Harris set for whatever happens with Steelers

By Mark Kaboly, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, August 20, 2011

Macho Harris has played in 18 games and made nine starts in the NFL since being drafted two years ago.

Not once did he line up at cornerback.

Still, the Steelers signed Harris on Wednesday to give them depth at a position that has been decimated by injuries over the past three weeks.

"It is going to be a transition," Harris said. "Playing corner is my natural position. I feel comfortable playing corner rather than safety. I did what I had to do to help the teams over the past few years. Corner is my position."

Harris started eight games at free safety as a rookie in 2009 with the Eagles even though he was drafted out of Virginia Tech as a cornerback. Last year, Harris played three games with the Redskins.

Read more: Harris set for whatever happens with Steelers - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_752549.html#ixzz1VYDNKZY3

-------------------------------------------------------

OK, am I the only one intrigued by this? I don't know that much about Harris other than some highlights I've seen from his college days. He looked damned impressive. In another thread, I questioned why he hadn't caught on with another team. But if he was playing out of position, then it makes sense. It'll be interesting to see how he does at corner.

BGSU A Dub wrote:

I'd be curious to know the logic as to why he was moved to a different position. I know that sometimes people think that DB's are interchangeable with where they play, but I don't believe so. Playing CB is WAY different than safety. Different mentality, different responsibilities. Here's to hoping this guy is a standout.

Yeah, I agree. We saw Lake fill in quite nicely at corner when Woodson got injured. And we saw Woodson play well at safety late in his career. But that doesn't mean that every DB can do that. I could be wrong, but I think Polamalu would be horrible at corner. He's too aggressive and would bite on everything. Like you said ... different mentality.

Wallace108 wrote:

I could be wrong, but I think Polamalu would be horrible at corner. He's too aggressive and would bite on everything. Like you said ... different mentality.

It would also be a waste of talent. Troy would "basically" be responsible for one guy, and we all know that Troy can cover 6 or 7. The guy is all over the field and that's why he is such an asset: he hussles and is seemingly all over the place. A QB could avoid Polamalu by not throwing to that side of the field if he was at CB, but at safety, you have to be aware of him ANYWHERE.