Dwayne Harris' Ceiling

[anj113]

I have to admit Dwayne Harris has me intrigued. I like him as a receiver and even as a punt returner, but I am little confused as to what his upside is. If he gets the mental aspect of the game down just how good could he be? Is he fast or just quick? Does he have good hands like a Patrick Crayton? Who does he compare to that is playing in the league now or even in years past?

I dont thinks its very high, but that fine... Let's hope Romo makes him better than he actually is and they mesh.. He can be a nice 3rd receiver and help us win some games... But thats about it..

 

[jterrell]

Ceiling wise he is a young version of Wes Welker.

More realistically he is Eric Metcalf.

His advantage is in breaking tackles after the catch. He has the RB build and experience. He will run through poor tackle attempts. He has great balance and body control. He isn't easily knocked off routes.

Issues: Hands are just okay by NFL standards. He isn't beating people with pure speed and he isn't going up over people for catches.

He should be great on crossing routes and sitting down in zones. Bet he is also really good on those WR screens we like to run.

 

[anj113]

Ceiling wise he is a young version of Wes Welker.

More realistically he is Eric Metcalf.

His advantage is in breaking tackles after the catch. He has the RB build and experience. He will run through poor tackle attempts. He has great balance and body control. He isn't easily knocked off routes.

Issues: Hands are just okay by NFL standards. He isn't beating people with pure speed and he isn't going up over people for catches.

He should be great on crossing routes and sitting down in zones. Bet he is also really good on those WR screens we like to run.

Why must we compare every Cowboy reciever to Wes WElker?...This guy IS NOWHERE near Wes Welker. By no means am I saying he wont be good, but come on...He is not even close to be in that class yet... Lets have him play a full season first and see how he is please. Come on guys, just chill... Lets see how it plays out....

 

[anj113]

For all we know he could be out of the league soon.. Please people it was a preseason game aganist a very bad Ram team.. Lets all just relax.

 

[Doomsday101]

For all we know he could be out of the league soon.. Please people it was a preseason game aganist a very bad Ram team.. Lets all just relax.

I would agree it is unfair to try and compare players especially one who has yet to play much in reg season. However I see no reason not to get excited about the prospect and improvement he is showing.

He played well in the SD game as well as the St. Louis game. Granted just pre season but he seems to have a much better grasp of what his assignments are, where he needs to be and is running the correct routs and make the catch when it comes his way.

If Harris can continue this then be benifets this team greatly

 

[anj113]

I would agree it is unfair to try and compare players especially one who has yet to play much in reg season. However I see no reason not to get excited about the prospect and improvement he is showing.

He played well in the SD game as well as the St. Louis game. Granted just pre season but he seems to have a much better grasp of what his assignments are, where he needs to be and is running the correct routs and make the catch when it comes his way.

If Harris can continue this then be benifets this team greatly

I never said I wasnt excited at all, but my point was to compare him to Welker or to anybody at this point is utterly ridicolous... It was 1 preseason game... Lets just see what happens.. let him be himself... Im rooting for the guy hard, trust me. But lets come back to earth... There are a ton of guys every year on every team who has a good game in preseason and is never heard from again. By NO means am I saying this kid wont be good, maybe he will be, but I think everyone gets my point

 

[Idgit]

I never said I wasnt excited at all, but my point was to compare him to Welker or to anybody at this point is utterly ridicolous... It was 1 preseason game... Lets just see what happens.. let him be himself... Im rooting for the guy hard, trust me. But lets come back to earth... There are a ton of guys every year on every team who has a good game in preseason and is never heard from again. By NO means am I saying this kid wont be good, maybe he will be, but I think everyone gets my point

In fairness, this is a thread about the guy's ceiling. It's supposed to be pie-in-the-sky.

 

[DFWJC]

For all we know he could be out of the league soon.. Please people it was a preseason game aganist a very bad Ram team.. Lets all just relax.

Well, that wasn't the question, was it?
The asked what his ceiling could be, not what his floor is.

 

[InmanRoshi]

His ceiling is Bobby Wade or Davone Bess. He doesn't have nearly Welker's lateral quickness. However, he's seemingly pretty smart, pretty tough, competitive and has good hands.

 

[jterrell]

Why must we compare every Cowboy reciever to Wes WElker?...This guy IS NOWHERE near Wes Welker. By no means am I saying he wont be good, but come on...He is not even close to be in that class yet... Lets have him play a full season first and see how he is please. Come on guys, just chill... Lets see how it plays out....

I actually watched Wes Welker play for years before most knew his name.

He was a HS running back out of Oklahoma. He was lightly recruited.

What Welker did day 1 better than anyone else was sit down in zones and break tackles. He wasn't initially out-quicking everyone or burning guys.

He was a short, stocky 4.6 40 WR. He was drafted as a special team return guy.

Harris is the same type player. A RB body playing WR. Good hands and good after the catch ability. Best used in underneath and crossing routes but certainly able to go deeper if not well guarded.

To me Cole Beasley is nothing like Welker. Cole is more like Terry Glenn. Speedy, quick, great hands and very precise in routes.

 

[Doomsay]

He blocks pretty well unlike some of the other #3 candidates. Having good instincts and learning routes are not necissarily the same things, he seems to have the former and is working on the latter, I think that his ceiling is pretty high.

 

[Future]

I actually watched Wes Welker play for years before most knew his name.

He was a HS running back out of Oklahoma. He was lightly recruited.

What Welker did day 1 better than anyone else was sit down in zones and break tackles. He wasn't initially out-quicking everyone or burning guys.

He was a short, stocky 4.6 40 WR. He was drafted as a special team return guy.

Harris is the same type player. A RB body playing WR. Good hands and good after the catch ability. Best used in underneath and crossing routes but certainly able to go deeper if not well guarded.

To me Cole Beasley is nothing like Welker. Cole is more like Terry Glenn. Speedy, quick, great hands and very precise in routes.

Good post, agree with everything...like the Terry Glenn comparsion.

Welker still isn't out-quicking everyone. That's why a guy like Scandrick, for the most part, was able to shut him down against NE. Wes doesn't have unbelievable physical ability, and neither does Harris really. That's why I think it makes sense to compare the two.

 

[InmanRoshi]

Welker was one of the greatest punt returners in NCAA history and broke an all time NCAA record with 8 punt returns for TDs. You don't do that by just finding some soft spots in zone coverage. You do that when you have the lateral quickness to juke defenders out of their socks. Harris isn't close to that kind of athlete.

 

[AZ_Cowboys_Fan]

From what Romo says, he needs to work the little things, whatever that might be. He does think he has potential. I'm not sure how his ceiling is. I think he will contribute nicely.

The "little things" mean being where he needs to be with his route running. Romo needs to be able to trust him, simple as that. I think his ceiling is WR3 and a solid fill in at WR2 if needed much like Laurent Robinson last season.

 

[jterrell]

Welker was one of the greatest punt returners in NCAA history and broke an all time NCAA record with 8 punt returns for TDs. You don't do that by just finding some soft spots in zone coverage. You do that when you have the lateral quickness to juke defenders out of their socks. Harris isn't close to that kind of athlete.

I watched probably every offiicial Welker return... either live or on TV.

He did have a great first miss rate but he was a straight ahead runner who shrugged off tackles. He looked quite a lot like Herschel Walker did returning kick offs. He got North/South on you and came right at you. He was low to the ground and attacked defenders space. He'd use little shifts but hardly ever needed more than one per return.

He was certainly not imitating Barry Sanders.

Danny Amendola had the role after Welker. He was much more reliant on making people miss.

 

[InmanRoshi]

I watched probably every offiicial Welker return... either live or on TV.

So did I. I have parents who are Tech season ticket holders. And he was uncanny with making people miss and displayed short area quickness. You don't break NCAA records for TDs running 4.6's without amazing short area quickness. You don't go on and become the greatest slot WR in NFL history by just finding an open area of the zone and sitting down in it. It would be too easy for NFL defensive coordinators to take away by manning him up with a slot guy. This idea that NFL defensive coordinators could take him out of the game whenever they want to, but choose not to, is ridiculous. He gets open because slot CBs can't cover him in man because he's too explosive in and out of his cuts.

God Bless Dwayne Harris. He can be the next Bobby Wade or Bobby Engram. But he just doesn't have nearly the short area quickness or explosion out of his cuts to be Wes Welker.