The Detroit Lions have announced that they have officially signed edge defender Charles Harris to an unknown contract.
Harris (6-foot-3, 253 pounds), who came from Missouri, was expected to be a 3-4 full-back who had the range to handle the dirt in a 4-3 scheme. . He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins and he was asked to play an end to their four-man front. After three seasons, he produced just three sacks and was traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a seventh round.
In Atlanta, Harris played almost exclusively on the sidelines, but he set up both with his hand in the dirt and as a standing pass roster. The Falcons used him primarily as a depth player who could rest beginners at various edge positions. He played on about 27 percent of the Hawks’ defensive grips.
Harris is a boxer who takes offensive, and who is best served when he starts the fight with distance between him and the attacking blocker. He has a nice first step and lateral speed, but his calling card has always been his turn. Unfortunately, Harris still has to define his passion technique.
Harris was ineffective when an offensive tackle got his hands on him, which is part of why he struggled in the NFL because he was often too close to the offensive lineout. In Atlanta, he still played him in a traditional role last season, but they also used him in a wide 9-position, giving him more time to use his athletics to avoid blocks and carry out assignments. He picked up only three bags in 2020, but that doubled his career output of his time in Miami.
In Detroit, I expect the Lions to keep him out of the box and give him space to chase the passer in situations that best suit his skills. By keeping him on the outside, the Lions can also use Harris to disguise their intentions. He is not a player who wants to put you one-on-one in a cover with an attacking skill player, but he is able to fall into an area and use his lateral speed to cover ground.
Here’s an example of Harris standing to the right of the defense at wide 9, falling into the cover and then making a play. He recognizes the quarterback (Taysom Hill) fleeing the bag and attacks the ball to register a bag.
No matter if he is playing with his hand in the dirt or from a standing position, he still has the range to complete the fall without any problems.
Harris is not going to start and may not even be in the two rotations to open the camp – he will compete with Romeo Okwara, Julian Okwara and Austin Bryant to make a turn – but he is a decent insurance policy on the point and a potential lottery ticket if properly developed.
It’s not uncommon for franchisors to take time to develop – hello Romeo Okwara – and it’s quite possible that the Lions are trying to see if they can unlock a game level that originally ranked him 22nd.