Nick Harris Refelcts On Whirlwind 48 Hours That Led Him Back To Browns

The Cleveland Browns acquired Nick Harris via trade with Seattle on Sunday

Nov 12, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cleveland Browns center Nick Harris (53) before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

All roads lead to Cleveland. At least for center Nick Harris.

Just when the Browns 2020 fifth-round pick thought he was going to get his first taste of the NFL away from the team that drafted him Harris is back like he never left. Cleveland finalized a trade with the Seahawks for Harris and a 2026 seventh-round pick on Sunday, sending a 2026 sixth-round pick back in return. It marked the end to crazy 48 hours for Harris, who was made aware a move could be coming by his agent over the weekend.

"Two days ago I was talking to some people and saw it might happen," said Harris. "I'm glad to have a job. I have an opportunity to come back and just compete in a place I'm comfortable in, and it feels good to see all my teammates again and see everybody around the building. So I can't complain at all."

The Browns need for a center became dire on Saturday after Ohio State product Luke Wypler suffered an ankle fracture in the team's preseason loss to the Packers. With Wypler sidelined for at least an extended period of time Cleveland had only one center rostered at the moment in starter Ethan Pocic.

Start your week with answers to 4 #Browns Questions as we get ready for a week of joint practices with the Vikings, deal with the fallout from the Brandon Aiyuk trade rumors and more: https://t.co/q7Kwg7qmMD

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Reuniting with Harris became a natural answer to their void at the position.

"I think just the familiarity is good and being back around the same guys, playing around the same guys is also, that's a plus," said Harris. "Being comfortable around those guys. So I think that's probably more so [why they traded for me].

After spending the first four years of his career in Cleveland Harris joined Seattle as an unrestricted free agent back in March, on a one-year, $2.39 million contract. At that time the 26-year-old did think there was a chance he'd end up back in Cleveland. Ultimately, as he explained, he made the decision he thought was best for himself at the time.

Harris, who grew up on the west coast in Santa Ana, Calif. and played his college football at the University of Washington, barely had time to get acclimated to the Pacific lifestyle before finding himself back in Cleveland. With under a month to go before the start of the season though he's not worried about getting up to speed or making another move across country. He's focused on playing football.

"This is what this business entails," he explained. "It's got to be ready to move at a moment's notice. So no attachment involved, got to continue to work wherever I'm at. I just got to play football. It's the same thing I was just doing, it's just I'm on a different team now, so I just got to just get up to speed as fast as I can with what's going on in the playbook and just go out and keep playing football, same thing."

The circumstances that brought Harris back to Cleveland are also pretty relatable for the four-year vet. Back in 2022 Harris was projecting to be the starting center for the Browns before tearing his ACL and missing the entire season. Ironically, Aug. 12 – the day he arrived back in town – marks two years since the day of his injury. Reunited with Wypler in Cleveland, Harris plans on being a resource for the 23-year-old.

"It's definitely rough and as soon as I saw it," Harris said. "I let him know if there's anything I can help you with, if there's somebody you want to talk to about it, just let me know because I know how that feels, it's a tough situation to be in, so I hate to see that. It sucks to see because I know he was working hard and doing what he needed to do out here."