Chris Harris Jr: Broncos need to ‘catch up’ to the new NFL

Chris Harris Jr. said what most of us have been thinking, feeling, wishing for at least one season - maybe more.

It’s time for the Broncos to evolve.

“I think we just haven’t evolved here,” said the Pro Bowl cornerback who broke his fibula in Week 13 against the Bengals but was planning to be back in time for a playoff run. “I think after the Super Bowl we kind of just got stagnant. We haven’t evolved. We’ve got to figure out how we can evolve on offense, defense, special teams and everything—get better as players. We have to evolve with the times of the NFL. We’re behind right now.”

Harris Jr. - who is one of the few veterans left from the vaunted defense of Super Bowl 50 - believes the approach in scheme has mimicked an old-school approach that worked in 2015 but is unable to compete in 2018.

“We’ve just got to get up new with the times. What we’re doing, we kind of just stayed doing the same thing we’ve been doing since 2015. It’s 2019 now, tomorrow. We’ve got to evolve. We can’t do the same thing. I’ve got to evolve my game. I can’t think I’m going to still play the same coverage and the way I played in 2015 or 2013. I have to evolve my game, and we have to evolve too.”

And Harris Jr. isn’t confident that many of the vets from the Super Bowl days will be around to see this through.

“I expect everybody to be gone, really. I expect probably to have two or three vets on the team, and we’ll keep moving like that,” he said. “That’s how I see it. I see it as a big rebuild coming on. I see a big tidal wave coming.”

Which coach will be able to manage that wave is the big question right now as the Broncos begin the process of interviewing, but whether No. 25 wants to be part of this second (third?) attempt at rebuilding depends on how the approach of the new coaching staff.

“I want to win, so whatever situation is best for me at the time. We’ll see what new coaches we get,” Harris Jr. said. “It’s late in my career, and I can’t waste any years anymore. It’s time for me to win. I always wanted to retire here and finish my career here, but I’m ready to see what changes and things we do.”

One other outspoken veteran also hinted at needing to change the scheme approach - particularly on offense.

“I’m ready to be in a pass-happy offense,” said Emmanuel Sanders, laughing. “That’s the direction that the league is going.”

Although he admitted as a wide receiver he always wants more passes, Sanders acknowledged that the team won a Super Bowl with a play-action type offense.

“It really doesn’t matter to me, as long as it’s somebody who can score points. Score touchdowns, right,” he said, with possibly a subtle indictment on his offensive coordinator and/or quarterback. “Passing touchdowns, run touchdowns, the goal is touchdowns and explosive plays. We’ll see who that is.”