Al Harris.
Philadelphia’s defense is bad, the Dallas defense is good. The Cowboys secondary has spent the last four years learning under former Eagle, Al Harris. Maybe Philadelphia should make him DC.
Harris spent 14 seasons in the NFL as a defensive back, five with the Philadelphia Eagles and seven with Green Bay where he earned two Pro Bowl nominations. He started his coaching career in 2012 as an intern for the Miami Dolphins before becoming the Chiefs’ assistant secondary coach in 2013.
What should really get Philadelphia’s attention is Harris’ work with the Cowboys’ defensive backfield. Former Packers coach Mike McCarthy named Harris defensive backs coach when he came to Dallas in 2020 and over the past two seasons, the Cowboys secondary has given up the eighth and fifth-fewest yards in the league.
In Harris’ first year, the team took cornerback Trevon Diggs from Alabama in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Diggs’ rookie season got off to a slow start thanks to a broken foot, but under Harris’ tutelage, he finished the year with three interceptions in his last five games.
It was a sign of things to come as Diggs tied a Cowboys record in 2021 with a league-best 11 interceptions on his way to being named first-team All-Pro. Towards the end of the season, Diggs made sure to thank Harris for his efforts:
“(Al Harris) basically taught me everything I know as far as playing corner in the NFL, the technique, just how to read the quarterback…He knows exactly what’s going on out there. So taking information from him, picking his brain every day has helped me out a lot.”
Diggs missed all but two games with a torn ACL in 2023 which meant DaRon Bland, the team’s fifth-round pick in 2022 would take over at right cornerback. With Harris’ help, Bland led the league with nine interceptions and set an NFL record by returning five for touchdowns.
Of course, if defensive coordinator Dan Quinn leaves to take a head coaching job, Harris should be on the team’s shortlist to replace him. Teams like the Commanders and Packers are already being mentioned as potential suitors.
With Philadelphia looking for a new defensive coordinator and better play from its secondary, Harris could be just what the team needs.
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