Getty Charles Harris celebrates a play on the field for the Lions against the Cardinals in 2021.
As the saying goes, money never sleeps. That’s exactly what Detroit Lions defensive end Charles Harris is proving already this offseason.
At a time where players are usually contemplating serious down time or planning a vacation, Harris remains hard at work for his team and his own future. After a solid season in 2021 which included 7.5 sacks in Detroit, Harris is a free agent and he is showing teams he is still ready to have a big offseason for a much bigger 2022.
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Harris was pictured wearing a Lions shirt working out with Marcus Howard and doing some pass rushing drills. He showed off his explosion and moves during the session. Here’s a look at what he was doing on the field:
Charles Harris working counter sell the dope(speed) if dope good they going for it like a fiend haha 😂 be fast quick sudden @RecruitGeorgia @scoutingreport_ #Detroit #lions
As Howard explained in the tweet, Harris was working on his speed rush which he admitted can lead to success on the field. As he said, he wants his players to be fast, quick and sudden to have that success in the trenches.
Harris is showing the Lions how committed he is to staying in form, and that is huge for a team that is trying to grind to get over the top and reach a new level for the future. With this hard work in mind, Harris could be impressing enough for a potential return.
Harris Impending Free Agent for 2022 Offseason
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this case is the fact that Harris is a free agent. The Lions gambled on him in 2021, and managed to score big given he delivered career-best numbers. Now, they’ve got a big decision to make. Do they let Harris walk or figure out a way to bring him back to the team? The smart move for the Lions could be to bring Harris back considering what he was able to do for the team in a vert short amount of time. He fit in with the defense and also managed to fit in with the chemistry of the roster. That isn’t overrated to note for a player like Harris, who had struggled to put everything together thus far in his NFL career.
Arguably, Harris is earning his way back to Detroit with moves like this. Dan Campbell wants to make sure the team is pulling in the right direction for the future, and by keeping a motivated veteran leader like Harris around, he can take a major step toward ensuring that well into next season and potentially beyond.
Harris’s Career Stats & Highlights
it’s clear that Harris had talent to fall back on that always seemed like it could help him cement a bigger role in Detroit leading into the 2021 season. He was a former first-round pick out of Missouri back in 2017, and while he might not have lived up to the grade with the Dolphins, it’s clear he does offer some upside in the trenches. Harris has 6.5 career sacks, but 3 of those came when he was playing with the Falcons during the 2020 season. Harris also had put up 79 tackles, 4 passes defended and 1 fumble recovery in his career before joining the Lions.
Harris has yet to show signs of being a consistently elite pass rusher in the NFL throughout his early career, but managed to offer the Lions some help off the edge given the major need Detroit has at the spot. The Lions re-made their defense this past offseason, and in previous years the team did not show an ability to get after the quarterback. Harris helped that disappear himself with 7.5 sacks for the team during the 2021 season.
Here’s a look at his best work in Detroit so far from last year:
It’s obvious how Harris has already helped the Lions, and obvious to others how improved he really was on the field. That’s a grind he has continued even after the season has finished up, which is impressive to note.
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