Detroit Lions: It’s time to part ways with safety Will Harris

It’s time for the Detroit Lions to part ways with safety Will Harris.

If Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes refuses to cut another defender only days after parting ways with veteran linebacker Jamie Collins to free up playing time for rookie Derrick Barnes and Jalen Reeves-Maybin, head coach Dan Campbell needs to at least bench Harris.

Reeves-Maybin had been an excellent contributor on special teams for the Detroit Lions, but nothing more than a depth linebacker in former head coach Matt Patricia’s scheme.  But in Aaron Glenn’s defense, the athletic Reeves-Maybin has been starting opposite Alex Anzalone since the departure of Collins.

Next on the docket for the Detroit Lions should be relegating starting safety, Will Harris.

Harris started the day Sunday as the league’s second-worst ranked safety, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). After his performance against the Bears, he will undoubtedly become the worst-rated safety in the NFL.

Entering Sunday, Harris maintained an awful 34.6 overall rating with an atrocious 37.0 grade in coverage.

The 25-year old had one of the worst series’ a player can have in the first half of Sunday’s contest with Chicago.  Harris failed to help Bobby Price in coverage.  The Lions were playing cover two with Harris expected to help in deep coverage but didn’t read the double move Darnell Mooney put on Price.  The play went for 64-yards.

A couple of plays later, Harris had a bead on the scrambling Justin Fields; at worst, Harris should have limited Fields to a minimal gain out of bounds.  Instead, Harris failed to attack Fields’ right shoulder as he was scrambling right and either force the rookie signal-caller back inside where Detroit had an abundance of help in pursuit force a slide.  Harris took an awful angle and allowed Fields to blow by him for a significant gain.

Then, just a few plays later, Harris was run over by David Montgomery, who seemed to carry every Lion on the field into the endzone.

The Detroit Lions drafted Harris with the 81st pick in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.  It seems he’s just another Lions bust, and I can’t imagine this regime in Detroit will remain stubborn and continue to play players that hamper the organization.

Harris is not a capable starting safety. With Tracy Walker trying to get his footing at the professional level Brad Holmes, and Dan Campbell need to find a reliable running mate for Walker before his confidence is squashed.

Walker was also a third-round selection of the Detroit Lions, selected with the 82nd pick back in 2018.  Walker carried an overall grade of 72.4 into Sunday’s tilt with the Chicago Bears.

The Detroit Lions will likely continue to rotate players at the safety position. Still, they should consider plugging Walker in beside Dean Marlowe or even Daryl Worley in passing situations moving forward.