Demetrius Harris is no longer a question mark for the Chiefs

Just a couple months ago, Demetrius Harris was often linked with the roster bubble for the Kansas City Chiefs. Those days are now behind him.

Let’s admit this from the outset: most fans are quick to overvalue anything new and unknown. Every draft pick is a potential star waiting to be picked. Every new free agent signing is going to provide the long-awaited answer for a franchise’s woes. It’s human nature to read about the latest player acquisition and project the best while disregarding what is already on the roster.

We watched this scenario play out this offseason with the tight ends on the Kansas City Chiefs. If we’re being honest, many of us would likely admit that we became enamored with the signing of former Dallas Cowboys tight end Gavin Escobar. He was a former second round pick noted for his tremendous catching ability, so visions of dual tight end sets suddenly opened up Andy Reid’s offense in our heads—despite the fact that Dallas let Escobar go with a shrug and a wave.

To balance out our excitement about Escobar, many of us also slighted Demetrius Harris in the process. A former college basketball player turned football experiment by former general manager John Dorsey, Harris had certainly done the hard work to not only make the active roster each year but blossom in the process, slowly climbing the depth chart until was solidly at No. 2 behind Travis Kelce in 2016. Unfortunately it wasn’t a great season.

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The last year hasn’t looked too good for Harris overall. Not only did Harris have a couple of memorable drops last year, but it was a symptom of a larger problem, where his drop rate was among the very worst in the NFL among all pass catchers. Harris was also arrested for felony possession of marijuana in Bates County, Missouri earlier this offseason.

The disappointing production and the legal troubles could have spelled trouble for Harris’s roster spot. At least, that’s what may fans believed, especially after Escobar was signed. Hearing Andy Reid speak to the media on Sunday leaves fans coming away with a different interpretation of what the front office might be thinking. One day after Harris caught two touchdowns against the Bengals, Reid had this to say.

"He’s had a good camp. He came in and he’s put on a little bit of weight – he’s been kind of our primary run blocker and second tight end. He added just a little bit of weight – some good weight – and he’s worked a ton on catching the football in tight areas,I’m looking forward to how he plays this season. He’s come a long way, I mean he was a basketball player in college, but he grew up in a football family. His dad was a professional football player, so he knows the game and understands it, but in terms of actually getting out there and doing it, he’s gotten better every year. It’s a tribute to him."

The assumption that Harris was some pet project of Dorsey is misguided at this point. Instead it’s clear that Harris is a player that the entire team, front office and coaching staff, is excited about, a still developing talent capable of putting some drops behind him for the sake of serious production ahead. The two touchdown performance perhaps provides an indicator of some targets to come for Harris.

Whether Escobar lands a spot on the active roster or not, Harris seems entrenched as the second tight end, and Andy Reid would likely want us to all to know that it’s for good reason. Here’s hoping Harris has a much better season in 2017 and proves everyone who wanted to equate him with the roster bubble, myself included.

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