Browns Digest

Shelby Harris Re-Signs and Cleveland Reunites All Key Pieces of the 2023 Defensive Line

Shelby Harris announced his return to the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday afternoon and Cleveland reunited each of the key pieces to their dominant 2023 defensive line

Anthony Moeglin

In this story:

Going into the 2023 season the Browns had the potential to turn the corner on defense because they finally beefed up their defensive line. 

They added three key players, Dalvin Tomlinson, Maurice Hurst and Shelby Harris. Each one of these guys was not only a great player but was a great veteran, too. The investment paid dividends nearly right away as Cleveland's defense got off to a historic start. 

Nov 5, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Shelby Harris (93) tackles Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Rondale Moore (4) during the first quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / © Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Then, the injuries hit and they hit hard. 

Both Harris and Hurst had their seasons cut short due to injury and the defense felt their absence.

Entering the 2024 offseason the writing was on the wall that Harris and Hurst had played their final game in the orange and brown. However, as the defensive line dominoes began to fall, these two remained in play for the Browns. 

Hurst was the first to re-sign with Cleveland then on Tuesday afternoon, Harris took to X to announce his return to the Browns. This win cannot be understated as many Browns players commented on how important Harris was to this locker room before his importance in between the white lines.

The return of the Browns defensive line puts them miles ahead of where they were a year before. They all return to the same scheme with the same teammates but it also gives the front office space to continue to add. 

Andrew Berry and his team now have the luxury of taking the best player available when they finally do get to pick for the first time. Will it be a defensive tackle? Will it be an offensive lineman? Could they take a receiver? All of it is on the table thanks to the entire defensive line returning for another great year in Cleveland.

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Anthony Moeglin
ANTHONY MOEGLIN

Anthony Moeglin is a northeast Ohio native, who most notably quarterbacked John Carroll University to the NCAA DIII National Semifinals in 2016 after beating the No. 1 team in the country twice in a 4-week stretch. He contributes written and video/podcast content for Browns Digest, as well as serving as the lead football analyst for BuckeyesNow on the FanNation network.

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