KUSA—If the Broncos were going to sign a player off the street, it might as well be a Denver street.
Ryan Harris has played in Kansas City and Houston in recent years but he and his wife Jamie had settled on the Denver-area to raise their two young children. When it was learned Thursday his close friend and former offensive tackle partner Ryan Clady was finished for the season with a torn left ACL, Harris was the first guy the Broncos called.
This isn't a desperate Broncos team luring Tatum Bell away from a cell phone kiosk at the Aurora Mall. Harris started 15 games at right tackle last season for a Kansas City Chiefs team that just missed the playoffs.
Harris and the Broncos reached agreement Thursday on a contract he will sign Friday in time to participate in their third organized team activity practice at Dove Valley.
"I'm not carrying on, I'm going to continue to try and play at a high level," Harris said. "I've been here in Denver training and I'm ready. I'm looking forward to it."
Harris' career has been a study in perseverance. He was considered a top five offensive tackle prospect following his junior year at Notre Dame, but back surgery eventually dropped him to the third round, where the Broncos took him for their zone-blocking system in the 2007 draft.
The back hindered his rookie season, but in 2008 he started all 16 games at right tackle opposite the rookie left tackle Clady for the Broncos. Harris started all six games during the Broncos' 6-0 start in 2009, but a big right toe injury set him back for the next two years.
Out of football following more back surgery in 2011, Harris caught on with Gary Kubiak's Houston Texans, where he split time – from series to series – at right tackle in 2012-13.
His 15 starts for the Chiefs last season were the second-most in his career. Unsigned through the first 2 ½ months of this year's free-agent period, Harris is now back with Kubiak and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison in Denver, where he will compete with veteran Chris Clark and Michael Schofield at right tackle.
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