Browns made a reunion happen with their recent NFL trade that filled a glaring need
The trade market in the NFL is pretty quiet at this exact time of year and sometimes heats up toward the end of training camp. Still, the Browns put themselves in the news by making a trade for a player that they have a past with. Cleveland making a move for a center had to […]
The trade market in the NFL is pretty quiet at this exact time of year and sometimes heats up toward the end of training camp. Still, the Browns put themselves in the news by making a trade for a player that they have a past with.
Cleveland making a move for a center had to happen after backup center Luke Wypler obtained a serious ankle injury that will require surgery against the Green Bay Packers in the opening preseason game. Wypler was in line to be the backup to starter Ethan Pocic, but the unfortunate injury put that to a halt for the time being.
The Browns traded a sixth-round pick for center Nick Harris and a seventh-round pick from the Seattle Seahawks. The move brought back a player to Cleveland who had spent his first four seasons in Northeast Ohio.
Cleveland drafted Harris in the fifth-round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Washington. Harris never became a starter for the Browns but has given them depth over the past few years. In four seasons with Cleveland, Harris played in a total of 40 games and made four starts. It is worth noting that Harris was sidelined all of 2022 due to a knee injury.
Harris signed with Seattle in free agency and it was his first time joining another NFL team besides Cleveland. The former Husky was in the mix for the starting job but was unable to show enough to win it and that was obvious by the Seahawks’ move to sign Connor Williams. Harris has played some guard for the Browns, as well as lining up in the backfield as a fullback in their jumbo set.
Luckily for Cleveland, they were able to make a move for a guy who is already familiar with the town and at least some of the offense. Even with the Browns likely moving away from a lot of the zone running, Harris has familiarity operating in a Kevin Stefanski offense.
It is an unfortunate reason that brought Harris back to Cleveland, but it was a move the Browns had to make and they are likely glad that he was available. For Seattle, they were able to move up a round late in the draft for a player that was distant depth for them at best.
Cleveland would like Pocic to handle all of the snaps in the 2024 season. But the last two seasons have shown us that Pocic is suspectable of missing a couple of games a year and that the Browns have to have a backup plan behind him.
No time was wasted by the Browns in landing Harris, it sounds as if they knew who they were going to target once the injury severity was revealed. In the end, bringing back a familiar player for this role may be the right way to go.
Browns vs. Packers Preseason Observations: Cleveland may have a quarterback problem on their hands they won’t mind
The Browns showed they have some depth at the most important position, amongst other things.
