An underrated defender is staying home with a nice payday.
Shelby Harris is returning to the Denver Broncos on a three-year, $27 million deal, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. The contract includes $15 million in guaranteed money, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported. The team later confirmed the deal.
A 3-4 defensive end who is essentially an interior lineman, Harris has been a mainstay in Denver as solid defender. As is often the case with the trench warriors, Harris doesn't get a ton of attention, but it hasn't affected his play. Harris finished the 2020 season as the eighth-best interior defender in the entire league, per Pro Football Focus, landing among the likes of DeForest Buckner, Cameron Heyward and David Onyemata.
Gregg Rosenthal listed Harris as his 27th-best free agent available among his Top 101 players set for new contracts, adding a key phrase to describe his standing: If you know, you know.
Denver knows, and knew well enough to keep Harris from going anywhere.
Denver didn't just look at its own roster for new contract negotiations Monday. The Broncos also agreed to a three-year, $30 million deal with cornerback Ronald Darby, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
The contract includes $19.5 million in fully guaranteed money, Rapoport added, proving Darby's one-year stay in Washington was worth it. Coming off a season in which Darby finished 28th in defensive grade among all corners, the defensive back brings value with him to a Denver defense that could use a veteran presence in its secondary. Though he didn't land on Gregg Rosenthal's Top 101 Free Agents list, Darby has the potential to make a difference for the Broncos. At $10 million per season, he better be a contributor.
