Anthony Harris gives Eagles fans a glimpse of what to expect from defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon

The Eagles posted a video of new safety Anthony Harris arriving at NovaCare Tuesday, and the main thing most people noticed was how Harris was pounced upon by defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, as Harris stepped through the door.

“He’s going to bring some energy,” Harris predicted, when asked about Gannon later during a Zoom call with reporters. Gannon questions took up an unusual amount of Harris’s news conference, because the Eagles haven’t made the coordinator available to reporters in the two months since he joined new head coach Nick Sirianni’s staff. “He’s going to be somebody who has that balance of being dialed in, getting to the point, letting you know what his expectations are, but he’s also going to be that guy right there with you, jumping around when you make a play.

“I imagine he’ll be right there next to guys, maybe even demonstrating some of the drills. He’s just that type of guy, who loves football, who loves being around the players, and ultimately, who just wants to win.”

Harris and Gannon were with the Vikings from 2015-17, before Gannon went to the Colts. It’s a bit of a stretch, though, to say that Harris knows a lot about Gannon’s system, having played for him. Gannon was an assistant defensive backs coach for the Vikings, and Harris was an undrafted safety who started eight games in the three seasons they were together. Nobody knows for sure what a Gannon system will look like, because he hasn’t run one, at any level. Gannon was the Colts’ defensive backs coach the past three years.

“That’s the one thing that I’m excited about, that it’s something new,” Harris said. “In terms of what his defense may look like, that’s something that you may have to ask him, but regardless of what it is, I’m excited. ... I expect his defense to be fundamentally sound, just knowing him. ... He’s really big on effort, controlling what you can control and just flying around playing football, and just loving it.”

In Minnesota, Harris was predominately a deep safety, but he played in the slot and in the box as well, when needed. Rodney McLeod has been more of a deep safety than a strong safety since his arrival here in 2016, but McLeod is rehabbing from December ACL surgery and might not be ready when the season starts.

Harris, 29, and McLeod, who turns 31 in June, overlapped one year at Virginia, when McLeod was a senior and Harris a freshman. Both became NFL starters despite not having been drafted.

“He was a big mentor for me,” Harris said. “Took me under the wing, kind of showed me what it was like to be a player at that level, how he studied the game, how he put in the work outside of what he did with the team. ... Once I made the decision [to sign with the Eagles], he was one of the first people I contacted.”

The Vikings slapped the $11,441,000 franchise tag on Harris a year ago, instead of letting him head into free agency off a six-interception season. He hoped to build on that year and cash in big in 2021, but 2020 proved to be a down year for Harris and the Vikings. The team’s 7-9 record was its worst since 2014. Harris intercepted no passes, and his Pro Football Focus overall grade went from an exceptional 90.5 in 2019 to a middling 66.2. His coverage grade dipped from 91.6 to 63.6.

The bare-bones, one-year, $5 million deal he took from the Eagles was not what Harris had hoped for, going into 2020.

“I’m not quite sure [why the down year happened]. Sometimes you work really hard to get to a situation or prepare yourself as much as possible, and things just don’t work out,” Harris said. “Last year was a tough year for everyone. ... I think everybody who went through what last year brought to the table, whether it was financially, health-wise, with yourself or families, I think we all just take what we can from it.”

Harris was a Viking during the January 2018 NFC championship game, which the host Eagles won 38-7.

“I remember the atmosphere was electric. I remember being in warmup, Meek Mill’s song playing [Dreams and Nightmares] and the players on the field dancing and embracing it, the crowd going wild. ... That’s something I’m looking forward to, that extra burst of energy,” he said.