New Broncos General Manager George Paton's first big move of the NFL's "legal tampering" period was to re-sign one of the team's own players, who is certainly a fan favorite in Defensive Lineman Shelby Harris.
Harris' agent Ryan Williams actually broke the news of the deal on twitter.
There was a market for Harris of at least a couple of teams. I was told the Cardinals expressed interest before they signed J.J. Watt. It was also my understanding that 2 other organizations had put feelers out as well. The new deal is for 3-years and $27 Million with $15 guaranteed. Our KOA NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport was the first to report the terms.
Harris is coming off his 2-best seasons and has thrived in Vic Fangio's defense that values a defensive lineman's versatility. His 20 batted passes the last 3-seasons are tops among defensive linemen in all of football. After starting all 16 games in 2019 and finishing 3rd on the team in tackles, Harris started 11 games in 2020. He missed four in the middle of the season because of Coronavirus, and the final because of a minor knee injury that did not require surgery.
Paton said in his press conference March 4th that keeping Harris in a Broncos uniform was high on his to-do list. "Shelby is a priority in free agency, Paton said, "We’d love to have Shelby back. He’s a really good football player and a good person. I know Vic’s spoken with him. I’ve spoken with him early. He’s a guy we definitely want back."
And on the team's website as well as social media, Paton expressed his enthusiasm for bringing Harris back.
Fangio praised Harris all season long including the final week of the season when he was ruled out of the Raiders game. "I thought Shelby—until he started missing the games with the COVID—was having his best season of his career," Fangio said. "I think he would tell you the same. I think he was in great shape. He kept his weight down consistently all year and it made a major difference for him in his play. I think up to the point where he started missing games he played very, very well."
After bouncing around to for the first 3 seasons of his career, when Harris got here in 2017, it appeared he had found a home on the Broncos, and with today's new deal, it's clear that he has truly found a home in Denver.