The New Orleans Saints might have a star on their hands in rookie returns specialist Deonte Harris. Harris has made the leap from small-school Assumption College to the NFL, fielding punts and kickoffs in front of crowds 70,000-strong after setting NCAA records in front of maybe 3,000 spectators each week. Some growing pains are to be expected.
Saints coach Sean Payton acknowledged as much after Harris’s rough game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in which he muffed one punt and fumbled another after being tackled during a return. Payton expressed faith in the rookie’s ability to figure out the nuances of fielding punts at the pro level during his weekly media conference call.
“I think there are things we can clean up and I know he’s real conscientious and he’ll work on those things,” Payton said. “He’s too talented of a player right now and I think our approach is working that much more on the technique and getting himself stationary and set and then also when you hit a little adversity not to allow the first bad play to effect plays later in the game. But that’s part of the process and we’re going to work our tails off and clean a lot of that up. He is a talented player and we will continue to work with him on the technique.”
Harris has been sensational for the Saints this year, currently leading the league in punt return yards (138) and laying claim to one of two punts returned for a touchdown throughout the entire league; Los Angeles Chargers defensive back Desmond King is the only other player to accomplish that through five weeks. Harris’s 53-yard touchdown return against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3 was just the seventh punt to be fielded for a score by a Saints player since 2006.
So clearly he has the tools to be successful. It falls on Payton’s staff to help Harris acclimate to a higher level of competition than he’s used to and become a better judge of when he’ll have an opportunity to make a play, and when it may be better to hang back.
When asked whether the Saints see a distinction in simply dropping a punted ball or having it torn loose after the catch, Payton was careful to affirm that: “Yes, there is fielding a ball cleanly, differently than fumbling a ball after you have fielded it. Yes, the key for (Harris) is just the decisions, understanding the hangtime of a ball, all the little things that go into being a returner in this league and I think he has the traits to be an awfully good returner in this league. We will keep working on the specifics in ball security and also the technique of getting your feet set and getting in the proper position.”
