Broncos four-time Pro Bowl CB Chris Harris: Pay me or trade me
Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris has been a remarkable story and a great representative for the organization.
Harris was undrafted in 2011, but earned a spot on the roster and ended up starting four games as a rookie. Then he became one of the best cornerbacks in football, a Super Bowl champion with the Broncos and a fantastic face of the team.
The problem is, as a four-time Pro Bowl corner, he has been relatively underpaid on a a five-year, $42.5 million deal. And heading into the final year of his contract, he wants to get paid.
Or traded.
Chris Harris wants a new contract
Harris has requested a new contract or a trade, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. While the Broncos aren’t obligated to do anything, it’s an interesting wrinkle to draft week.
There are a couple ways to look at the situation. One is that the Broncos need to take care of one of their stars, who aside from Von Miller might be the most popular and recognizable current player on the roster. Harris is still playing at a high level, having made a Pro Bowl last season. Harris is equally fantastic on the outside or moving in to cover the slot. If the Broncos do decide to trade him, they will have plenty of interested teams.
But there’s also some risk. Harris turns 30 years old on June 18. He missed multiple games for the first time in his career last season due to injury.
Investing big contracts in 30-year-old cornerbacks isn’t a great long-term strategy in general, but if anyone has earned it, it’s Harris in Denver.
Will the Broncos pay Harris?
Denver has a little less than $12 million in cap space, according to Spotrac. They could extend Harris without much damage to their cap this year.
The Broncos presumably want to send a message that if players carry themselves as Harris, they’ll be taken care of. And he’s still a top-end cornerback. It’s not like the Broncos, coming off consecutive losing seasons, can’t use great players.
Now the standoff has an ultimatum. The Broncos don’t have to pay or trade Harris. But it might be uncomfortable if they don’t.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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