The Broncos made a mistake by not trading away Chris Harris Jr.
Oct 31, 2019, 5:47 AM
The NFL trade deadline came and went, and the Broncos stood their ground by not trading Chris Harris Jr. If a team was willing to give up a second-round pick for the veteran cornerback, the Broncos would have a made a deal. But it never came to that.
Mike Klis of 9 News reported that the Lions were the only team that made an offer for the top Broncos corner. Other teams – such as the Saints, Rams, Eagles and 49ers – also made calls to the Broncos, but nothing progressed according to a source.
Broncos Country doesn’t want to hear this, but Denver should have traded Harris, even if they could have gotten a third- or fourth-round pick in exchange. The Broncos need to realize that they’re in the middle of a rebuild and the more the draft picks they have, the better.
With the lack of depth on this Broncos team and the amount of needs, Denver could have added an eighth draft pick in the first four rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft. That would’ve been huge for them.
The Broncos will not negotiate a contract extension with Harris during the season, so they will have to wait until the start of the NFL year in March once free agency opens to see if they can retain him. There is a very small chance that Harris will re-sign with Denver when he can take his talents to a Super Bowl contending team that’s willing to pay Harris the money he wants.
Denver is hoping that they will get a third-round compensatory pick for the 2021 NFL Draft. But again, that’s hope. It’s not a for sure fact that Denver will get that third-round compensatory pick. It could turn into a fourth or maybe no pick at all.
Nobody knows the exact formula on how teams get compensatory picks; it’s like a hidden treasure! Maybe Nicholas Cage with film a third National Treasure movie searching for the formula on compensatory picks. Maybe that’s what was on page 47 from the second movie?
We do know that compensatory picks are based off how big of a contract that free agent signs with his new team, the amount of playing time he gets, and Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. Those are just some parts of the formula. The other issue is that the Broncos can sign a top-notch free agent that could also cancel out the compensatory value of Harris.
The Broncos should have been sellers at the trade deadline. The chances of Harris finishing his career here in Denver are not good. Don’t forget that it’s rare for players to spend their entire careers with just one team.
Peyton Manning didn’t stay with just one team. Same with DeMarcus Ware, Joe Montana or even Brett Favre. The Broncos would have been better off without Chris Harris Jr.
