By Jordan Long
The Denver Broncos are preparing for the NFL Draft which starts tomorrow. There is one player who isn’t happy with their current situation, cornerback Chris Harris. He is in the final year of his contract and wants an extension or be dealt to another NFL team that will pay him.
Harris has been one of the top cornerbacks for the Denver Broncos since Denver drafted him in 2011. He is one of the best cornerbacks in pass coverage. Harris is able to knock the ball away from being caught. Quarterbacks can’t throw his way without the fear of being picked off. Harris totaled 19 interceptions and 84 passes defended in his career.
In the open field Harris won’t miss tackling a runner. This stops them from a long gain which could be touchdowns or 1st downs. Harris is everything a team wants at a cornerback. Denver should do whatever it takes to keep him.
According to ESPN, General Manager John Elway said, “I haven’t even thought about that, so no. We have not gotten there. Like I said, we’ll talk about Chris’ contract when the draft’s over and see what they’re looking for.”
The Broncos know in order to make it back to the Super Bowl, they must keep Harris. Without him, the secondary isn’t as scary. Quarterbacks can throw to either side if Denver doesn’t have a shutdown cornerback to knock the ball away or cause turnovers.
Harris wants $15 million a year, a lot to pay him. He will be 30 once the season starts. He is past his prime and needs to understand that. Harris has lost a step and the speed isn’t there like it was 4 or 5 years ago. He must make his contract demands a lower.
The Broncos have a few options. First is to let him play this season out on the final year of his current contract. After that they could risk losing him for nothing and let him sign a deal with another team or talk after the season ends depending on how well Harris played. Second is to negotiate a new agreement that may not pay him $15 million but could earn that much with performance bonuses. Last is to straight up trade him to another franchise for a draft pick. Sure this would make the Broncos defense weaker, but at least they would receive something back to use in a future NFL Draft.
The Broncos are going to do what is best for the team moving forward. They will work on the NFL Draft for the rest of the week. Once it is over, then worry about Chris Harris and his future in Denver. This should be resolved by the time the Broncos open up training camp in July. fffffffffff
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