ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Frustrating as the free-agent process was for Shelby Harris, he ultimately chose to set himself up to do it all over again next year.
A glutton for punishment? More like a football player accustomed to thrill of turning doubters into believers.
"My first free agency was interesting to go through it, but at the end of the day I came up with a job and I’m excited to come back for another year in the same defense," Harris said in a phone interview Saturday with 9NEWS a day after agreeing to a one-year, $3.25 million deal to rejoin the Broncos for a fourth season. "That meant a lot to me and what really went into my choice of coming back was a group of guys that we had, and with new additions that we made, I feel like Denver’s on its way up."
There were warning signs going into free agency that neither Harris nor defensive line mate Derek Wolfe would not meet projections of a long, lucrative contract. The biggest problem was an abundance of quality interior defensive linemen that saturated the market. J.R. Reader, Javon Hargrave, Arik Armstead, Michael Pierce and Michael Brockers all got nice multiyear deals while Chris Jones and Leonard Williams received rich franchise tags.
Harris, a late-bloomer who was waived six times by three teams in his first three NFL seasons before catching on in Denver, played all 48 games the past three seasons for the Broncos. Plus, he was coming off his career-best season with 6.0 sacks and 9 pass deflections that led all NFL defensive linemen.
Yet, he, Wolfe and Cincinnati’s Andrew Billings were left one-year, $3 million deals.
Harris came up with another reason why his market value wasn’t as hoped.
"I think this whole coronavirus thing and not being able to take visits and not be able to go talk to these (team coaches and general managers), you could make an assumption that kind of had something to do with it," he said. "But, at the end of the day it is what it is and I’m excited to come back to Denver."
Throughout the free-agency period, Wolfe and Harris worked out together, sharing frustrations that neither phone was ringing all that much, but also barbells as they exchanged strength-and-conditioning sets.
"It was frustrating but at the end of the day it was encouraging because no matter what, every day we were going in there and working our (butts) off," Harris said. "Just putting in the work to be great next season wherever we were going to be. Obviously, that’s all you can do. You can’t control what teams want you. You can’t control what they offer. What you can control is going in there and putting in the work."
It took some unexpected circumstances for Harris to stay put. First, the Broncos targeted defensive linemen Reader and Quinton Jefferson only for their bids fell short. The team overcame one loss by trading for Jurrell Casey and then Harris became its secondary target after he fell to free agency’s second wave.
"After the numbers weren’t what we wanted, I felt like, let’s do another one-year/prove it to prove I can do it again," he said. "(That) would be the best thing and be able to hit the market again next year or re-up with the Broncos. Just another chance to go prove myself."
Prior to free agency, Harris left his longtime agent for the more well-known Drew Rosenhaus. But after a week of free agency went by, Harris switched agents again.
"It was nothing against Drew," Harris said. "I just felt with how the situation was going I just wanted to change representation and go with somebody that had a couple less clients. That’s why I liked Ryan Williams with Athlete’s First. I felt like it was a good fit. Drew did everything he could. I just felt like it was time for a switch."
And then came word the Broncos and Harris shared mutual late-in-free agency interest.
"I’m not necessarily sure exactly how it went down because I’m not the one who was making the calls," he said. "But when I was told they would be OK working out a one-year deal they definitely shot up a little bit because my family is here. We lived here for three years. It just was a comfortable fit.
"But also just to be able to play in Vic’s system one more year, it was a good feeling to get … that second year is always the better year so I just felt like I wanted to stay in the same system."
In his first three years in Denver, the Broncos posted records of 5-11, 6-10 and 7-9. Harris believes the team will take another step up with quarterback Drew Lock in 2020.
"Yeah man. I think we can make a run with Drew going into his second year and just the defense adding pieces," he said. "And we still have the draft. I think the Broncos had a very good free agency and with the draft coming up now they can just add pieces that are going to help the team."
He most likely will again settle in at right end in Vic Fangio’s three-man front with either Jurrell Casey or Mike Purcell in the middle and Casey or Dre’Mont Jones on left end.
"Pretty much I’m looking at the same role as last year," Harris said. "For me it’s always try to play with a chip on my shoulder and go out there and try and prove everybody wrong. And I’m ready to go do that again."
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