Browns need to bring back pending free agent that helped revive their defense in 2023

Cleveland’s defense turned the corner in a big way in 2023 for multiple reasons.

Of course, they brought in Jim Schwartz to be the defensive coordinator, but they made a bunch of upgrades to the unit as well.

One of those upgrades was DT Shelby Harris, who is set to be a free agent now. He immediately stands out as one player that the Browns should bring back.

How much would Shelby Harris cost in free agency?

We have the answer to this. Our cap experts here at A to Z Sports are projecting a simple deal for the 32-year-old.

• Projected Contract: 1 year, $3M, $3M APY, $1.75M GTD
• Year One Cap Hit: $3.0M

The last deal for Harris in Cleveland was for a year and it was worth $3.5 million. He ended up being worth it for the Browns and brought just what they needed. As you can see, the cost isn’t going to be an issue here. If the Browns don’t bring him back, it won’t be because of cost.

Why should the Browns bring Shelby Harris back?

Harris gave everything the Browns had hoped that he could when they signed him. In 17 games with seven starts, Harris recorded 29 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. The sack numbers are misleading because he did have 28 pressures and won 11 percent of his pass rushes.

In the middle of the defense, Harris gave Cleveland a solid contributor. He’s no longer a starter, but he can step in when needed and he’s a player you don’t have to take off the field on early or late downs.

Joining Harris as a free agent at defensive tackle alone is Maurice Hurst and Jordan Elliott. Only Dalvin Tomlinson and Siaki Ika are back with Cleveland next year as of right now. The Browns will have to sign a starter beside Tomlinson, but Harris can be a top rotational piece.

Bringing back Harris is a cheap fix to buy the Browns another year to develop defensive tackles. In the draft, they should be taking a selection on another one.

Harris is one of just a few pending free agents for the Browns that I think are worth bringing back for another go-around.