Browns add vet Shelby Harris to defensive line

The interior of the defensive line is as unsexy as you can get. Gargantuan men hitting each other, hands flying, helmets crashing, fingers twisting and knees bending in ways that are unimaginable. So when the Browns decided on Wednesday that they needed a little more beef up front and signed former Seahawk Shelby Harris to a one-year deal worth up to $5.25 million, it was as sexy a move as you can make for the position in August.Harris started 15 games for Seattle in 2022 and recorded 44 tackles, five TFLs or tackles for a loss if you aren't up on your new NFL abbreviations, and two sacks. The 31-year-old tackle brings his eight years of experience to the interior of a defensive line that greatly needed his 73.2 PFF grade and his leadership potential. Dalvin Tomlinson was added at the start of free agency to anchor the unit, Maurice Hurst was signed as depth, and Siaki Ika is a big-bodied rookie drafted to swallow up offensive lineman, but the position has been generally ignored by the Browns front office over the years, so seeing these additions is heartwarming.Harris is exactly the type of move that was needed for a unit that has struggled with injuries and poor performance. Jordan Elliot is a fourth-year player who has flashed but remains a mystery as to what his consistent playing level will be. Tommy Toigai has not impressed enough in his limited time to give him more than mop-up duty and the Perrion Winfrey "experiment" went as well as Jeff Goldblum's and his teleportation device in The Fly. So while the move is non-sexy in nature, it was desperately needed and fits the bill with what Cleveland was looking for: a steady-handed vet to get in there and do the non-sexy things, and allows for Elliot and Toigai to develop juuuuust a little more without having to be pressed into the starting lineup every week. Well done, Andrew Berry.