3 Reasons the Cleveland Browns had to sign Shelby Harris
By Josh Brown
The Cleveland Browns have added another quality defensive lineman in Shelby Harris. This move was needed in a room filled with bodies but thin with a proven track record and durability.
Cleveland's defense needed a capable player up front, especially in the middle of the line. Shelby Harris is a perfect fit on a one-year deal worth up to $5.2 million. Quality value was the name of the game with this signing.
Harris brings another veteran presence to the starting unit. So why is so so important that the Browns made this move?
Injury history and inexperience
As stated previously, Andrew Berry brought in a lot of bodies to help improve the defensive tackle room. The problem is some of those bodies have had injury issues, and others are still growing.
Dalvin Tomlinson was the only sure thing in that room, and while a great signing can't do it all alone. In 2022 Tomlinson was on the field for 62 percent of the Minnesota Vikings' defensive snaps over 13 games.
That's the highest percentage he has played in his career, per Pro Football Reference. If you take the numbers over his career, he has played an average of 57 percent of the time. That means 43 percent of the time, the Browns need someone else capable on the field. The options were Tommy Togiai, Jordan Elliott, Maurice Hurst, Trysten Hill, and Siaki Ika. There are a lot of questions with that group.
Trysten Hill has been on the sidelines with an injury already. Maurice Hurst has had trouble staying on the field for most of his career. Togiai, Elliott, and Ika are all young with much to prove.
At this point, there is no guarantee that Elliott or Togiai even make the team. Adding Harris places another option in the mix that has been durable, playing at least 55 percent of the defensive snaps over the last four years. He has also played in and started 57 of a possible 65 games. Having Harris and Tomlinson with a sprinkle of Myles Garrett and Za'Darius Smith inside allows the Browns to have a capable player on the field nearly the entire game each game.