Pittsburgh Steelers roster, free agency news 2016: Broncos starter Ryan Harris heads to Pittsburgh with two-year pact

(CC BY-SA 3.0/Jeffrey Beall)Offensive tackle Ryan Harris with the Denver Broncos in 2010.

A recent Super Bowl winner is joining the Pittsburgh Steelers as offensive tackle Ryan Harris, who is again parting ways with the Denver Broncos, was signed to a two-year deal. 

Harris told the Denver Post that his contract with the Steelers will earn him $3.9 million, and makes him an unrestricted free agent after the 2017 season. 

The 31-year-old entered the league as the third-round pick (70th overall) by Denver in the 2007 National Football League (NFL) Draft. He spent his first four seasons with the Broncos before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles in August 2011. That was a quick stint since he was waived after a month following a back surgery. Harris returned to the Broncos in January 2012 but was released nearly eight months after and was then added by the Houston Texans. Harris spent two seasons with Houston, and in 2014, he joined the Kansas City Chiefs. 

In May 2015, Harris again made a comeback to the Broncos and due to injuries at the tackle position, he immediately became a crucial piece to the team's offense. Harris regained the starting job in 16 games played during the 2015 regular season. 

Despite leaving, Harris acknowledged the Broncos and said, according to the Denver Post, "While I turn the page in my career, I am grateful to always be a Super Bowl champion with the Denver Broncos."

The Steelers may have seen Harris' rich experience in the league, especially with the playoff-contending Broncos, and that's why they decided to grant him a two-year contract. Harris will now add more coverage for Pittsburgh's franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the upcoming 2016 season. 

It was not a bad campaign for the Steelers last season as they entered the playoffs the second-best team in the American Football Conference (AFC) North with a 10-6 record. They topped the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card Playoffs, before falling to eventual champs Broncos in the Divisional Playoffs. 

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