Bring Shelby Harris back.
Hopefully the George Paton era begins with him keeping his own free agents. And re-signing defensive end Shelby Harris should now take top priority.
The franchise tag has been placed on safety Justin Simmons, so get Harris back with the Denver Broncos before NFL free agency starts next week.
Don’t allow the impending free agent to hit the open the market.
Player Profile
Height: 6-2
Weight: 290 pounds
Age: 29 years old
Experience: 6 seasons
Why it makes sense
One could make the argument Harris the leader of the defense ... at least the front seven.
He sets the tone.
He holds his teammates accountable.
If you remember, he also holds his coaches accountable.
Harris is a fierce competitor who does whatever it takes to help his defense. He also wants to win.
As Adam Malnati and I discussed with Cecil Lammey on the MHR Radio Podcast, those are the guys you keep. Who you should want to keep.
Paton and the Broncos know what they’re getting in Harris, and it’s pretty damn good.
Denver isn’t exactly stacked at the defensive end position to begin with. And of the guys who will hit free agency, will they be that much better over Harris?
Why it doesn’t make sense
Harris wants to hit the market again?
Aside from, it makes no sense to not get him a new contract.
As Lammey mentioned on the podcast, Harris’s market got blown up last year when the Indianapolis Colts traded for Deforest Buckner. If not for that move, it looked Harris was headed to the Colts.
Instead, he came back to Denver on a one-year deal.
Harris may want to see if he can cash in, especially if Paton and the Broncos don’t match or come close to what he’s looking for.
Hopefully it doesn’t come to that and the two sides can reach agreement on a contract that keeps Harris in Denver.
Final Thoughts
Now that Simmons is at least on the franchise tag, Paton and the Broncos need to make Harris the top priority.
You don’t let top-notch free agents like the defensive end hit the open market, especially when you don’t have his replacement lined up.
Denver has plenty of needs this offseason, don’t add to it by not bringing back one of your own.