Miami Dolphins Charles Harris trying to gain confidence in new system

The Miami Dolphins are banking on defensive end Charles Harris becoming the talent that made him a first-round draft pick. They need him to.

Through the start of his NFL career, Charles Harris has been an invisible man who occasionally lines up as the defensive end and just as quietly exits the field. Whether it is confidence or other, the Miami Dolphins are trying to figure out what he is and can be.

Through the off-season mini-camps and OTA’s, Harris has been heralded by head coach Brian Flores but is it an attempt to get into his head mentally and change his approach or is Charles Harris really starting to blossom? We won’t know until the pads go on and the team starts playing pre-season and meaningful games later this summer.

For now, Harris is trying to find the answers and the confidence to become an every-down defensive end that the team can work with.

"“I think it’s very high. Across the board, I feel like the whole team, Coach ‘Flo’ (Flores) tells us every single day that we should be growing in confidence. – via Miami Dolphins released press conference transcripts."

Harris needs the Dolphins to have faith and confidence in him. He too needs to find it in himself. The Dolphins are very thin at the defensive end position letting Cameron Wake leave in free agency and trading Robert Quinn this past off-season.

Harris has been learning some linebacker roles during the practice sessions and that may fit his skill set better. When asked about how he has been doing learning the new system, Harris says he is doing fine.

"(What has been the most challenging part about this defense and learning it?) – “Nothing has been challenging so far. It’s just like any time you install something new, you’ve got to learn it, get it down and get comfortable with it. That’s all you have to do is (learn) it like the back of your hand.”"

While Harris may not find it too challenging now, it will get challenging soon enough. Harris is going to have to find the physicality within himself that Brian Flores wants to bring to the defensive play. It will need to define him personally and will be the catalyst as to whether he is on the team in 2020. In other words, despite the praise of Flores, Harris is essentially trying out for his long-term future.