Harris ready when wanted
Ex-Jets LB prepares for takeoff with Pats
FOXBORO — Not long ago, Patriots linebacker David Harris probably salivated over the thought of this week and an opportunity to dole out some revenge to his old team.
Harris, a New York Jets centerpiece for 10 years, knows just how much Sunday’s game means to each side of the rivalry. And there have been occasions when it has taken a greater meaning to those who changed allegiances over the course of their careers. Most notably in 2014, cornerback Darrelle Revis asked coach Bill Belichick about the possibility of playing wide receiver for a few snaps when the Pats took on the Jets for a pair of regular-season meetings.
But this week, it’s unclear if Harris will have any role at all. He has only played seven defensive snaps in his first season with the Patriots — 20th most on the team — and the 33-year-old hasn’t taken a single special teams snap. Harris was also a healthy scratch in Week4 against the Carolina Panthers.
“I try to do whatever is best for the team,” Harris said. “Whatever coach asks me to do, I try to do it. It’s been going good. We’re winning right now, and that’s all you can ask for.”
But is it difficult?
“It’s different,” Harris responded. “I’m just trying to do what I’m asked to do.”
Harris, a second-round pick out of Michigan in 2007, had only missed one game in his previous eight seasons. Since the NFL tracked snap counts as an official statistic in 2012, he played at least 99 percent of the Jets’ defensive snaps from 2012-14 and dipped to 92.4 percent in ’15 and 93.7 percent in ’16.
The former second-team All-Pro has been a beacon of consistency and toughness during his career, leading the Jets in tackles in nine of his seasons.
It was obvious why the Patriots were so drawn to Harris when the Jets surprisingly cut ties in June, and they showed that enthusiasm in the form of his two-year, $5 million contract, which includes the possibility to earn an extra $1.75 million in bonuses. Harris earned a $1.25 million signing bonus, and his $1 million base salary became fully guaranteed in Week 1. By being on the game-day roster four times, he has also earned an additional $125,000, which means he has already locked in $2.375 million in 2017.
But Harris tumbled down the depth chart in August, particularly after he struggled to cover running backs during the joint practices with the Houston Texans. He is behind Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts and Marquis Flowers on the linebacker depth chart.
It’s possible Harris could garner a bigger role this season once the rest of the defense comes together. It’s a challenge to protect a linebacker in coverage when the communication has also been an issue on the perimeter, but that appears to be coming togeth- er in recent weeks.
Whatever the case, the Patriots appear to adore Harris in the locker room, and Belichick has gone out of his way to commend him for his leadership and work ethic. Harris also has earned respect from his teammates for the same reasons.
“I just try to be a good team player,” Harris said. “We have a lot of good guys in this locker room. We bust our tails every day. Everybody’s role is different. You’ve just got to be ready when your number is called.”
Belichick has a knack for rewarding players who fulfill his workmanlike standard. Maybe this will be the week for Harris to corral a bit more playing time, if for nothing else but to torment a hated rival with one of the franchise’s most revered defensive players.
Harris was 5-15 in his career against the Patriots, including that playoff affair in 2010. But even through the Jets’ more difficult seasons, they often found a way to make the Patriots work for a lot of those triumphs and understands why the hosts will be up for the same challenge at MetLife Stadium.
“Playing against the Patriots was a good (test),” Harris said. “It’s always fun going against the best. The Patriots have been the highest standard in the league since 2001, it seems like. It was a good measuring-stick game.”
And if Harris can be a more involved member of the game plan or, better yet, have a role in the outcome, it’d be a heck of a homecoming after a unique start to his tenure with the Patriots.
“It’s a big week,” Harris said. “The rivalry, everybody knows what this week means to both organizations. It’ll be a lot of fun on Sunday.”
‘Everybody knows what this week means to both organizations. It’ll be a lot of fun on Sunday.’ — DAVID HARRIS (left, 45) On facing the Jets