Tommie Harris Healthy Going Into Camp
With Bears Training Camp on the horizon, one of the biggest questions about the team has to do with the health of Tommie Harris. With the Bears use of the Tampa-2 Defense, Harris' contribution as the 3-Technique Tackle is essential.
The good news for Harris and Bears fans is that he's as healthy as he's been since coming into the NFL.
"It's my first time ever going through all the mini-camps and OTA. I'm just looking forward to it." Harris told me.
Harris will come into camp at 300lbs. which is the lightest that he's come into camp as a pro. The Bears have been very careful with Harris' workload in Training Camp and if that's the approach that they take this summer, Harris both appreciates and understands.
"I'm a vet so I take all the says they tell me to take off." Harris said with a chuckle. "No need to beat up my body in Training Camp. I'm looking forward to going through all the proper practices, all the days, but whenever Lovie tells me to sit, I'll sit."
What Harris is looking most forward to is seeing the impact that new Defensive End, Julius Peppers, has on how Harris is blocked.
"He takes away (Peppers) chips from Linebackers. The Centers aren't as quick to slide the whole line. He'll open up a lot of 1-on-1's for me and I'll open up a lot for him. Getting a guy like that...expectations are high."
Harris also believes that Mark Anderson could have a big year working opposite of Peppers. The hope is that the play of Defensive Line opens up opportunities for big plays from Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher. According to Harris, Urlacher is fully recovered and ready to work in camp after a wrist injury in the opener last year, that left him out for the season.
"When you see him train, he (Urlacher) has a fire in his eye that I've never seen before. Harris said. "I'm looking forward to seeing 54 back out there with us and have a great year."
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