Ever since the end of the 2018 NFL season, the league has acted like the New York stock exchange. The amount of trades that have been executed is astonishing. From Antonio Brown being traded to most recently Frank Clark. It feels like every week someone is being traded away from their team.
The most recent trade request has been put in by Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. His request likely stems from the fact that he is one of the best in the league, yet the Broncos brass brought in the likes of Kareem Jackson and Bryce Callahan on more expensive deals. It makes total sense why that would irk Harris. He’s been their incumbent starter and given his all to the franchise.
His desire for a trade is only if the Broncos can’t extend him to a deal of $15 million per year. We might as well assume Harris is going to be traded because John Elway is not about to drop serious coin on a 30 year old cornerback coming off an injury. Any contending team would love to add Chris Harris Jr to their team, but unfortunately his price is too high to trade for. With that said, here are three teams that could trade for Pro Bowl cornerback.
Oakland Raiders
When it comes to the discussion of trades the Oakland Raiders should always be at the forefront. Ever since Jon Gruden made his return to the sidelines he has been heavily involved with trades left and right. Trading for Chris Harris Jr would be a typical move for Gruden and wouldn’t be a bad acquisition for his team. The Raiders secondary is still suspect. Other than Gareon Conley, the cornerback position is vulnerable. What better way to dramatically improve their ranks than by bringing in Harris. They have the cap space to sign him to the deal of his desire as well as the draft capital. Gruden loves his veteran players and taking one who is elite away from a division rival makes it enticing. However, the chances of the Broncos doing it is unlikely. The Raiders would definitely have to “Wow” John Elway to trade within the division.
Indianapolis Colts
During free agency, the Indianapolis Colts were relatively quite for most of the outing. The biggest splash during that frenzy was their trade for pass rusher Justin Houston. The Colts still have ample cap space, so paying Chris Harris Jr is no issue. Bringing him into the fold makes the Colts established elite defense exponentially dangerous. What better way to improve a well oiled machine than by attaching add ons? Offenses will be gritting their teeth knowing they have to scheme a way around the Colts stout defense.
After their stunning 2018 season, it’s no secret that Indianapolis is in win now mode. Trading for Harris would demonstrate. Forget the draft capital, when an NFL team is knocking on the door of Super Bowl contender they must act on it. Hardly any contending team has the assets to trade for Harris, but the Colts are in prime position to leap frog into the discussion with the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots. He might cost a relatively high pick, but he’s well worth the investment to win big in the next few years.
Miami Dolphins
A wild card player in the Chris Harris Jr sweepstakes could be the Miami Dolphins. Newly appointed head coach Robert Flores is a defensive coach, so acquiring elite defensive players will be his desire. Imagine a defense that already has Xavien Howard, then adds Chris Harris Jr to their ranks. These two would easily be the most talented pair of corners in the game. It would make the Miami Dolphins a lot more attractive to watch at least. Not to mention the different coverages and schemes Flores could tinker with.
They’re not going to be contenders this year, but putting a lock on the cornerback position by acquiring Harris makes the uphill climb towards contending easier. Let’s not forget that Robert Flores was the defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots. The talent that was in their secondary was over-saturated. Flores was spoiled, so why not bring that to his team that he’s running? Coaches that were under Bill Belichick's tutelage typically try to replicate the his model. Trading for Chris Harris Jr bridges some of the gap to ascertaining that model.
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