Chris Harris (CB) - Pro Football Rumors

Chris Harris Wants To Stay With Broncos

April 24th, 2019 at 2:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos are listening to trade offers for cornerback Chris Harris Jr., Mike Klis of 9News hears. Meanwhile, Harris says his preference is to stay put – though he wants a new contract in order to remain in Denver.

“Oh, yeah, definitely,’’ Harris said when asked if fences can be mended. “I want to be here so we can salvage it.’’

When asked how his tenuous relationship with the team can be salvaged, Harris replied: “You know how.”

The Broncos, Klis hears, “won’t give him away,” which suggests that this saga could drag on for a while. The Broncos, for now, are unwilling to meet Harris’ demand of a deal that will pay him in excess of $15MM/year.

There will undoubtedly be a market for Harris’ services, but any club considering him will have to factor in the cost of a new contract in addition to the assets surrendered in a trade. Klis hears that one team inquired on Harris earlier this week, before things came to a boil on Tuesday.

Klis adds in a separate tweet that GM John Elway is in no rush to deal Harris, so perhaps the two side can, in fact, find some common ground.

Latest On Broncos, Chris Harris

April 24th, 2019 at 10:54am CST by Zachary Links

Chris Harris wants a new contract from the Broncos that will pay him more than $15MM/year or a trade to a club that will give him the deal he desires. Right now, it sounds like the latter scenario is more likely. The Broncos are unwilling to meet his demands, Mike Klis of 9News hears.

Harris is entering the final year of a five-year extension he signed in December 2014. The deal has him tied for 24th in the league in terms of average annual value. Meanwhile, he’s among the very best at his position.

Harris felt slighted by the Broncos’ decision to ink free agent Kareem Jackson to a three-year deal worth $11MM per year before addressing his own contract, Klis hears. Jackson, 31, is one year older than Harris and has not played anywhere near Harris’ level, so his frustration is understandable.

The Broncos, ideally, would love to keep Harris, but they’re a bit limited with just $11.7MM in cap space. In the past, the Broncos have made small concessions to keep Harris happy, but that likely won’t get the job done this time. Last year, the club tacked a $3MM incentive package on to Harris’ contract. A similar compromise seems unlikely to work this offseason.

Broncos GM John Elway, meanwhile, says he has bigger fish to fry.

“I don’t have time right now,” Elway said Tuesday when asked about negotiating a fresh deal for the cornerback. “I’m busy with the draft. We’ll talk about Chris. He’s under contract, so we’ll talk about that when the draft is over. When I say this, I said we’re going to talk about it. It doesn’t mean we’re going to do it.”

Meanwhile, the Broncos have yet to give Harris permission to seek a trade (Twitter link via Calvin Watkins of The Athletic).

Broncos CB Chris Harris Jr. Requests New Contract Or Trade

April 23rd, 2019 at 9:49pm CST by Rory Parks

Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr., who has not reported to minicamp, has formally requested a new contract or trade, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Mike Klis of 9News.com classifies this report as an “ominous turn,” and he adds that Harris is seeking a contract that will pay him at least $15MM per year (Twitter link).

Reports last week indicated that Harris would not be attending this week’s minicamp, which was not much of a surprise given that Harris also skipped voluntary workouts earlier in the month. It has been clear for some time that Harris, who is entering the final year of his current contract, is pushing for a new deal.

Denver is open to giving him one, but the $15MM/year figure would make Harris the highest-paid CB in the league on an AAV basis (the Redskins’ Josh Norman is also earning $15MM per year). But he does have leverage, as he has become one of the best corners in the league and is the heart and soul of the Broncos’ secondary.

Perhaps he is hoping that he can pressure the Broncos into giving into his demands so that they do not feel obligated to select a CB during this week’s draft, but if that was his plan, he should have made the request more than two days prior to the draft. Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post tweets that it was a misplay for Harris’ camp to make the request at this point, and Klis says in a separate tweet that a trade may be the best option for Harris and Denver.

After all, as good as Harris is, Klis says Broncos GM John Elway is highly unlikely to hand him a $15MM/year deal. Harris is nearly 30 and is coming off a fractured fibula, though considering the value of quality corners in today’s league, it would not be altogether surprising to see some team swinging a trade and at least coming close to meeting Harris’ demands.

Suddenly, the Harris situation has become one to pay close attention to, though Elway has made it clear that he is not going to address Harris’ contract until after the draft is over (Twitter link via Troy Renck of Denver7). He also indicated that a new contract might not get done, which is notable since most GMs in this situation will at least offer lip service suggesting that they expect the player in question to be with the team for the long haul.

Trade Rumors: Cardinals, Armstead, Haskins

April 23rd, 2019 at 8:29pm CST by Rory Parks

The Seahawks and Chiefs agreed to a blockbuster trade earlier today that will send Frank Clark to Kansas City. And as Albert Breer of SI.com writes, the veteran trade market is expected to remain hot this week. Breer says that rival clubs are “keeping an eye” on Cardinals‘ DL Robert Nkemdiche, and given that Nkemdiche suffered a torn ACL in December, it’s possible that he could be had for minimal compensation. He has battled injuries throughout his career and has not really lived up to his potential when on the field, but as a former first-round pick who won’t turn 25 until the regular season starts, it makes sense that he would draw some interest. He did post 4.5 sacks in 10 games (six starts) last year.

Now for more trade rumblings from around the league:

Assuming the Cardinals draft Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen expects the club to be patient with a Josh Rosen trade (Twitter link). If they cannot get fair value for Rosen prior to the draft, the Cards could wait until after a few signal-callers come off the board and QB-needy teams start to get a little anxious. We heard earlier today that Arizona is still undecided as to what it will do with the first pick in the draft, but if the Cardinals don’t nab Murray, it would be a major surprise.
Breer writes that 49ers‘ DE Arik Armstead is also expected to draw some trade interest, though he remains in San Francisco’s plans. Raiders‘ DT Justin Ellis is also said to be available, while Cowboys WR Allen Hurns is the best wideout that could be had via trade [SOURCE LINK].
In a separate piece, Breer writes that rival clubs are monitoring Jaguars LB Telvin Smith and Broncos CB Chris Harris Jr. as potential trade targets, though neither player is on the trade block just yet.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports continues to hear that the Lions and Jets are interested in trading down from their current first-round slots, and he sees the Falcons as a potential partner for Detroit (Twitter link). Interestingly, Breer hears the same [SOURCE LINK]. Clemson DT Christian Wilkins could be the target if Atlanta wants to move up, though Breer says the team has been “nosing around” offensive linemen as well as defensive linemen.
As La Canfora writes in a separate piece, the Redskins could be the Jets‘ trade partner if Washington feels it needs to trade up to land Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins. One way or another, JLC believes the Redskins will come away from the draft with Haskins in tow. This is at least the second time La Canfora has written about a potential deal between Washington and New York.
The Chargers are open to trading down from the No. 28 overall pick in Thursday’s draft, per the team’s official website. But given that there is a lot of depth in this draft and not many obvious first-round talents, GM Tom Telesco could find it difficult to execute such a deal.

Broncos’ Chris Harris Jr. To Skip Minicamp

April 14th, 2019 at 5:32pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Chris Harris Jr. is continuing to let his unhappiness be known. The star cornerback will not report to the Broncos’ minicamp this week, according to Mike Klis of Denver 9News.

Klis writes that Harris is looking “to send a message he wants his contract reworked.” Harris also skipped the team’s voluntary offseason workouts earlier this month so this isn’t a huge surprise, but this is more significant. Since the team has a new coach in Vic Fangio, they’re allowed to hold this early minicamp and have actual practices, which is much different from the conditioning workouts he had previously missed.

It shows that Harris isn’t missing around, and is an indication he could be prepared to extend his holdout into this summer. Despite the absences, Harris told Klis in an interview that it isn’t going to impact his play. “I’m ready,’’ Harris said. “This is easily going to be my best year this year.” Harris is heading into the final year of his contract, and is set to make $7.9MM in 2019.

The four-time Pro Bowler feels he’s underpaid, and wants a longterm commitment from the team especially since he’s being asked to do more after the departure of Aqib Talib last offseason. Although we heard in early March that there had been “very productive” talks between the two sides, Klis reports that “there have been no negotiations since Harris decided two weeks ago to stay away from the team.” This will be a situation to monitor as the offseason progresses.

Broncos’ Chris Harris Skips Workouts

April 2nd, 2019 at 9:42am CST by Zachary Links

Broncos cornerback Chris Harris will be a no-show for the Broncos’ first day of offseason activities, according to Mike Klis of 9News. The workouts are voluntary, but Harris is looking to make a statement as he pushes for a new deal.

Harris is entering the final year of his contract and is slated to earn $7.8MM in base pay. The Broncos are open to an extension, but they’re hoping to hold off on serious negotiations until after the draft.

In 2018, Harris once again graded out as a top five cornerback in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, his salary is tied for 23rd among all cornerbacks in the NFL. The Broncos, ostensibly, would like to keep Harris beyond 2019, but they have just $11.77MM in cap room with $5MM of that sum slotted for their No. 10 overall draft pick.

The Broncos can ill afford a Harris holdout. Even though they added defensive back Kareem Jackson on a three-year, $33MM deal and signed slot corner Bryce Callahan to a three-year, $21MM pact, Harris is the heart and soul of their secondary.

Broncos Exercise Sanders, Harris Options

March 11th, 2019 at 12:04pm CST by Zachary Links

As expected, Broncos picked up Emmanuel Sanders‘ $1.5MM option on Monday, according to Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). With that, Sanders has $1.5MM fully guaranteed on his scheduled $10.25MM payout for 2019. For his part, Sanders has said he’s way ahead of schedule in his rehab from an Achilles injury.

The Broncos also picked up their option on cornerback Chris Harris Jr. (Twitter link). The option, worth $1MM, will be followed by an additional $7.9MM payout in 2019.

Sanders, who will turn 32 on Sunday, recently balked at a potential pay cut. The Broncos, however, did not ask for a pay cut, so that was pretty much a moot point. Thanks to his fast recovery, Sanders should be able to return at some point during training camp.

Harris, meanwhile, is entering the final season of a five-year, $42.5MM deal. The contract has proven to be a tremendous value for the Broncos as Harris has blossomed into one of this era’s best cornerbacks. In 2018, Harris graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 3 overall CB. An extension could be on the way, but the Broncos first want to see how free agency plays out.

Broncos, Chris Harris Discussing Deal

March 3rd, 2019 at 5:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although John Elway said during his Combine presser an extension for Chris Harris was not in the works, the Broncos are beginning to do homework on this situation.

The Broncos met with Harris’ camp in Indianapolis, and the talks were “very productive,” Troy Renck of Denver7 reports (Twitter links). Harris said recently he would be open to a re-up, and Renck adds the perennial Pro Bowl cornerback wants to retire as a Bronco.

Now 29, Harris would seemingly be in stronger negotiating position perhaps even than he was when he signed his team-friendly extension late in the 2014 season. Unlike at that time, the Broncos have no other surefire answers at cornerback. At the time of Harris’ previous extension, the Broncos were finishing their first year with what became a formidable cornerback trio. Denver’s 2014 acquisitions of Aqib Talib and Bradley Roby helped anchor the eventual Super Bowl champions’ defense, but the Harris-Talib-Roby era is ending. Shortly after free agency opens, it is likely Roby will be employed elsewhere, too.

Also expected to let Tramaine Brock walk, the Broncos are searching for a No. 2 cornerback. Vic Fangio is expected to install more zone looks, following up several seasons of man-based schemes in Denver, but the new coach praised Harris as a key component of his upcoming defense.

Harris is entering the final season of a five-year, $42.5MM deal. A Pro Bowler before that somewhat surprising contract was signed, Harris became one of this era’s top corners over the course of this deal, picking up three more Pro Bowl honors and an All-Pro cameo. Most recently, he graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 3 overall corner in 2018. Given Denver’s immense need at this spot, and Harris’ performance on a below-market deal, it would make sense he will want a significant raise — perhaps at least in the Casey Hayward neighborhood ($11.4MM AAV).

Denver is expected to pursue corners in free agency and the draft, per Renck. The Broncos hold $34.5MM in cap space. A Harris extension could inflate that figure, though the ninth-year corner’s has a manageable $8.8MM cap number in 2019.

Broncos Rumors: Murray, Paradis, Keenum

February 27th, 2019 at 3:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Broncos agreed to acquire Joe Flacco, they will still be linked to this year’s top rookie quarterbacks — as they were last year. If Kyler Murray is available at No. 10, they may serve as a spot for teams looking to trade up. John Elway does not appear to believe the shorter passer would be a fit for an offense that will use plenty of under-center looks under new OC Rich Scangarello, per Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). The Broncos passed on Josh Allen and Josh Rosen last year and have been connected to Drew Lock. If Denver sticks at No. 10 and chooses a non-quarterback, the team will have had back-to-back top-10 picks without addressing its long-term QB need with one of them. The 2020 draft is expected to have high-profile passers, but it’s obviously no lock the Broncos will be in position to draft or trade up for one.

Here is the latest from Denver (via Indianapolis):

Despite the Flacco deal, Elway’s preference is to keep Case Keenum. It would take a restructured deal, though, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets. Keenum is attached an untenable $21MM cap number. With Flacco set to bring an $18.5MM figure to Denver, it is hard to see Keenum staying due to the pay cut it would require. The 30-year-old incumbent has not requested a trade, Elway said (per the Denver Post’s Ryan O’Halloran, on Twitter), adding the Broncos would allow him to seek one.
Matt Paradis probably looms as the Broncos’ top free agent priority. Elway has spoken with the Broncos’ center of the past four years and informed him they would like him back, Jhabvala tweets. But Paradis’ injury and price point will be a factor. The 29-year-old snapper has been expected to reach free agency, where a new market-setting deal may well await him — considering teams’ need for higher-end linemen. However, multiple executives predicted (via O’Halloran, Twitter link) Paradis will end up back in Denver on a one-year deal because of the broken fibula that ended his season last November.
The Broncos’ need for a cornerback is as great as it has been in five years, and Elway acknowledged (via Klis, on Twitter) the team needs to find a No. 2 corner to team with All-Pro Chris Harris. This would seem to point to Bradley Roby departing, which has been the expectation. Vic Fangio said (via Jhabvala) the Broncos will let Roby test free agency, a good sign he will not be back in 2019.
As for Harris, Elway said the team has not considered an extension yet and whether or not the Broncos do go in this direction will depend on their free agency period, per Troy Renck of Denver7 (on Twitter). However, Renck added earlier (Twitter link) the expectation is the Broncos will meet with Harris’ agent at the Combine. The 29-year-old corner has been one of Denver’s cornerstone players this decade, and with Roby likely to leave and Aqib Talib having been traded, Harris represents the Broncos’ only surefire option at corner. Denver is also set to let Tramaine Brock walk.
On its offensive line, Denver will bring back Ronald Leary, Elway confirmed (via Jhabvala, on Twitter). Leary has more than $5MM in injury guarantees due if he cannot pass a physical by March 17. It’s been previously reported the veteran guard will be unable to pass said physical by then. Leary has seen both of his Denver seasons end early because of injury. Also on the Broncos’ O-line: Elway said (per Renck, on Twitter) the team would like to re-sign right tackle starter Jared Veldheer and utility blocker Billy Turner. If Veldheer departs, the Broncos would have a sixth Week 1 right tackle starter in six years.

Broncos Notes: Harris, Flacco, LBs, Leary

February 17th, 2019 at 8:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Aqib Talib having been traded and Bradley Roby likely to leave Denver as a free agent, the Broncos have work to do to repair their once-formidable cornerback corps. However, the third player from the team’s longtime trio may be in position to sign a third contract soon. Chris Harris is entering a contract year, and with the Broncos having no other foundational pieces at this position, it would seemingly behoove them to enter into extension talks with their versatile All-Pro. Harris has said he is open to signing a third Broncos contract, and Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post writes the 29-year-old defender will be on the 2019 team, as opposed to being shopped around, and is a likely target for an extension. One of this era’s premier corners, Harris nonetheless has a manageable cap number this season ($8.77MM), so an extension would stand to be more about keeping him in the fold than reducing his 2019 figure.

Denver is also expected to let Tramaine Brock walk, so cornerback — for the first time since the Broncos swapped out Champ Bailey and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie for Talib and Roby five years ago — is a major need for this franchise.

Here is the latest from Denver, shifting to its quarterback decision:

Joe Flacco will be the fourth Broncos Week 1 starting quarterback in the past five seasons, and thus far the reaction to Denver’s move has skewed negative. But multiple executives viewed this as potentially a short-term gain, with O’Halloran noting one called this a solid move for both the Broncos and Ravens and another seeing the 34-year-old passer having multiple good years left. One defensive assistant, however, disagreed, viewing the veteran as having little quality football left. Flacco has not ranked above 19th in QBR since the 2014 season, when he was ninth. The Broncos will attempt to place him in a similar offense to the Gary Kubiak-coordinated attack that unleashed Flacco five years ago, but with so much time passing, it’s obviously no guarantee Flacco can return to form.
The Broncos prioritized Brandon Marshall over Danny Trevathan three years ago, in extending the former and letting the latter walk as a free agent. But in cutting Marshall this week, the Broncos jettisoned their top coverage linebacker. They are expected to look for help on this front in the draft, Mike Klis of 9News notes. Denver still has plus run defender Todd Davis and 2018 fourth-rounder Josey Jewell, but Klis writes the team will look for a rangier addition to complement its incumbents.
Offensive line will also be a need for the Broncos, with free agent center Matt Paradis‘ status up in the air. But one member is in line to return. Ronald Leary will not be ready to pass a physical by March 17, Klis tweets. This would fully guarantee $5.35MM of the guard’s $8.1MM salary. Unless the Broncos want to eat a reasonable amount of dead money, as they did upon releasing Menelik Watson last year, Leary can be expected back. The 29-year-old guard has played well in Denver but finished the past two seasons on IR, a 2018 Achilles injury shelving him after seven games.