Denver Broncos could still keep Chris Harris Jr. beyond 2019

Chris Harris Jr. agreed to a restructured contract without added years, but he could still be a member of the Denver Broncos beyond 2019.

The Denver Broncos and cornerback Chris Harris Jr. agreed on a restructured contract on Tuesday which included a pay raise, but excluded something very important: added years.

The expectation is that Harris Jr. will hit the open market during free agency in 2020. The fact that the Broncos were unable (or possibly unwilling) to add more years to this restructured deal is mind-boggling and frustrating.

Well, despite that specific expectation, it is still possible that Harris Jr. is a member of the Denver Broncos in 2020. How? The use of the franchise tag.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Harris Jr.’s contract does not have a no-tag clause, as has been reported elsewhere. That means that the Denver Broncos could technically tag the cornerback, keeping him another year while attempting to hammer out a long-term extension.

The salary cap is expected to go up in 2020, which would hypothetically create the higher chance that the two sides will come to an agreement. According to OverTheCap, the franchise tag number for cornerbacks is projected to be $16,486,000.

Now, the question would be whether or not the Denver Broncos would be willing to do that. Seeing as Harris Jr.’s pay raise falls short of that franchise tag number, it does not seem likely. Nor does it make a lot of sense.

The advantage of tagging him in 2020, however, is that it allows the Broncos more time to come to a long-term agreement with Harris Jr. At this point, that is the most ideal possibility for the team.

If or when Harris Jr. hits the open market in 2020, he is going to be the top free to sign with any team.

It is certainly possible that both sides can come to an agreement before free agency next year. As of right now, however, he is on a one-year deal.