Tommie

Harris

Eugene Parker, his new agent, has been involved with two brief holdouts involving top Bears picks: David Terrell and Rex Grossman.

“Tommie told me he wants to be there, so I have to go with what he says,” Smith said. “He’s a Christian man who says he wants to be there, so I assume he’s going to be there.” Rumors have persisted that Harris’ change in agents could result in missing part of training camp.

Harris said there was an 80% chance he’d sign today in an article this morning. The singing defensive tackle will look to clog up the middle in Chicago.

Harris is one rookie many expect to go through a long holdout.

''You know it was cheap,’' Harris said. ''Everybody saw it was cheap. You saw that junk. That’s the only way they can block me.’' Harris came back into the game later, but he’ll get further examined Monday.

Harris was cut by Chicago last offseason, when he was scheduled to earn $5.3 million. After losing Amobi Okoye and cutting Anthony Adams, there’s a fresh need for depth up front. Harris would be no higher than fourth on depth chart if he’s brought back. “He could be productive in stretches,” one personnel director said of Harris recently. “But he has degenerative knees. It will be a question as to whether or not he can get through a season.”

Formerly a three-technique defensive tackle in Indianapolis and Chicago, Harris was announced as a “DE” in San Diego’s press release. He’s playing in a 3-4 scheme for the first time in his life. The Chargers can’t expect much from Harris, whose pass-rushing burst is long gone. He’ll back up RE Corey Liuget.

That’s how many Harris played in his Bolts debut last Sunday, and it’s a number HC Norv Turner would like to hold him at. Harris has just 4.5 sacks since the end of the 2008 season, and is far from a slam dunk to last through the end of the year in San Diego.

No rookie is pulling away, so Harris is near the top of the list. The disruptive defensive tackle has 40 tackles and 3.5 sacks, solid numbers for an interior lineman. Other candidates include Houston cornerback Dunta Robinson, Denver linebacker D.J. Williams, and New York Giant safety Gibril Wilson.

The same goes for second-team SLB Pisa Tinoisamoa, who like Harris has a recent history of knee problems. Harris was a liability against both the pass and run while playing through knee injuries last season. Though he’s still only 27 years old, time will tell whether Harris can regain his explosiveness.