" Mainstay in the Middle " ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

Veteran Mike 'Backer, Entering Season 10, Remains Focused on "The Job"

Harris Is the Mainstay in the Middle

Posted May 19, 2016

Eric AllenSr. Reporter/Director, Internet ProgrammingEmail @eallenjets On the Inside

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Veteran Mike 'Backer, Entering Season 10, Remains Focused on "The Job

David Harris has never basked in the spotlight. While polite and friendly, one of the top defenders in Jets history grudgingly accepts interviews. During an on-camera catch-up this week, Harris was asked about the 85 tackles he needs to become the second most prolific tackler in franchise history.

 

“It may cross my mind every once in a while. But at the end of the day, I just know if I go out there and just do my job, that will come,” says Harris, who should pass Mo Lewis (1,231) on the team’s all-list in 2016. “So I’m not going to go out there pressing… No I’m not going to go out like that. I’m just going to go out there and do my job and if I pass it, I pass it this year. But that’s not in my mind right now.”Harris, who again paced the Jets with 128 tackles last season, has led the club in stops and reached the 100-mark in eight of his nine professional seasons. He again will be counted on heavily as the Todd Bowles era reaches Year 2. Last season, the Jets finished 4^th overall defensively including 2^nd against the run, 3^rd on third down and T3 in takeaways.“We’re way further ahead because we have guys who played in it last year,” Harris said of the unit coordinated by Kacy Rodgers. “Last season, Bowles had to install it and we were all first-year players. It was a new system, nobody really had played in this defense except one guy (Antonio Cromartie). So we had to learn it a little bit slower, but everything’s going good. We are out here, going through walk-throughs and making all the checks and corrections that need to be made to make sure everybody is on top of their things.”

 

While Harris remains a mainstay at the Mike, the Jets will have a new opening day starter at their “Mo” position on the inside. Erin Henderson, who played in a rotation late last season with Demario Davis, moved atop the depth chart when the former singed a free agent deal with the Cleveland Browns.“Sometimes it can be hard if you’re not the starter, coming off the bench in spot roles because you’re not really adjusted to the flow of the game as a starter. But he came in and we never missed a beat,”  Harris said of Henderson. “He made a lot of plays and he made a lot of tackles for the amount of snaps he was in there. He didn’t have any mental errors, he knew what to do and he’s a very physical linebacker. He comes downhill and he’s a vet, he knows football, which is a huge plus.”And the Jets have high hopes for Darron Lee, a first-round pick out of Ohio State who is initially expected to back up Henderson at the “Mo” spot. While Harris — a long-time admirer of Michael Jordan —  gives Lee some grief about his hoops preferences, he does like the rookie’s approach to football.“It’s going good. Right now, it’s the NBA playoffs and he’s a huge LeBron James fan,” Harris said of Lee. “We go back and forth about that, but as far as football it’s good. He’s a fast learner, he’s very wide-eyed and he’s eager to learn. And he’s spent a little bit more time with the coaches, trying to make sure he’s 100% with what he’s doing.”

 

In addition to the landscape change at linebacker, the Jets defensive front has undergone some alterations as well. After nose tackle Damon Harrison departed to the Giants in free agency, the Jets rebounded with a pair of quality value moves in NT Steve McLendon and DL Jarvis Jenkins.“If you know Steve, he’s always doing extra. If it’s before or after the walk-throughs or lifting, he’s always doing something extra to try to improve himself,” Harris said. “He’s a vet as well, he played a lot of ball and Jarvis is pretty much the same way. He’s very athletic. They both are very athletic, they can move up front, they can play interchangeably along the defensive line, which is a huge plus for us.”

 

Next week, the Jets will start Phase 3 of the their offseason program. The club will be permitted to have 10 OTAs over a four week-span, which means NFL rules permit teams to be on the field for 3.5 hours during those day sessions.“It’s picking up, the workload. We’ve pretty much installed the playbook thus far for this part of the season,” Harris said. “And we’re just hanging out, working, working out, trying to get as strong as possible and looking to maintain our gains and improvements throughout the summer.”

>  http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-6/Harris-Is-the-Mainstay-in-the-Middle/e183fe7c-f243-4165-a48c-1d4e3b314550

[kelly]

As the Jets get close to training camp, I am going to examine the roster and give you my top 25 players. Each weekday, we will reveal another person on the list, leading right into camp. I am not including rookies on this list because I do not feel it is possible to fully evaluate them before they play a game. I also am not including Ryan Fitzpatrick on the list because he is not technically a Jet at this time.

No. 8: David Harris

Last year’s ranking: 6

Position: Inside linebacker

Age: 32

How acquired: Selected in the second round of the 2007 Draft

Years left on contract: 2

2016 Salary Cap figure: $7.5 million

Looking back at 2015: The new regime with the Jets made sure to keep Harris when he was scheduled to hit free agency last year, and the move paid off. Harris had another strong season as the rock in the middle of the Jets defense.Harris finished with 108 tackles, 4 ½ sacks, two forced fumbles and five passes defended. Harris also provided his usual steady leadership, helping blend plenty of new faces last year into the defense. The Jets defense does not finish No. 4 overall and No. 2 against the run without Harris showing the way.

Jets coach Todd Bowles rarely gushes over players, but late in the season he said this about Harris: “I don’t think we can function on defense if David wasn’t playing right now. David’s probably the most underrated guy over there, but he’s the glue that keeps everybody together over there.”

That is high praise from Bowles and speaks to Harris’ value.

Outlook for 2016: Could this be the final year for Harris in a Jets uniform? He is signed through 2017, but his salary is not guaranteed for 2017, so the Jets could cut him after this year. My bet is they hold onto him for another year.Harris is the type of player coaches love. He is quiet and goes about his job and does it well. That is what coaches dream of.

Harris’ value will be high this year with three new starters around him in the linebackers room. Rookie Darron Lee will lean on Harris as he learns the NFL game.The expectations for Harris in 2016 are the same as always – the team is counting on him to lead the defense and pile up the tackles.

>        http://nypost.com/2016/07/18/jets-defense-only-a-monster-because-of-its-glue/

[kelly]

As we approach the 2016 season, we are going to profile the players on the roster. Today we look at David Harris.

Name: David Harris

Number: 52

Year With Jets: 10th

Projected Role: Starting inside linebacker; three down player

His 2015: It seemed like Harris' best days were behind him after a disappointing performance during his second contract. It was not even clear whether the Jets would bring him back as he hit free agency in 2015. The team agreed to terms on a surprisingly lucrative deal for the long-time Jet, and he looked rejuvenated. Harris' total tackles were down, but he finished ninth in the league with 18 tackles on run plays that resulted in either no gain or a loss.

2016 will be a success if: Harris sustains that level of play. He might have to do so in order to be a Jet past 2016. The team can get out from under his contract after the season, and a potential successor was the first round pick this year.

Odds of making the roster: Lock (>99%)

>      http://www.ganggreennation.com/2016/8/10/12421502/jets-roster-analysis-can-david-harris-sustain-his-level-of-play

[kelly]

“Why?”

That was my first question to David Harris after the Jets’ 2 ¹/₂-hour practice in heat that approached 100 degrees Sunday.

“Why are you still doing this after nine years and 993 tackles?”

“I love being out here with my teammates, playing a sport I’ve been loving since I was 4 or 5 years old,” Harris said. “Every day I wake up and am able to go out and live my dream. Not too many people can say they’re doing that. I still come out here with the passion of a rookie.”

The presence of several Jets alumni at Sunday’s practice provided a perfect juxtaposition to Harris and those who are out of the game but physically still look like they can still play.One of the visitors was former Jets safety Kerry Rhodes, who played alongside Harris from 2007-09. Rhodes, 34, who’s two years older than Harris and has been out of football for three years, mingled with fellow alumni and signed autographs while Harris was sweating out yet another training camp practice in oppressive heat.

“It’s really remarkable, because I know what this game does to you, the toll it takes on your body,” Rhodes said. “So for him to be out there still banging it, still playing well and still having the impact he does — he’s still the leader of this defense — that’s crazy.

“He’s like an ironman; he’s played just about every game. Does he ever miss a game?”

Harris, 32, has missed five of a possible 144 games in his career. And those came in 2008, his second season. He’s played every game since 2009.

“That’s crazy; that’s insane,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes and Harris are totally different. Rhodes has moved on to an acting and modeling career. Harris said he will not stop playing football until he knows he cannot do it anymore.He’s a football guy,” Rhodes said. “He’s a banger, that’s what he does. He’s going to keep playing until they take him off the field. He loves this game and he’s going to love it ’til the end.”

Harris does not disagree.

“As long as I’m playing at a high level and I’m healthy, I’m going to play football,” Harris said. “The day I have a hard look in the mirror and tell myself that I can’t do it anymore, I won’t even make an attempt to come out here. I will give it up when that time comes.“But right now I’m still feeling good, still feeling like I’m playing at a high level. I’m at 10 [years] right now and I still feel like I have some great years left in me. I’m still having fun.”

Unlike Rhodes, Jets coach Todd Bowles, a former player, said he does not “marvel” at Harris’ longevity and consistency, “because I know the man.”

“His work ethic is impeccable, he takes care of his body, he’s mature, he doesn’t take the game for granted,” Bowles said. “Those are guys that you wish you had all over the field. You don’t see them too much anymore. He’s one of those rare guys.”The only player on the roster who has been a Jet longer than Harris is center Nick Mangold, who was drafted in 2006. When the season begins, Harris will be surrounded by all new starting linebackers — outlasting yet another wave of teammates.

When Harris sits inside the locker room and looks around him, he no longer sees veterans such as tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, whose locker was just a few stalls over from his, or guard Willie Colon, who was a couple more away, or fellow linebacker Calvin Pace. Ferguson and Colon have retired. Pace was not re-signed after the 2015 season.

“I look up and I’m the old guy now,” Harris said.He said it was “weird at first” returning to the locker room and not seeing his fellow veterans in their lockers.“But that’s the reality we live in,” Harris said. “No one can play this game forever. There is turnover every year. You’ve got to push on, as hard as it is. There’s a day for everybody. Nobody plays forever. I know my day is coming up one of these years.”

>      http://nypost.com/2016/08/15/jets-ironman-david-harris-discloses-what-passion-provides/

[kelly]

 -- The New York Jets open the season in 13 days. Todd Bowles said he's not sure if linebacker David Harris will be ready to play because of his shoulder injury.

Bowles confirmed Monday that Harris suffered "a bad bruise" on Saturday night against the New York Giants and that X-rays were negative. On Sunday, sources indicated that Harris is expected to play Sept. 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Not surprisingly, Bowles was noncommittal."We'll see how it gets up into game week and see how it feels," the coach said. "Obviously, I'm sure David doesn't want to miss, but right now it's too early to tell."

Harris has started 116 consecutive games, dating to the 2008 season. That's a remarkable streak, considering the nature of his position and his every-down role. He's vital to the defense because, in essence, he's the quarterback, relaying calls from the sideline and making on-field adjustments.If Harris can't play, they'd probably use Erin Henderson in the "Mike" position, elevating rookie Darron Lee into the adjacent starting role. Their most experienced backup is Bruce Carter, but he suffered a shoulder injury on Saturday night and could miss some time.

rest of above article : 

>    http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/62633/jets-coach-todd-bowles-says-lb-david-harris-has-a-bad-bruise

[kelly]

-- David Harris has played in 116 consecutive games, a remarkable streak for any NFL player, let alone a middle linebacker. He hasn't missed a game since 2008, which means he has played through three presidential terms, basically.

Don't expect that to end on Sunday.

Because Harris (bruised shoulder) was limited in practice this week, theNew York Jets are officially listing him as questionable for the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, but the expectation is that he will play and make it 117 straight, according to a source.Under the NFL's new injury-report standards, a player listed as questionable has a 50- to 99-percent chance of playing. Previously, questionable meant 50 percent.

Coach Todd Bowles said he wants to test the strength in Harris' right shoulder before clearing him. That could happen on Saturday, possibly Sunday morning."It's up to him," Harris said of Bowles. "I'll do as much as I can, but at the end of the day, it's up to Coach Bowles."Harris was injured against the New York Giants in the third preseason game. Speaking to reporters for the first time since the injury, Harris said he initially feared a broken collarbone. Tests showed a "bad bruise," according to Bowles.

"I've been doing my rehab, treatment all day, every day, trying to speed up the recovery process," said Harris, admitting it's one of the toughest injuries he has had to deal with.

If Harris is a surprise scratch, the Jets would be forced to shuffle their linebacking corps. They'd probably use Erin Henderson in Harris' "Mike" position, with first-round pick Darron Lee assuming Henderson's "Mo" spot -- the weak-inside slot in their 3-4 base.

Henderson is a capable veteran, but he's not Harris, who is the Ryan Fitzpatrick of the defense. He receives the calls from the sideline, makes pre-snap adjustments and basically runs the show."He's always, to me, our leader," defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said Thursday. "He’s our captain. So goes him, so goes us in a lot of ways. He gets us lined up. We know we’re going to be in the right defense. He steadies the ship when he’s in the game. In so many ways I think he’s invaluable."

The Jets would be vulnerable up the middle without Harris. Defensive end Sheldon Richardson is serving a one-game suspension, and this will be their first game in four years without run-stuffing nose tackle Damon Harrison, who signed with the New York Giants.

rest of the above article : 

>     http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/63000/jets-lb-david-harris-shoulder-expected-to-play-in-season-opener

[kelly]

David Harris among Gruden's Grinders

With the 47th season of Monday Night Football drawing near, Jon Gruden put together his own "all-star" team. Harris, the kind of player whom coaches love, made the cut. All-Grinders Team (Insider)

 

> http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyj/new-york-jets

[joewilly12]

BEAST