Jacob Harris playing WR, not TE - per McVay

[shovelpass]

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2021/11/03/rams-jacob-harris-sean-mcvay-wide-receiver-change/

“Jacob Harris is a receiver. He’s listed as a tight end. We’ll see if we can get that changed on the flip card, but he’s really playing receiver for us,” McVay said Wednesday

 

[CGI_Ram]

Sean McVay: Jacob Harris is playing WR for Rams, not TE

Sean McVay revealed that Jacob Harris is playing WR and not TE for the Rams, adding depth at wideout.

theramswire.usatoday.com

Sean McVay: Jacob Harris is playing WR for Rams, not TE​

The Los Angeles Rams recently waived DeSean Jackson and placed Tutu Atwell on season-ending injured reserve, leaving them visibly thin at wide receiver. The Rams have since signed J.J. Koski from their practice squad to provide depth behind Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Van Jefferson, and Ben Skowronek.

While the addition of Koski gives Los Angeles only five wide receivers on their depth chart, Sean McVay shared that Jacob Harris should be considered a wide receiver and not a tight end.

“Jacob Harris is a receiver. He’s listed as a tight end. We’ll see if we can get that changed on the flip card, but he’s really playing receiver for us,” McVay said Wednesday.

Harris, a rookie fourth-round pick by the Rams, has only seen 15 offensive snaps this season. That being said, when Harris was selected in the draft back in April, it was apparent that he’d be a versatile weapon due to his size and athleticism.

On the current depth chart, Harris is listed as a tight end behind Tyler Higbee and Kendall Blanton. But with McVay’s comments on Wednesday, it’s clear that the Rams view the Central Florida product as someone that can create mismatches out wide.

During his final two collegiate seasons, Harris caught 49 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns, with eight of those touchdowns coming in 2020. Harris was able to create mismatches at 6-foot-5, averaging 20.1 yards per reception in college.

Amid the flurry of news surrounding the Rams this week, many expected the Rams to add some depth at wide receiver. Besides activating Koski from the practice squad, and moving Harris to wide receiver more, I wouldn’t expect more moves at wide receiver, at least for the time being.

 

[TexasRam]

Yea heard that last night as well and took note.

My first thought is they might be creating some packages for him to implement in the playoffs. Go up against some teams with midget CB's and you can exploit that mismatch while catching them off guard.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Don’t worry guys. They will draft three more receivers next year.

 

[Psycho_X]

Give him Divajax's job. He's got the speed to just burn down the field past safeties. He's probably too raw for much else but seems primed for a downfield Calvin Johnson type role Stafford loved abusing back in the day... throw it up to the big, fast tall guy down the field.

 

[dieterbrock]

And Hopkins is still on the 53. Bizarre....

 

[Soul Surfer]

And Hopkins is still on the 53. Bizarre....

Some players just develop a little bit slower but that doesn't mean he won't develop and should be cut.

 

[Ellard80]

please no.... I like to use harris in madden - he has 90 speed for a TE!!!!

plus losing djax speed soon....

 

[Allen2McVay]

Some players just develop a little bit slower but that doesn't mean he won't develop and should be cut.

Makes me wonder what the Rams really think of Brycen Hopkins.

If they did not like him at all, I would not expect him to be on thee 53. However, thus far, they have chosen to not expose Hopkins by trying to place him on the Practice Squad.

Sebastian Joseph-Day was on the 53 his rookie season but was a game-day inactive the entire year. It was like a red-shirt season for him but the Rams apparently did not want to run the risk of losing him.

Chris Garrett may fall into that category this season ... on the 53-man-roster but inactive thus far for all but one game.

Now Hopkins is in his second season, and has barely touched the field. If they are convinced he is not an NFL-player, don't think they would hold a roster spot for him. If they thought he could help, they would have him active ... even at just a third TE. McVay said Jacob Harris is a WR ... that means they have mostly gone with just two TEs on game-days.

So that leaves me thinking the Rams don't believe Brycen Hopkins can contribute right now but believe there is some talent there, and they want to continue to work with that.

I expected that with Everett gone, Hopkins would be a game-active 3rd-TE (behind Higbee and Mundt), OR he would be cut.

 

[blackbart]

A little surprised they haven’t at least tried Harris in the red zone. There have a couple of trips there that stalled and he showed well in camp and preseason.

I’m sure every team in the league saw the press he got, if nothing else he takes a top db away from someone else. No way a lb covers him.

 

[thirteen28]

At his listed weight of 219, it's hard to think of him as a TE. As psycho said above, just put him in on some go routes to stress the D deep.

 

[BonifayRam]

It has been mentioned several times here in posts but this WR cadre has grown in physical size sizeably in less than one week.

The IR of skinny & small 6-0/150 pound Atwell & the release of Jackson cleared the way for two much larger wideouts ....... Jacob Harris 6-5/221 & Ben Skowronek 6-3/ 235 Koski is not small either @ 6-1/195. Plus they just added a new WR Warren Jackson who is over 6-6/220.

Our active 7 wide outs:
Kupp
Woods
Jefferson (2nd season)
Harris(R)
Skowronek(R)
Koski (2nd season)

Rams expect rookie Jacob Harris to help fill DeSean Jackson’s WR role

Ben Skowronek, Jacob Harris and J.J. Koski get their big break

www.turfshowtimes.com

 

[blackbart]

@BonifayRam and they really didn’t lose much speed over all. I know the fourth times but games speed and running in shorts and a t-shirt are just not the same thing.

Look how much that slow guy from Eastern Wa gets done.

 

[Soul Surfer]

Makes me wonder what the Rams really think of Brycen Hopkins.

If they did not like him at all, I would not expect him to be on thee 53. However, thus far, they have chosen to not expose Hopkins by trying to place him on the Practice Squad.

Sebastian Joseph-Day was on the 53 his rookie season but was a game-day inactive the entire year. It was like a red-shirt season for him but the Rams apparently did not want to run the risk of losing him.

Chris Garrett may fall into that category this season ... on the 53-man-roster but inactive thus far for all but one game.

Now Hopkins is in his second season, and has barely touched the field. If they are convinced he is not an NFL-player, don't think they would hold a roster spot for him. If they thought he could help, they would have him active ... even at just a third TE. McVay said Jacob Harris is a WR ... that means they have mostly gone with just two TEs on game-days.

So that leaves me thinking the Rams don't believe Brycen Hopkins can contribute right now but believe there is some talent there, and they want to continue to work with that.

I expected that with Everett gone, Hopkins would be a game-active 3rd-TE (behind Higbee and Mundt), OR he would be cut.

That is ostensibly what's the six men that are on the 53 are for.

It is a way to have 6 players in development that can't be grabbed by other teams.

And you mentioned some good ones that are now major contributors in Joseph- Day and Chris Garrett.

I know that one of the reasons we have this site is actually FOR making opinions and observations but quite a few statements are made on here without 2% of the knowledge of the coaches and the Rams organization.

Frustrated wanna be general managers.

 

[Allen2McVay]

That is ostensibly what's the six men that are on the 53 are for.

It is a way to have 6 players in development that can't be grabbed by other teams.

Hi SS:
Not certain what the above means.

Do you mean the final-six on the 53? The end-of-the-roster guys?

 

[Kupped]

Not really a surprise in any way. He hasn't been used as a TE at all, so it makes sense.
I don't think he's much of a blocker, no leverage. That's one reason Skow has blown past him, imo.

Harris is still very raw and very young. Like his potential, but am nowhere ready to count on him for anything other than special teams coverage.

 

[Merlin]

Well when the team won't play the dude even after they're running on fumes at the TE position it is what it is. Still think he can help us add size and catch radius to the field but it's hard to work those guys in if they're not showing enough to get on the field and the Rams are pretty damn good at determining all that.

So keep studying that playbook 87 and hope to see those snap counts increase. If not, welp, maybe he'll be a bonus player for us next year and make an impact.

 

[Kupped]

Well when the team won't play the dude even after they're running on fumes at the TE position it is what it is. Still think he can help us add size and catch radius to the field but it's hard to work those guys in if they're not showing enough to get on the field and the Rams are pretty damn good at determining all that.

So keep studying that playbook 87 and hope to see those snap counts increase. If not, welp, maybe he'll be a bonus player for us next year and make an impact.

My biggest concern is ball security, to be honest. Preseason didn't make me feel good about that.

 

[1maGoh]

It has been mentioned several times here in posts but this WR cadre has grown in physical size sizeably in less than one week.

The IR of skinny & small 6-0/150 pound Atwell & the release of Jackson cleared the way for two much larger wideouts ....... Jacob Harris 6-5/221 & Ben Skowronek 6-3/ 235 Koski is not small either @ 6-1/195. Plus they just added a new WR Warren Jackson who is over 6-6/220.

Our active 7 wide outs:
Kupp
Woods
Jefferson (2nd season)
Harris(R)
Skowronek(R)
Koski (2nd season)

Rams expect rookie Jacob Harris to help fill DeSean Jackson’s WR role

Ben Skowronek, Jacob Harris and J.J. Koski get their big break

www.turfshowtimes.com

It's weird that TST listed Harris as 220. The Rams app (which matches their site for everything else I've seen, but I didn't check on this) has him at 211. Maybe a typo.

 

[PressureD41]

Stafford always preferred bigger bodied WRs, no?