Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris (25) reacts after a defensive play during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Denver Broncos cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will be paid handsomely this offseason by either the Broncos or another team, as he clearly outplayed his one-year, $5 million “prove-it” deal and turned his career around as the team’s No. 1 CB on the outside. But even though DRC had a great year, he still isn’t the Broncos best cornerback, as that title belongs to slot corner Chris Harris Jr. Only a fool would downplay his accomplishments by trying to argue, “But he only plays the slot,” especially since the role of the nickel corner is incredibly important these days. Harris is one of a few players who can shut guys down in the slot, and he’s been a borderline-elite CB over the past two seasons.
Harris had surgery last Thursday, and it was reported a few days ago that his surgery was unsurprisingly successful. Now, the Denver Post’s Mike Klis reports that Harris didn’t suffer any other ligament damage besides tearing his ACL, and the even better news is the fact that he only partially tore his ACL.
A restricted free agent this offseason, Harris will play through his tender before signing a lucrative deal after proving that he is fine following the injury. The impact of ACL tears is exaggerated, and Harris will continue to be one of the league’s top ten CBs going forward and hold down the slot. I also expect DRC to be re-signed, but we’ll see if the Broncos can keep him as well.