And while Demps is still listed as No. 1, it's not lost on anyone, especially himself, that while most Eagles starters will take the night off or make cameo appearances against the Jets, he'll be out there because he has not solidified the job that has been his to lose.
"I look back, and I feel like if I had played better in some of [the other preseason] games, we wouldn't be having this discussion," Demps candidly said yesterday. "If I had played a little more solidly, we wouldn't have this controversy going on.
"But that's part of preseason. You're going to make some mistakes, and you have to learn from them. Once the season comes around, you have them corrected.
"No struggle, no progress. You learn from mistakes and don't repeat them."
If Demps wants to see whether he will step it up, Harris wants to keep excelling. Officially, the rookie from Virginia Tech is second on the depth chart at free safety behind Demps, but clearly there is an opportunity for him to move up.
The coaching staff views the free and strong safety positions as interchangeable, and another strong showing by Harris would only boost him in the eyes of coaches who've been intrigued since the first minicamp.
A 2008 All-America who slipped into the fifth round of the draft, Harris was selected as a cornerback. But the Eagles have a lot of depth at that position, so they transitioned Harris.
"I'm comfortable with being a safety now," said Harris, who does not lack confidence. "I know I still have a lot of learning to do, because it is a new position. Your view as a corner is different than safety.
"My last game in college, I thought I was going to be a corner, but things change. For me, it's whatever the team needs me to do, I'll do it. If they want me to play linebacker, I'll try."
