Broncos Roster: John Elway building team’s future out wide
John Elway’s first year as a member of the Denver Broncos front office gave him the best possible glimpse into the future of his team as he could have asked for.
Though it probably wasn’t as obvious as he might have thought.
Elway had used the 2nd overall pick in the 2011 draft on Texas A&M pass rusher Von Miller, who has since developed into one of the best defensive players in the NFL, but it was a first rounder from the year prior and an undrafted free agent that would have breakout moments and stretches in 2011 to provide a foundation for the future in Denver.
Unheralded and undrafted Chris Harris Jr. out of Kansas stepped in as a rookie to play all 16 games and rack up a career-high (still to this day) 72 tackles. Primarily playing as the nickel defensive back and on special teams, Harris found his way into the lineup more and more while putting together one of the best rookie seasons of any Bronco that year.
Late in that same 2011 season, a second year receiver named Demaryius Thomas had a breakout stretch as the Broncos found their way into the playoffs somehow, some way. Tim Tebow and the Denver defense put together some of the most incredible 4th quarter comebacks any of us had ever seen that season, but none more remarkable than Denver’s wild card playoff matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers were the best defense in the NFL, and people doubted the Broncos from the very start. One of the NFL’s classic playoff games went to overtime after an incredibly entertaining regulation period, and on the first play of overtime, this young receiver named Demaryius Thomas caught a Tim Tebow pass across the middle of the field and raced 80-yards to the end zone for the first walk-off touchdown in the new overtime era.
John Elway, fists raised in the air, put on the biggest smile any of us had seen from him since the Broncos won the Super Bowl. It wasn’t a joy-filled moment of that magnitude, but it’s one of the most memorable wins in recent Broncos history.
That moment provided the spotlight for Thomas, who wound up having the best three-year stretch of any receiver in the NFL from 2012-2015 after that point.
Dec 7, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. (25) grabs the legs of Buffalo Bills quarterback Kyle Orton (18) for a sack in the fourth quarter Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Bills 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Harris Jr., at the same time, was building off of a phenomenal underdog rookie season and made his way into the starting lineup, all the while establishing himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
As of the end of the 2014 season, Harris is the best cornerback in the NFL (in my opinion, as well as many others), and does things that other defenders simply cannot do. Harris lines up inside, outside, at safety, and he is just as good at coming up and hitting as he is at blanketing receivers downfield.
Harris didn’t allow any touchdowns in the entire 2014 season. He was Pro Football Focus’ second highest graded defensive player in all of football, behind only J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans, and the fourth ranked player overall in the NFL.
Now, he and Demaryius Thomas have combined for 10 years worth of contracts (5 apiece) for a total of $112.5 million in commitments from the Broncos. In an era where John Elway seems to be more than willing to let certain players walk (that list would take me some time to type out), Thomas and Harris are two that he’s decided to build his offense and defense around.
With Peyton Manning likely on his way out after this season, no later than 2017, Demaryius Thomas seems to be the building block and cornerstone piece of the offense. Chris Harris Jr. isn’t the highest paid player on the Broncos’ defense, nor will he be after Von Miller signs his new deal, but for right now, he’s the highest paid in-house player on that side of the ball, and it’s not really even all that close.
Elway inherited Thomas, but his scouting group discovered Harris and unearthed an absolute gem. Two players that have come from incredibly different backgrounds have, in the last seven months, found their way to a very similar fate: They are both going to be Denver Broncos through the prime of their career.
Not only that, but they are going to be two of the most beloved by Broncos fans because they chose to sign on the bottom line and remain part of this team.
With all this money comes great expectation. I have no doubt in my mind that Thomas and Harris can provide the Broncos a foundation with which to build a Super Bowl contender, and it starts this year. With the ‘distraction’ of a new contract out of sight and out of mind, these guys can come into the prime of their careers and prove to everyone in the NFL why they are the best in the league at their positions.
Why numbers, be it dollars or stats, never lie.