Shelby Harris - DT

[A-Dog]

Harris looks like a great fit for the 3-Tech/4i-Tech in the Bear/Stick front who can plug the B-gap against the run, which he is very good at. He also looks like he can also provide a bit of a pass rush (multiple seasons with 6 sacks). Super long arms and bats down a lot of balls - length should help him shed blocks and 2-gap. Played for Fangio with the Bears and Broncos so it's not coincidence that he's included in this package. Has stayed relatively healthy. Signed for 2 more years but his salary is guaranteed for this season so the cap hit is a bit high. Looks like a likely starter in the "new look" defensive front.

Age: 30 (b. 8/11/1991)
College: Illinois State
Position: DT/DE
Drafted: 2014, Round 7, Pick #235
Height: 6-2
Weight: 290
Arms: 34.6
Hands: 9.5
40-yard dash: 4.88s
10-yard split: 1.68s
20-yard split: 2.78s
20-yard shuttle: 4.57s
3-Cone: 7.52s
Vertical: 32"
Broad: 9'2"
Bench Press: 25
NFL Stats:
Year GP PD TKL, TFL QBHits Sk
2019 16 9 49 8 6 6
2020 11 7 32 4 11 2.5
2021 16 2 49 7 11 6
2022 Cap Hit: $7,970,588
2023 Cap Hit: $9,000,000 (could be cut to open up cap space with no dead money)
Free Agency: 2024

 

[Jville]

Clint Hurtt got a present today. Lots of experience and great fit! :2thumbs:

Born and raise in Wisconsin. I wonder how long Schneider has been tracking his career?

 

[A-Dog]

Good 2019 article on Harris from PFF:

https://www.pff.com/news/pro-shelby-harris-is-an-unsung-hero-along-the-broncos-defensive-line

Shelby Harris is an unsung hero along the Broncos' defensive line

Shelby Harris is an unsung hero along the Broncos' defensive line

Von Miller. Chris Harris. Bradley Chubb.

These are the first names that come to mind when thinking about the vaunted defense of the Denver Broncos. However, there's one little known player who was ranked higher than all of the above last season by PFF – Shelby Harris.

Originally drafted by the Raiders in 2014 out of Illinois State, Harris bounced around the league for his first three seasons – from the Oakland Raiders to their practice squad then to the New York Jets then the Dallas Cowboys‘ practice squad before finally being signed to a reserve/future contract by the Broncos after the 2016 season.

After playing only 153 snaps in two seasons with the Raiders, the Broncos gave him an extended look during the 2017 season, and he delivered. On 516 snaps, he ranked as an above-average interior defensive lineman with a PFF grade of 76.3, and he earned the best run-defense grade on the team among interior linemen at 79.5. In addition to his run-stopping prowess, he amassed six sacks, which tied for 10th in the league among all interior linemen with the likes of Chris Jones and Gerald McCoy.

Looking to prove that his 2017 season was no fluke, Harris came out in 2018 and put those numbers in his rearview mirror. On 391 snaps, he earned an elite overall grade (90.8) from PFF; he was the top-ranked defender on the team and sixth-ranked interior defensive lineman in the entire league. His sack count dropped from six to three, but his quarterback pressures remained the same, and his tackles, quarterback hits and pressures all went up despite playing fewer snaps. In addition to improving his pass-rush numbers, he remained an elite run stopper, finishing with an 85.3 grade against the run which was good for 18th across the entire league amongst interior linemen.

What does this mean for Harris' 2019 outlook? Despite being constantly overlooked and underappreciated, Harris could potentially be even better this season. The Broncos signed defensive mastermind Vic Fangio to be their new head coach and his defenses have ranked in the top-five in total defense in five of the past eight years. The Chicago Bears‘ defense last season, with Fangio as defensive coordinator, gave up the least amount of yards on the ground in the league at 77.8 yards per game in addition to finishing third in the league with 50 sacks.

If teams continue to ignore Harris and focus on Denver's other stars along the defensive line, they'll do so to their detriment.

 

[A-Dog]

bumping this up bc now that some of the shock has settled down people may want to talk about the new players on our roster

I don't think people realize a) how good of a player Harris actually is, b) how he fits in perfectly as a DT in the Bear/Stick "3-4" front, and c) he's probably a lock to be a starter

 

[sutz]

$8-9 mill doesn't sound like that much of a cap hit to me for a good DT.

 

[Northwest Seahawk]

Harris and Fant are upgrades and will help us instantly.

 

[Chapow]

Harris and Fant are upgrades and will help us instantly.

Yep. These guys are quality starters. Harris in particular will be a very good player for us, IMO.

It's just unfortunate that the people that don't like this trade or at mad at Pete or whatever refuse to acknowledge it and are instead acting like these guys are worthless scrubs or something.

 

[sdog1981]

Shelby Harris is a 3-4 DE or DT in a 2-4 nickel front. I think the team is going to use all sorts of Dline combinations this season.

 

[Rat]

This isn't the type of acquisition that screams "rebuild".

 

[uncle fester]

Seems like a solid player at a position of need.

And yeah, what’s done is done now, let’s see what the new guys are capable of.