Danno

NICK UNDERHILL| NUNDERHILL@THEADVOCATE.COM

Kenny Vaccaro summoned the name of Delvin Breaux.

It’s an easy comparison. Last year, Breaux came to the New Orleans Saints from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League and immediately made an impact. Now, his former CFL teammate, Erik Harris, is trying to do the same thing.

But, after letting the words hang in the air for less than a second, Vaccaro thought better of it. Make no mistake, Harris has looked good, but the comparison is at least premature and maybe even unfair.

Breaux played at such a high level last season that it’s now expected he’ll become one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL this year. Harris, on the other hand, only has a couple of weeks of offseason practices under his belt and needs to make the team before he can worry about anything else, but those few weeks have impressed his teammates.

“(Harris is a) stud. He’s been playing good every practice,” Vaccaro said. “He’s competing. He’s making plays. He has a lot of range. He’s smart. I can’t say enough good things about him.”

Harris’ quick rise has been a bit of a surprise.

After he signed with the Saints this offseason, a CFL talent evaluator told The Advocate that he expected him to make his mark on special teams and maybe steal some snaps at weakside linebacker.

Instead, Harris has been running with the first-team defense as both a strong and free safety during organized team activities and minicamp. His opportunity to play with the first team has come in part by an injury to Jairus Byrd, who has been unavailable during team drills, but it says something about where Harris stands with the team.

“The guy has been playing well,” Breaux said. “He’s been balling, something that I knew already. I know he can do this. I know he’s a great athlete. He’s showing and proving to the coaches and proving it to the coaches as well. It’s big.”

So, does Breaux think Harris is catching on as quickly as he did last season?

“I think he’s actually doing a little bit better than me because safety is easy,” Breaux joked, forcing the words over a muffled laugh. “He can just sit back there and read the play. It was tough for me last year a little bit because I had to adjust. Safety, you’re back in the post, and you’re chilling. But no, he’s doing a great job. He’s catching on quick.”

“He definitely put his reputation behind what I did with him up there,” Harris said. “I can’t say enough. I called him probably about 10 times after I signed to thank him. For somebody to go out of their way at this level and just say, ‘Hey, trust this guy, pick this guy up.’ ”

Harris was listed as a strongside linebacker, but with the way the CFL game is played, w... he played a position more resembling safety.

“Everyone gets confused when I say the Sam linebacker up there. It’s really a hybrid safety,” Harris said. “You’re covering a receiver, and then you’re playing in the box when they substitute a receiver for a fullback. You do a little bit of everything.”

It will be shocking if Byrd, Vonn Bell and Vaccaro do not make the team. It also sounds like Roman Harper, who signed last week, was guaranteed a spot on the roster. So, that leaves Harris fighting with the likes of Jamarca Sanford and Alden Darby for a roster spot.

ENTIRE ARTICLE:Saints safety Erik Harris, imported from the CFL this offseason, is making a strong first impression | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, Louisiana

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