Chris Harris: 'Elway Is Going To Make Some Splashes'
By Bryan Altman
DENVER (CBS4) - The Broncos followed up their Super Bowl 50 win with a relatively disappointing 2016-17 campaign in which they went 9-7 and missed the playoffs and, as a result, some degree of change is likely in store for the team this season.
Broncos GM John Elway has proven in his tenure as the team's leader of personnel decisions that he's not afraid to shake things up and it's likely that he'll continue that trend this offseason, especially if you ask Denver's Pro Bowl cornerback, Chris Harris.
In a recent interview, Harris told reporters that Elway making a big move in the offseason is practically a given thanks to his track record and is already excited to see who joins the team via free agency.
"After the season hopefully everything starts to get rolling," Harris said, according to NFL.com. "Once free agency comes you know Elway is going to make some splashes. I'm excited to see who he brings as a part of the team."
The Broncos' defense wasn't the elite unit that led the team to the Super Bowl in 2015-16, but was among the best in the league even after losing key cogs in Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan in free agency last offseason.
The area of most concern for the Broncos is likely the quarterback position. While it appears that Elway made the right call by letting Brock Osweiler walk in free agency, the position was hardly locked up by starter Trevor Siemian or backup/2016-first-round draft pick Paxton Lynch as both struggled to consistently lead the offense last season.
Both quarterbacks remain under contract for the upcoming season, but Elway finding another QB to compete for the starting role -- as he did this past offseason when he acquired Mark Sanchez from the Eagles -- seems likely.
Will it be Tony Romo, who has most likely played his last game in a Cowboys uniform and reportedly wants to play for the Broncos?
That would definitely be the type of free-agent splash many have come to expect from Elway.
The free agent QB market is lacking this offseason and the two most notable names are Kirk Cousins and journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick. Cousins is likely to resign with the Redskins, while Fitzpatrick played his way out of the starting role in New York and would be another short-term solution for the Broncos, at best.
Free agency begins March 9, so there's plenty of time for Elway to start orchestrating some splashes to live up to his reputation.