Jun 12, 2012; Irving, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware (94) motions during minicamp at Dallas Cowboys headquarters. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Game 2 of the NFL Preseason is on Saturday for our Chargers and the starters should play all the way till halftime. OT Mike Harris is included in that list of starters and he will get the lovely assignment of keeping 4-time All-Pro LB DeMarcus Ware off of Philip Rivers. A little piddle came out thinking thinking about that assignment for the kid.

Ware is just the NFL Sack leader in 2010 and 2008. Only finished 2nd in the league last season with 19.5 sacks. Just ranking in at 6th in sacks on the active player list. Nothing to worry about at all!

Mike Harris and his ZERO career NFL starts will have all of our eyes this weekend. Philip needs to leave this game in one piece and Harris will be a huge huge factor in making sure that happens.

If Harris can get the job done on Saturday, my confidence on the left side will feel a tad bit better. I probably will continue my frustrations on Jared Gaither though.

Dec 31, 2011; San Francisco CA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini defensive lineman Whitney Mercilus (85) is blocked by UCLA Bruins offensive tackle Mike Harris (65) during the second quarter at AT

It was a priority to build up the depth all over the roster, but one of the most important positions on a team has an undrafted free agent and a player that was out of the league last season competing for first team reps with starter Jared Gaither sitting sideline with an injury.

When Gaither first went down with the injury, Mario Henderson was called up to take  first team snaps. Henderson was out of the NFL last season and last played for the Oakland Raiders in the 2010 season. He was released by them after showing up to camp out of shape last year and no other NFL team gave him a call. He has worked his way back into the league and onto our roster, signing a deal to be the backup for Gaither. With his first opportunity to get first team reps, an undrafted free agent rookie is stealing some action.

Mike Harris was signed onto the squad after the draft out of UCLA. 7 rounds passed and the 6-foot-5, 310 pound man was unselected. The Chargers gave him a call and gave him an opportunity and now Harris has impressed the coaching staff so much (OR Henderson has underwhelmed so much) that he is lining up on offense with Philip Rivers, Ryan Mathews and Antonio Gates. Let’s just hope that he is the next undrafted free agent superstar for the Bolts offensive line like Kris Dielman was.

“I’m not going to lie. I was a little bit nervous, too. But once you’re out there, it’s just football. The competition is a lot better, but as long as I can match their athleticism and do my techniques right, everything will work out” – Mike Harris (SDUT)

Undrafted free agent VS guy out of the league last season. How bad is the depth at left tackle for the Chargers? Someone get Marcus McNeill in for a physical!

Dec 31, 2011; San Francisco CA, USA; UCLA Bruins wide receiver Taylor Embree (82) catches a pass for a touchdown past Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Tavon Wilson (3) during the second quarter at AT

I’m the editor of Fansided’s UCLA blog, Go Joe Bruin. After going totally nuts after we had zero NFL draftees, I was excited to find out that some of our Bruins made it to my favorite football team as undrafted free agents: the Oakland Raiders.

OUCH. Sorry, but my spleen popped as I wrote that. It was meant to be a joke, but somehow a Raider fan must’ve overheard and wound up shanking me. I never learn my lessons with these guys, do I?

Anyway, the Chargers managed to sign two Bruins from our 2012 class: WR Taylor Embree and OG Mike Harris.  I thought I’d give my thoughts on them:

WR Taylor Embree

Embree’s story at UCLA is a typical one that you’d expect from an undrafted free agent: Talented as hell, but lacking in the work ethic to have a legit season. That’s not to say he has a bad attitude, but rather, much like his counterpart at UCLA, Nelson Rosario, he suffered from not being the workhorse that most NFL draftees are. He’s got “serviceable” capabilities, I’m sure, but he’s also slightly lazy, a result of head coach Rick Neuheisel’s lackadaisical tenure as “The Man.”

Of course, we know that San Diego is incredibly thin at wide-out, with Robert Meachem and Malcom Floyd being the immediate primary targets (don’t get me wrong, I dug Meachem at New Orleans, but is he really going to replace Vincent Jackson?). With that, and the fact that his only competition among undrafted free agents is a UNLV wide-out, I’m sure Embree is going to break into the rotation of wide-outs … if he applies himself.

(Although, Embree wouldn’t have been my first choice: UCLA wide-out Nelson Rosario really has all the physical abilities that Justin Blackmon has, but was a total lazy-butt while playing for UCLA. It should also be noted that neither had a half-decent QB throwing to them for all four years in Westwood.)

OG Mike Harris

The dude’s pretty durable, and hasn’t missed too many games in his time at UCLA.

That said, I didn’t scout Harris all that much last season, but I do know this: Our offensive line sucked. Teams easily rammed through the line and inhibited much of our passing game (which isn’t hard, mind you), although our running game wasn’t too awful.

Obviously, I can’t blame or credit Harris for much of anything, nor can I say it’s a reflection of his talent. I do know that this dude is big: He’s 6’5”, 310 pounds, so he’s definitely made to be an offensive lineman.

Beyond that, I can’t tell you much.

***

I know not many care, since there are so many undrafted free agents that are signed. However … well, there’s no caveat. Let’s just leave it at that before it gets awkward.

(Oh, and for bragging rights: No Bruins, thankfully, were signed by the Oakland Raiders, a team associated with crime and filth. How funny: Our rivals, U$C, is a school that’s associated with crime and filth and as it turns out, they’ve managed to sign yet another failed Trojan: Matt Leinart. Just a thought!)