John Smallwood: Eagles have safety spot still up for grabs
QUINTIN DEMPS and Victor "Macho" Harris are learning the same NFL lesson. It's just coming at them from different directions.
Opinions and perceptions can shift directions as quickly as wide receivers.
When the Eagles take the field against the New York Jets for tomorrow's final preseason game, Demps and Sean Jones are slated to start at safety, and Harris is expected to get significant playing time.
But the logic behind each starting is at opposite extremes.
When training camp started, Demps, a second-year player from Texas-El Paso, was penciled in as the starting free safety, getting the first shot at filling the void left when Brian Dawkins signed with Denver.
And while Demps is still listed as No. 1, it's not lost on anyone, especially himself, that while most Eagles starters will take the night off or make cameo appearances against the Jets, he'll be out there because he has not solidified the job that has been his to lose.
"I look back, and I feel like if I had played better in some of [the other preseason] games, we wouldn't be having this discussion," Demps candidly said yesterday. "If I had played a little more solidly, we wouldn't have this controversy going on.
"But that's part of preseason. You're going to make some mistakes, and you have to learn from them. Once the season comes around, you have them corrected.
"No struggle, no progress. You learn from mistakes and don't repeat them."
If Demps wants to see whether he will step it up, Harris wants to keep excelling. Officially, the rookie from Virginia Tech is second on the depth chart at free safety behind Demps, but clearly there is an opportunity for him to move up.
The coaching staff views the free and strong safety positions as interchangeable, and another strong showing by Harris would only boost him in the eyes of coaches who've been intrigued since the first minicamp.
A 2008 All-America who slipped into the fifth round of the draft, Harris was selected as a cornerback. But the Eagles have a lot of depth at that position, so they transitioned Harris.
"I'm comfortable with being a safety now," said Harris, who does not lack confidence. "I know I still have a lot of learning to do, because it is a new position. Your view as a corner is different than safety.
"My last game in college, I thought I was going to be a corner, but things change. For me, it's whatever the team needs me to do, I'll do it. If they want me to play linebacker, I'll try."
Whether Demps' play has opened the door or Harris' has forced it open is irrelevant. On Sunday, Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott clearly said the starting spot for free safety opposite veteran Quintin Mikell is an open competition.
"It opens your eyes to what this league is really about," Demps said of how perceptions can change over the course of a few weeks. "You can never relax in this league or feel comfortable, at least not as a young player.
"This is a business and you have to bring your game everyday. It's a lesson I'm glad I've learned early, better early than later."
So much in this league is about taking advantage of opportunities.
Realistically, it might have been difficult for Harris to have even made this roster as a cornerback, but now, simply because he was willing to do whatever the coaches asked him, he has a chance to earn a starting job as a rookie.
"Surprise me?" Harris said of his current opportunity. "I feel like I'm a confident guy, so I feel like I was made for this. I feel I was placed here for a reason, so I just need to come in and execute.
"I just have to focus on my assignments. Focus on what I have to do, show great hustle, great effort and everything will take care of itself."
Demps does not lack confidence either. He knows the position he finds himself in. He knows he has missed an opportunity to lock up the job.
But most important, he knows there is time for him to set things straight for himself.
"Like I said, I feel I could have done some things better earlier," Demps said. "Now, I just have to come out ready to perform on Thursday."
A play here or there can quickly change everything in this league. *
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