Okwara and Austin Bryant for snapping – but he’s a decent insurance policy on the edge, and a lottery ticket potential, if developed correctly.
It is not uncommon for edge rushers to take time to develop – hello Romeo Okwara – and it is highly possible that Lions are trying to unlock a game level that originally led to their being ranked 22nd overall.