Broncos have placed a second round tender on Shelby Harris

Update: According to Mike Klis of 9News, Shelby Harris will receive a second-round tender that is worth $3.095 million in 2019. By comparison, Ndamukong Suh played the nose tackle position last season and earned $14.5 million from the Los Angeles Rams. The Broncos are getting a deal with Harris this year.

Original story: The Denver Broncos secret superstar is here to stay, for at least another year. Troy Renck of 9News has reported that the Broncos will place a second-round tender on restricted free agent Shelby Harris, which will secure his services for 2019.

A former seventh round pick by the Oakland Raiders, Shelby Harris has been a bit of a revelation since signing with the Vance Joseph Broncos in 2017. A backup defensive lineman, he notched 34 tackles (7 for a loss), 5.5 sacks and 3 pass defenses and a huge blocked kick his first year in Denver. Last season, he was almost exclusively the backup nose tackle to Domata Peko but still finished the year with 39 tackles, 8 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks and a game winning interception.

I recently did a film study on Shelby Harris for GIF Horse and one thing that stood out is how little Harris actually played last year. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Vic Fangio turns the 5th year veteran into a Pro Bowl contender. He should excel as a gap shooting interior lineman, the kind of player that Fangio’s 2-4 nickel front will put into position to succeed.

The big question going forward is what happens from here. Defensive line is a loaded position in the NFL draft and both Adam Gotsis and Derek Wolfe are free agents after the 2019 season. With Harris looking at a 1-year deal, he’ll enter the market after this coming season as well.

As of today, Spotrac has the Broncos slated to enter the 2020 offseason with $81 Million in cap room.