Charles Harris - Pro Football Rumors

Panthers To Sign OLB Charles Harris

September 10th, 2024 at 8:55am CST by Adam La Rose

Known to be in the market for an edge rush addition, the Panthers are set to make a move ahead of Week 2. Carolina plans to sign Charles Harris, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Harris entered the league with high expectations as a first-round pick. His three-year Dolphins stint did not see him develop into an every-down starter, however. While handling a rotational role, he totaled 3.5 sacks in Miami before flashing more potential during a three-sack 2020 campaign with the Falcons. Harris signed a one-year deal with the Lions in the subsequent offseason, setting himself up for his most productive year.

The Missouri alum started 14 of 17 games during his debut Detroit campaign, totaling 7.5 sacks and 19 pressures. Harris worked under Todd Wash that year; Wash is now the Panthers’ defensive line coach. Harris will hope to deliver another strong year of production upon reuniting with him. The 29-year-old played out a two-year Lions pact in 2022 and ’23, a stretch in which he was limited to 19 games and 2.5 sacks.

The missed time and drop-off in production helped explain how Harris remained a free agent throughout the offseason and into September. By taking a deal in Week 2, his base salary will not be guaranteed. Still, this Panthers pact – which will no doubt be a low-cost, one-year commitment – will give him the opportunity to rebuild his stock while providing Carolina with a veteran contributor in the pass rush department. ESPN’s David Newton notes Harris visited the team last week, so today’s news comes as no surprise.

The Panthers placed both D.J. Wonnum and Amare Barno on the reserve/PUP list ahead of roster cutdowns, meaning those edge rushers will not be available until at least Week 5. Carolina moved on from K’Lavon Chaisson before the season opener, leaving the team particularly thin at the outside linebacker spot. During their blowout loss on Sunday, the Panthers registered only one sack. If he can regain his previous form, Harris may be able to help in that regard for the remainder of the campaign.

Lions DE Charles Harris Agreed To Pay Cut

June 11th, 2023 at 12:04pm CST by Rory Parks

Lions defensive end Charles Harris agreed to a pay cut this offseason, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports (subscription required). Due to make $6MM in base pay in the second year of the two-year, $14MM contract he signed in March 2022, Harris agreed to a reduction to $3MM.

Harris, selected by the Dolphins in the first round of the 2017 draft, failed to live up to his draft status in Miami and was traded to the Falcons in exchange for a seventh-round pick in May 2020. The 2020 campaign was another nondescript one for Harris, who played in just 1/3 of Atlanta’s defensive snaps (though he did record three sacks, which was then a career-high).

The Lions took a low-cost flier on Harris in March 2021, and that move paid off in a big way, as the Missouri product led the team with 7.5 sacks and earned an excellent 78.7 pass rush grade from Pro Football Focus. Detroit rewarded Harris with the above-referenced two-year deal, but 2022 was mostly a lost year for the 28-year-old defender.

Harris recorded just one sack during the first four games of the season and suffered a groin injury near the end of a Week 4 loss to the Seahawks. He played in just two more games before landing on IR in November, and he spent this spring rehabbing from the surgery that followed his IR placement.

As such, he likely had no choice but to accept the reduction in pay. As Birkett notes, however, Harris did take first-team reps at outside linebacker during the Lions’ mandatory minicamp, and he will compete with the likes of James Houston and Julian Okwara as he seeks to reclaim a starting job.

Head coach Dan Campbell believes Harris is ready to do exactly that.

“Charles has picked up where he left off from before the injury,” Campbell said. “He has an injury. Well, he doesn’t miss a beat. He’s back at it, he’s working and to him it’s like, ‘I’m at the bottom again. I’m on my way back up.’ That’s his approach. And I mean, to last in this league and be a good player in this league and produce, like, you have to have that mindset and he’s got it.”

If Harris replicates his 2021 performance in 2023, he should be in line for another lucrative, multiyear contract next offseason.

Lions Place Charles Harris On IR, Sign James Houston From Practice Squad

November 28th, 2022 at 9:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

After re-emerging for two games earlier this month, Charles Harris will see his injury-marred season will be paused again. The Lions placed the former first-round pick on IR on Monday.

A groin injury has kept Harris on the shelf for the past two games. He will be shut down until at least Week 17. Given the timetable here, it is certainly possible the Lions — who have five injury activations left — just keep the veteran defensive end on IR the rest of the way. To take Harris’ roster spot, Detroit signed defensive end James Houston — he of two Thanksgiving Day sacks in his NFL debut — off the practice squad.

The Lions entered the year with reasonable plans for Harris, who re-signed with the team on a two-year, $14MM accord. Harris led the 2021 Lions with 7.5 sacks, helping a team that had lost Romeo Okwara to a severe injury. The Dolphins cut Harris earlier in 2021, leading him to the Lions on a low-cost deal.

Harris, who suffered the groin injury initially in Week 4, opened the season as a starter. After his first hiatus, however, he returned as a backup. The former Mizzou standout played only 24 defensive snaps in Detroit’s past two games. He has one sack and four quarterback hits this season.

A sixth-round rookie, Houston has spent the season on Detroit’s practice squad. Despite playing only five defensive snaps in his debut, Houston dropped Josh Allen twice. He figures to see more opportunities going forward. The Lions have Aidan Hutchinson positioned as their edge anchor but have dealt with considerable injury issues outside of the No. 2 overall pick. Most notably, Okwara remains on the team’s PUP list. But the Lions designated him for return earlier this month, opening the door to a late-season stretch of game action for the veteran pass rusher.

Lions Re-Sign Charles Harris

March 15th, 2022 at 10:44am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have re-signed edge rusher Charles Harris (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The contract, which can be finalized at 4pm ET/3pm CT tomorrow, will be a two-year deal worth $14MM.

[RELATED: Lions To Sign Chark]

Harris was the 22nd overall draft pick in 2017. He didn’t pan out initially for the Dolphins and was later traded to the Falcons for a seventh-round pick. He had the (then) highest sack total of his career in Atlanta, registering three in 13 games while playing just under 27% of the defensive snaps.

In 2021, he took things up another notch with 7.5 sacks and 65 tackles for the Lions. Harris turned in a full 17-game slate with 14 starts, allowing him to earn the largest contract of his young career.

On the opposite side of the ball, the Lions have snagged wide receiver DJ Chark on a one-year deal that could be worth up to $12MM. Chark’s best year came in 2019, when he tallied 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl nod. Injuries have hampered him ever since, but the deal could pay serious dividends for Detroit.

Lions To Sign Charles Harris

March 18th, 2021 at 3:34pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Lions are adding an interesting piece to their defense. Detroit is signing defensive end Charles Harris, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Harris is well known for being the 22nd overall pick of the Dolphins in the 2017 draft. He didn’t pan out in Miami from the jump, and was traded to the Falcons in May of last year for a seventh-round pick. He had the highest sack total of his career in Atlanta, registering three in 13 games while playing just under 27 percent of the defensive snaps.

The Lions finished with just 24 sacks as a team last year, tied for sixth-fewest in the league, so they can use all the pass-rushing flyers they can get. Harris was a first-round pick for a reason and just turned 26 earlier this month, so it’s a decent low-risk signing for a rebuilding team that could pay dividends if he ever unlocks his potential.

Detroit just re-signed Romeo Okwara to a big deal to be their top edge rusher, but they don’t have much besides him at the position other than Trey Flowers, who only played in seven games last year. There’s a path to real playing time for Harris if he earns it.

Falcons Decline Charles Harris’ Fifth-Year Option

May 3rd, 2020 at 11:57am CST by Rory Parks

The Falcons are taking a low-risk flier on former first-round pick Charles Harris, but Atlanta is not committing itself to Harris beyond the 2020 season. The club will not pick up the fifth-year option on the defensive end, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (via Nick Shook of NFL.com).

The option would have been worth just over $10MM, and though it would have been guaranteed for injury only, that was not a chance the Falcons were willing to take. Giving up a seventh-rounder for a pass rusher who is not too far removed from being a top draft choice is one thing; risking a big chunk of the 2021 salary cap on him is quite another.

Atlanta acquired Dante Fowler Jr. in the first wave of free agency in March, and the club is counting on him to build on his breakout 2019 campaign. Fowler, like Harris and Takkarist McKinley, is a former first-round pick, so the team has plenty of potential in its DE rotation, but it needs McKinley and Harris to start living up to that potential. Atlanta declined McKinley’s fifth-year option last week, putting him and Harris on track for unrestricted free agency at the end of the season.

Harris impressed in his final two seasons at Mizzou, combining for 30.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to keep up the good work at the pro level. In three years with the Dolphins, Harris has just 3.5 sacks to his credit. He has also made just eight starts in his 41 games, and despite earning some praise from Miami head coach Brian Flores during last year’s training camp, that praise did not translate into on-field results.

Dolphins To Trade Charles Harris To Falcons

May 1st, 2020 at 8:21am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have agreed to trade defensive end Charles Harris to the Falcons (Twitter link via Jason Butt of The Athletic). In exchange, Atlanta will send a 2021 seventh-round pick to Miami, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

The Dolphins have been doing some spring cleaning with former first-round picks this week. On Thursday, they released defensive lineman Taco Charlton. Today, they’re moving on from Harris, who was the No. 22 overall pick in the 2017 draft.

The 6’3″ edge rusher impressed in his final two seasons at Missouri, combining for 30.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to keep up the good work at the pro level. In three years, Harris has just 3.5 sacks to his credit. He’s also made just eight starts in his 41 games.

Now, with reduced expectations, he’ll try to get his career back on track with the Falcons. He’ll provide support behind Dante Fowler Jr., the former No. 3 overall pick who broke out just in the nick of time to find free agent riches. Harris, still only 25, is under contract for just $1.94M this season.

Without Harris, the Dolphins will forge ahead with Shaq Lawson and Emmanuel Ogbah as their top bookends. Ogbah inked a two-year, $15MM deal to take his talents to South Beach in March. Lawson, who notched a career-high 6.5 sacks with the Bills last year, agreed to a three-year, $30MM free agent contract.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Harry, Harris

June 2nd, 2019 at 12:39pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a quick swing around the AFC East:

Rich Cimini of ESPN.com says the Jets may have their new GM by the end of the week, and in keeping with all other reports we’ve heard to date, he says that Eagles VP of player personnel Joe Douglas is expected to be the guy. Gang Green began their meeting with Douglas last night, and the visit is continuing today.
Cimini says the weakest position group on the Jets‘ roster may be the cornerbacks. The position was suspect last year, and New York did little to address those deficiencies this offseason. The free agent cupboard is predictably pretty bare at this point, but the team could still reunite with Morris Claiborne, and the Jets will surely be on the lookout for other clubs’ cap casualties.
The Patriots have typically deployed smaller, shiftier players as their punt returners, but Mike Reiss of ESPN.com says the club has tried first-round draft pick N’Keal Harry (6-2, 228) in that role during OTAs. Reiss says Harry, who returned 14 punts over his final two collegiate seasons — including a 92-yard house call — has acquitted himself well thus far.
Dolphins 2017 first-rounder Charles Harris finds himself at the top of the team’s edge rusher depth chart despite his disappointing performance over his first two years in the league. But as Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com writes, new head coach Brian Flores is encouraged by what he has seen thus far. This offseason, Harris has spent more time upright as an OLB instead of with his hand in the dirt as a traditional 4-3 DE, and that may better suit his strengths. Flores said, “I can’t say enough good things about [Harris]. … Honestly, I don’t care about his past. I care about right now. … He’s smart. He’s hard-working. He’s got a lot of ability.” If Harris does not begin to live up to his potential, he may not be in Miami in 2020.
We wrote earlier today that the Dolphins hope to trade Reshad Jones.

Dolphins Notes: Jones, Harris, Draft

April 17th, 2019 at 9:59am CST by Zachary Links

There’s a breakup waiting to happen between the Dolphins and Reshad Jones, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. The safety didn’t show up to voluntary camp on Tuesday, which suggests that the safety isn’t quite invested in the team. That could be because the Dolphins aren’t quite invested in him – the Dolphins may be planning to shop Jones between now and the start of the season.

This isn’t the first bump in the road for Jones and the ‘Fins. In 2016, he skipped a day of mandatory minicamp as he pushed for a new contract. In 2017, he secured a new deal, but he clashed with team brass once again in 2018 when he quit after ten snaps against the Jets.

While we keep an eye on Jones, here’s more from Miami:

Defensive end Charles Harris, the club’s first-round pick in 2017, has occasionally “lost himself” and has gotten off track at times, a source tells Salguero. Harris apparently had trouble adjusting to a professional player’s lifestyle as a rookie and, last year, he tried to mimic “the moves and mannerisms” of Robert Quinn. This year, Harris is expected to produce, but the Dolphins aren’t counting on him, which is why they’ll look to add an edge rusher or two in the draft.
The Dolphins would like to add a natural 3-4 nose tackle in the draft, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears. For now, the Dolphins have 6’3″, 215-pound defensive tackle Davon Godchaux working at nose tackle when Miami plays a 3-4 set.

East Notes: Cowboys, Manning, Wake, Jets

October 6th, 2018 at 8:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Terrance Williams landed on IR after not being listed on the Cowboys‘ injury report going into Week 4. The veteran wide receiver appeared on Dallas’ Week 5 injury list, however, after a personal issue kept him out of the Cowboys-Lions game. Now, both he and Travis Frederick — also placed on IR Saturday — are out until at least the Dec. 9 game against the Eagles. As for Williams’ status with the Cowboys, it’s possible he’s played his last game with the team considering his diminished role (39 snaps in three games). For now, the team is sticking by the embattled receiver, who may face a suspension for his offseason car accident. Williams is under contract through the 2020 season. It would cost the Cowboys ($2.5MM in dead money) more to cut him than it would save them by shedding that contract in 2019, however.

“With him, there’s a suspension looming out there that might or might not happen,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Friday during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan (via Pro Football Talk). “He does have some things after coming off that foot injury, which happens. When you have a foot injury, sometimes you rush it back, and you’re not quite there. And then just personal and general, some things that maybe are holding him back right now. I just think it’s a work in progress with him. We think a lot of him. He’s a fighter and competitor, we just got to get him right.”

Here’s the latest from the East divisions, shifting to a Dallas rival:

Eli Manning‘s play has apparently drawn scrutiny from Giants decision-makers. The 15th-year starter has not had much success down the field this season, frequently checking the ball down. “Growing frustration” has emerged with Manning’s issues in this area, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News notes. Odell Beckham Jr., during a recent interview with ESPN’s Josina Anderson (via Leonard), also questioned why Manning isn’t making more downfield throws. “How come we can’t throw the ball for more than 20 yards?” Beckham asked Anderson, rhetorically. “How come we don’t attempt or try to throw the ball for more than 20 yards? Those are questions that we have to figure out.” Manning’s only completed nine 20-plus-yard passes this season, and just six of those traveled 20-plus yards through the air. Manning is completing 74 percent of his passes.
Josh Doctson suffered a heel injury during practice earlier in the week and is questionable for the Redskins‘ game against the Saints, per ESPN.com’s John Keim (on Twitter). He did not practice Saturday, which doesn’t bode well for the third-year wideout’s status for Monday night. Maurice Harris will start in Doctson’s place if he’s unable to go, Jay Gruden said.
Trumaine Johnson managed a limited practice on Thursday but did not participate Friday because of a quadriceps injury. The Jets‘ top cornerback is out for their Week 5 tilt against the Broncos. Johnson was available and in the starting lineup for each of Gang Green’s first four games, so this will be an adjustment for the 1-3 Jets.
The Dolphins will be without Cameron Wake on Sunday. Wake’s knee-related absence will bring second-year defensive end Charles Harris into the lineup opposite Robert Quinn, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. Miami entered the season quite deep at end but will be without Wake, William Hayes (IR) and Andre Branch this week. Wake did not travel with the team to Cincinnati.