Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr., who has not reported to minicamp, has formally requested a new contract or trade, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Mike Klis of 9News.com classifies this report as an “ominous turn,” and he adds that Harris is seeking a contract that will pay him at least $15MM per year (Twitter link).
Reports last week indicated that Harris would not be attending this week’s minicamp, which was not much of a surprise given that Harris also skipped voluntary workouts earlier in the month. It has been clear for some time that Harris, who is entering the final year of his current contract, is pushing for a new deal.
Denver is open to giving him one, but the $15MM/year figure would make Harris the highest-paid CB in the league on an AAV basis (the Redskins’ Josh Norman is also earning $15MM per year). But he does have leverage, as he has become one of the best corners in the league and is the heart and soul of the Broncos’ secondary.
Perhaps he is hoping that he can pressure the Broncos into giving into his demands so that they do not feel obligated to select a CB during this week’s draft, but if that was his plan, he should have made the request more than two days prior to the draft. Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post tweets that it was a misplay for Harris’ camp to make the request at this point, and Klis says in a separate tweet that a trade may be the best option for Harris and Denver.
After all, as good as Harris is, Klis says Broncos GM John Elway is highly unlikely to hand him a $15MM/year deal. Harris is nearly 30 and is coming off a fractured fibula, though considering the value of quality corners in today’s league, it would not be altogether surprising to see some team swinging a trade and at least coming close to meeting Harris’ demands.
Suddenly, the Harris situation has become one to pay close attention to, though Elway has made it clear that he is not going to address Harris’ contract until after the draft is over (Twitter link via Troy Renck of Denver7). He also indicated that a new contract might not get done, which is notable since most GMs in this situation will at least offer lip service suggesting that they expect the player in question to be with the team for the long haul.
Thank You Antonio Brown. Going to become pretty regular.
Stop being naive. We should the team’s profit off players and these guys not receive their market value? At $7.9 million a guy like Chris Harris Jr. is grossly underpaid and at risk to lose a lot of money with injury with only one year left on his deal.
I love you think that’s naive. You are a RIOT! Why not just have all contracts incentive based. You already know the answer. Now who’s naive?
Maybe you would like to augment his salary given that you think he’s underpaid….we can probably google his address and you can send him a personal check to make up any difference you think he’s entitled to.
Paying for performance is one thing…paying for past performance with no assurances that he lives up to the past, or improves is another..
If you think AB started this then you’re mental TO Moss and a lot of others did it before AB but make AB the scapegoat.
Send these guys packing, every team should then be able to restructure contract when players have a terrible year.
The truth is players make the best contract they can at the time they made it .
If you out play your contract you will get a better one after it expires.
He only grades as the #3 CB in football. Really screams terrible year. Football is too risky for stars to play on expiring contracts. Thats extremely obvious
The answer would be no long term deals, and no guaranteed payouts at the onset…..only 1 year deals based on performance in the current year.
Most of these $millionaires can’t spell cat if you gave them the c and the t. which is obvious during any interview when you hear baby and Ya’ll about twenty times a sentence.
Broncos stink and he knows that
Then he can be traded to Arizona for Peterson and then have a reason about his team stinking but at least he’ll have his money.
Or to Tampa for their number 5 pick
Ill never understand why it’s so hard for the dense headed people on here to understand that teams do the exact same thing to players all the time. Team feels a player isn’t playing up to his contract he either has to take a pay cut or is cut, but when a player wants a new deal for whatever reason, we can’t have that at all can we? Why are you supporting the billionaires?
Obviously you don’t understand what guaranteed money is. Every player knows exactly what they are getting when they sign their contracts. They know how much more they can make if they play well. Nobody makes them sign. They are free to do whatever they want. Go get a different job. I say f*ck the players. I’m going to watch a sport no matter who the players are. The owners already give them too much as it is. Use replacement players. Use minor leaguers. Use D-Leaguers. There are many players on this planet that would LOVE to play for 7.9 million next season.
F the players? You do realize without good players your team stinks right? And good players deserve to be compensated… I’m confused how you’re missing this
You Really make me laugh. Deserve to be compensated? I guess 7.9 million is not compensated? If you replaced the entire league, any league, with all new players, some would step up and be good. It impossible not to. If the owners did that, set their own salary demands, the current players would strike. Use replacement players. People would still watch, although ratings would fall slightly. Eventually the old players would return at the new salaries because it’s still more money than they could make in any other league on the planet. Lucky for you the owners don’t know this. Those Mean And Nasty Billionaires. Personally I don’t give a f*** about either, as you can clearly read below. I do think a person should honor their contract. If you don’t like your current salary, because you are underpaid by the new market standard, well that’s on you and your agent. You could’ve easily included incentives based on play, or signed 1 year deals so you could get paid your “fair value” after a good season. I wonder why players don’t do that? Hmmmmmmmm?
Wow are you clueless. Go watch the AAL or whatever that sham was.
Such anger for strangers…..
People root for logos and forget that behind that logo is actually a laughing billionaire.
I don’t care about the billionaire. I don’t care about the millionaires. I’m neither. If you care about either, you are a moron. I root for my teams to win. Each team has salary cap parameters. If a player decides they are too good to honor the contract they agreed upon, and want more money, that cuts into the available money to build a better team. F The Millionaire. If an owner decides to not to spend Up To the salary cap ceiling or tank, fans stop coming, and my team relocates. F The Billionaire. I don’t know these people. Owners and Players come and go. They all have more money than most people on this board. It’s all whining from people who don’t have to worry about money for the rest of their lives, and good for them, but F them all. I root for the name on the front of the jersey.
And you’re exhibit A why the billionaires can pay the millionaires. Thanks for playing…and paying.
Straight swap Harris for Patrick Peterson, he can then have his money
So Harris want’s to be traded to a team that has a better defensive minded coach than Vic Fangio? Good luck with that.
Arbitration. That is all.
Broncos
Suck
Ass