Takeaways from John Elway, Vic Fangio press conference
Will Chris Harris Jr. be back in 2020?
At this point, it seems very clear that the Broncos are going to let the market dictate Chris Harris Jr.’s value, and Harris seems excited about that prospect as well.
John Elway said he couldn't give a definitive answer on his plan for Chris Harris and how much he's willing to pay. Elway said they'll see "how everybody fits into the pie" and "find the players that can get us back to the playoffs and competing for a world championship.”
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) December 30, 2019
Harris’ play took a dip in the second half of the season, and even he admitted as much. The Broncos reportedly offered Harris a three-year, $36 million deal before the trade deadline, and he declined.
Finding a better deal than $12 million on average per year will probably not be tough for Harris, but the more important figure for him will be guaranteed money. Marcus Peters was just given a three-year deal from the Baltimore Ravens worth $14 million annually. He’s younger and has been more productive than Harris, so there’s not likely any way Harris is getting more than that.
Harris will enter free agency with a new agent and he believes in himself. He has stated repeatedly that he wants to be in Denver but the price has to be right.
Will the Broncos pay $13 million or more per season for Harris for the next few years, or will they explore their options on the deep free agent market?
This is a deep crop of free agent cornerbacks as things currently stand, and players haven’t even started getting cut from teams yet. The Broncos will have options, and will have to seriously consider if Harris at $13 million or more and 31 years of age (in June) is the best of those options.