Nick Harris - Pro Football Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/15/24

October 15th, 2024 at 9:16pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves in the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Signed to active roster: K Chad Ryland
Placed on IR: DT Bilal Nichols, K Matt Prater

Atlanta Falcons

Signed to active roster: G Matt Hennessy
Placed on IR: S Micah Abernathy

Baltimore Ravens

Waived: G Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu

Carolina Panthers

Signed (off Steelers’ practice squad): OLB Jacoby Windmon
Waived: OLB Tarron Jackson

Cleveland Browns

Placed on IR: C Nick Harris

Dallas Cowboys

Waived with injury settlement: DE Durrell Johnson

Denver Broncos

Waived: DB Tanner McCalister

Detroit Lions

Signed (off Bengals’ practice squad): DE Isaiah Thomas
Placed on IR: DE Aidan Hutchinson (story), DT Kyle Peko (story)

Houston Texans

Activated from IR: DT Kurt Hinish

Philadelphia Eagles

Waived with injury settlement: WR Jacob Harris

Seattle Seahawks

Placed on IR: CB Artie Burns

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Signed: WR Marquez Callaway
Signed to active roster: CB Keenan Isaac

Tennessee Titans

Signed to active roster: CB Tre Avery

Nichols is reportedly out for the season, per the Cardinals, but Prater could still return after an additional four-game absence. He’s already missed two games so far with a left knee issue. The 40-year-old was a perfect six-for-six on field goal attempts this year while 10-for-10 on extra points.

The Browns lose an important depth lineman in Harris. Harris started games at left tackle and center as an injury replacement this year, but he’ll be out for at least the next four games with an ankle injury.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris reported that Abernathy will be out for a “significant time,” per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Browns Trade For Seahawks C Nick Harris

August 11th, 2024 at 10:16pm CST by Ely Allen

The Browns lost some depth at center when Luke Wypler was carted off the field in the team’s preseason opener with an ankle injury that will require surgery. In order to address that issue, Cleveland has opted to bring back a familiar face, trading a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Seahawks for center Nick Harris and a 2026 seventh-round pick, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The Browns drafted Wypler out of Ohio State in the sixth-round in 2023. They had been using Harris as their backup center since he was drafted in 2020. He started out behind J.C. Tretter and then was unable to take over the starting job when the Browns signed another former Seahawk in Ethan Pocic. Pocic has served as the team’s starter ever since. Pocic has had trouble staying on the field in recent years, though, missing 10 games in the last three seasons and failing to play a full season since his rookie year in 2017.

Harris hasn’t typically been the top choice to back up Cleveland’s starting interior linemen. He does have starts in every season he’s been healthy, but he’s never started more than two games. In 2022, he would’ve had plenty of opportunities to get on the field, as Hjalte Froholdt earned six starts while Harris sat on injured reserve with a knee injury that he suffered in the preseason. Then, last year, with Wypler on the roster, Harris was temporarily moved to fullback.

Harris signed with the Seahawks early into free agency and was set to compete with Olusegun Oluwatimi and Mike Novitsky for a starting center job devoid of experienced candidates. That battle seemingly came to an end when Seattle signed Connor Williams last week. With Williams the presumed new starter and Oluwatimi having the best claim at the backup job, Harris became superfluous, so it makes sense that Seattle was willing to move him.

In Cleveland, Harris will return to his previous role. With Wypler set to miss some time, Harris will take his place behind Pocic as the primary backup center. His experience filling in at guard, as well, could end up being valuable to the Browns.

Seahawks Nearing Deal With Connor Williams; Latest On Team’s OL Battles

August 5th, 2024 at 3:37pm CST by Rory Parks

AUGUST 5: A Williams-to-Seattle agreement should be expected shortly. Agent Drew Rosenhaus said during an appearance on the Joe Rose radio show Monday that a Seahawks contract should be worked out in the next 48-72 hours (h/t Sports Illustrated’s Scott Salomon). Notably, Rosenhaus added Williams will be available for Week 1, a sign of his positive ACL rehab. Getting a deal in place will provide Seattle with a starting center for at least the 2024 campaign, although the length and terms of the pact will be worth watching closely.

AUGUST 4: The Seahawks were engaged in contract talks with center Connor Williams at the end of July, and as ESPN’s Brady Henderson notes, Seattle is still interested in acquiring Williams. While the ACL tear that Williams suffered in 2023 has led to his extended stay on the free agent market and has put his availability for the start of the 2024 season in doubt, Henderson says that money, not health, is the hold-up in negotiations.

Indeed, previous reports indicated that Williams passed his physical with the Seahawks. Per Henderson, the 27-year-old pivot simply wants more than Seattle can pay him (OverTheCap.com estimates that the ‘Hawks presently have a little over $10MM in effective cap space, which is near the bottom of the league but seemingly still enough to bring Williams into the fold, especially if they are willing to consider a multiyear deal).

For now, however, Olusegun Oluwatimi is at the top of the club’s center depth chart, with Henderson noting that the 2023 fifth-rounder has consistently gotten first-team reps ahead of free agent pickup Nick Harris. It appears that another 2023 draftee, Anthony Bradford, has the edge over third-round rookie Christian Haynes for the Seahawks’ other unsettled O-line position, right guard.

George Fant, who is in his second tour of duty in Seattle, continues to take starter’s reps at right tackle while Abraham Lucas works his way back from a knee injury. 2023 UDFA McClendon Curtis is operating behind Fant at right tackle for the time being, though Henderson says Curtis has impressed the Seahawks’ coaching staff and may still be in the RG mix. Despite a clear distribution of first-team snaps through the early stages of training camp, head coach Mike Macdonald says the starting OL has not been established.

Williams, who would have been one of the top free agents on the market this offseason if not for his injury, would certainly be a welcome addition to an offensive front that has several question marks on the interior. He is reportedly talking to other teams as well as Seattle, but those clubs have not yet been identified.

Latest On Seahawks’ Offensive Line

May 19th, 2024 at 8:12pm CST by Ely Allen

Though the Seahawks’ path forward at offensive tackle seems secure, the team has lots of questions to face concerning the interior line. The situation should lead to a few position battles worth watching this summer.

At offensive tackle, the situation is simple: 2022 first- and third-round picks Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas are set to continue manning the starting spots they’ve held since their rookie season. The only questions mark here comes with Lucas’ health, after the 25-year-old missed all but six games last year as he struggled to come back from offseason surgery on his shoulder. Even if either player misses some time, Seattle brought back a former tackle of theirs in George Fant after four years away from the team. Most recently, Fant started 13 games for the Texans last year and should provide an improvement to the backup options utilized last season in Seattle.

At guard, the team inked veteran free agent Laken Tomlinson, who should slide into the starting job at left guard. At right guard, the Seahawks return Anthony Bradford, who started 10 games as a fourth-round rookie last year. The team also utilized a third-round selection this year to draft UConn’s Christian Haynes, who played exclusively at right guard throughout college. Bradford wasn’t a world-beater last year, with Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranking him as the league’s 62nd-best guard out of 79 graded players, so Haynes will likely be given every opportunity to compete for the starting job opposite Tomlinson. Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times points out depth guard McClendon Curtis as another under the radar option. Though listed on the roster last year as a tackle, he’s now listed at guard, where he started 30 games in college.

The real questions come at center, where the Seahawks have stacked up a number of inexperienced options. Currently, the depth chart holds Nick Harris, Olusegun Oluwatimi, and Mike Novitsky. Harris, a 2020 fifth-round pick for the Browns, only started four games over the course of his rookie deal, though he earned plenty of snaps on special teams or on overloaded lines in Cleveland. Oluwatimi started one game as a rookie fifth-round pick for Seattle last year, though he also got plenty of special teams experience. He also played over half the team’s offensive snaps in two other games last season. Novitsky is a long shot to make an impact in this conversation. An undrafted rookie out of Kansas, Novitsky doesn’t trail the others much in experience but lacks the drafted pedigree.

Three spots are generally set: Cross at left tackle, Tomlinson beside him as left guard, and Lucas opposite the two at right tackle. You could even say four spots are set, if you decide to count Fant’s job as a swing tackle. At right guard, Seattle knows Bradford can handle the job, if necessary, but they will hope that competition with Haynes will either push Bradford to improve or reveal a better option in Haynes or even, possibly, Curtis. Center is where things remain dire. The team may strike gold in the three unlikely options they hold, but external additions may be on the horizon if no one takes hold of the starting job convincingly.

OL Notes: Jets, Alt, Titans, Jones, Steelers, Shelton, Rams, Jones, Ravens, Giants, Hawks

April 4th, 2024 at 9:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Once the draft moves past its quarterback stage, wide receivers are expected to be the focus. This draft also features a few high-level tackle prospects that should go off the board soon after, potentially breaking up the QB-WR string that could lead off this year’s event. Arguably the top tackle available, Joe Alt, has begun his run of pre-draft visits. The Jets and Titans used “30” visits on the Notre Dame tackle this week, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. A first-team All-American in back-to-back years and the top tackle on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board (No. 8 overall), Alt should not need to wait long before his name comes off the board.

The Titans (No. 7) and Jets (No. 10) figure to be two prime suitors. The Jets are not as needy here compared to the start of free agency, having reacquired Morgan Moses via trade and signed Tyron Smith. The All-Decade blocker is among the NFL’s most injury-prone players, and with both Smith and Moses going into age-33 seasons, a tackle-in-waiting would benefit a Jets team that has encountered regular issues up front over the past several years. The Titans cut Andre Dillard and have not added a tackle, potentially making them the Alt floor. Though, the Chargers should not be entirely ruled out — now that Jim Harbaugh is running the show — of a first-round tackle investment to pair with Rashawn Slater.

Here is the latest from the O-line ranks around the league:

The player the Jets were closely linked to in the 2023 first round, Broderick Jones slipped away after the Steelers (via the Patriots) traded in front of them to nab the Georgia blocker. Jones could not beat out Dan Moore for the Steelers’ left tackle job and ended up replacing Chukwuma Okorafor at RT around midseason. When the Steelers begin their 2024 season, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac expects Jones to be flipped to the blind side. Sliding Jones to the position he primarily played in college would stand to move Moore to right tackle. Moore has been Pittsburgh’s left tackle throughout his three-year career. A Jonah Williams-like contract-year shift would be interesting.
With the Rams set to slide Steve Avila from guard to center, Sean McVay said (via TheRams.com’s Stu Jackson) that was not Plan A this offseason. The Rams wanted to retain their 2023 center starter, Coleman Shelton, but he voided his contract en route to free agency. The Rams also expected Jonah Jackson to re-sign with the Lions. While Detroit tried to keep Jackson, his price tag reached a point of no return, leading the Lions to cheaper options. Shelton ended up with the Bears on a one-year, $3MM deal. He is not a lock to open the season as Chicago’s starter.
One of the Lions’ guard solutions came from the Ravens, with Kevin Zeitler leaving for Detroit. The Ravens must replace Zeitler, Moses and John Simpson (Jets) up front. One option will be Josh Jones, a part-time Cardinals and Texans starter. John Harbaugh said (via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec) the team has not determined if the former third-round pick will play guard or tackle. Jones has seen extensive work at left tackle, right tackle and right guard as a pro. He last played guard regularly in 2021, however. The D.J. Humphries and Laremy Tunsil injury replacement could be an emergency backup for the injury-plagued Ronnie Stanley, but Baltimore may well need Jones to start.
Although George Fant can earn up to $12MM on his two-year Seahawks deal, ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson notes the contract’s base value checks in at $9.1MM. The two-stint Seahawk secured $3.7MM guaranteed. Center Nick Harris‘ deal is worth $2.51MM, per Henderson, with only a $1MM signing bonus guaranteed. Ex-Ram Tremayne Anchrum‘s Seahawks deal is worth only $1.16MM ($100K guaranteed), Henderson adds. The Seahawks are still looking for guard help.
Jermaine Eluemunor‘s Giants deal is worth $14MM, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan; the deal includes $6.75MM guaranteed. This marks a big step up for the veteran, who played out a one-year, $3MM Raiders pact in 2023.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/24

March 13th, 2024 at 9:18pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Signed: LB Amen Ogbongbemiga, OL Matt Pryor

Cleveland Browns

Signed: CB Tony Brown, TE Giovanni Ricci
Re-signed: P Corey Bojorquez

Houston Texans

Signed: OT David Sharpe

Jacksonville Jaguars

Re-signed: LB Caleb Johnson

Miami Dolphins

Re-signed: RB Salvon Ahmed

New Orleans Saints

Re-signed: FB Adam Prentice

San Francisco 49ers

Re-signed: DL Kevin Givens

Seattle Seahawks

Signed: OL Nick Harris
Re-signed: CB Artie Burns

Tennessee Titans

Re-signed: RB Julius Chestnut

Washington Commanders

Re-signed: S Jeremy Reaves

NFL Injury Updates: Higgins, Turner, Palmer, Saints, Jones

November 10th, 2023 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bengals will be without their second leading receiver for their Week 10 matchup against the Texans. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Tee Higgins will miss Sunday’s game after injuring his hamstring in practice on Wednesday. He will reportedly continue to be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.

Partially due to the early struggles of quarterback Joe Burrow, Higgins is off to the worst start of his career this season. After averaging 1,009.33 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons, Higgins is currently on track to finish the season with only 703 yards. Hamstring injuries have a tendency to linger, as well, threatening to take even more away from Higgins this year.

Leading wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has been limited this week with a back injury and is currently listed as questionable. Should he play, though, he will be joined by Tyler Boyd, Trenton Irwin, and sixth-round rookie Andrei Iosivas. With Higgins out, tight end Irv Smith may, too, continue to see an increased role in the Bengals’ passing gameplan.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:

The Jets will be without yet another offensive lineman this week as backup lineman Billy Turner will miss Sunday’s game in Las Vegas, per Brian Costello of the New York Post. Turner suffered a “concerning” broken bone in his hand during his first start of the season last week that head coach Robert Saleh disclosed had required surgery. Turner was starting in place of injured right guard Connor McGovern, who was placed on injured reserve before last week’s game with a dislocated knee cap. With all the current injuries on the offensive line, New York only has three linemen on the active roster – Chris Glaser, Dennis Kelly, and Carter Warren – that it can turn to as a replacement starter this weekend. They also have Jake Hanson, Xavier Newman, and Rodger Saffold, who should be available off the practice squad. Saffold and Hanson are recent signings who may have been brought in to assist with the team’s plague of injuries on the offensive front.
Chargers wide receiver Josh Palmer was placed on IR earlier this week without much word on the specifics of what was being called a knee injury. Daniel Popper of The Athletic provided an update on Wednesday that Palmer is dealing with a knee sprain. Popper’s report comes from head coach Brandon Staley, who relayed that Palmer will obviously be out for the next four weeks, the minimum required on IR, but he has “no expectations” after that. They will simply have to reassess once Palmer is eligible to return.
Two Saints rookies suffered injuries this past Sunday. Defensive end Isaiah Foskey suffered “a low-grade quad strain,” according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Foskey’s absence, as a rotational lineman, will open the door for more potential snaps for either Tanoh Kpassagnon or Kyle Phillips, who was signed to the active roster weeks ago but has yet to make his season debut. Foskey is expected to miss a week or two, but the injury isn’t considered serious. Running back Kendre Miller was the other Saints rookie to suffer an injury, spraining his ankle against Chicago last week, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. He hasn’t participated in practice all week and will also be out this Sunday. It’s unclear whether or not his injury will linger to hold him out for much longer. Miller’s usage has decreased significantly since the return of Jamaal Williams, but with Eno Benjamin on IR, the team may feel the need to elevate practice squad running back Jordan Mims to back up Williams and Alvin Kamara.
The Browns will be down three offensive tackles for this weekend’s trip to Baltimore. According to Jeff Schudel of The News-Herald and Morning Journal, rookie fourth-round tackle Dawand Jones has been ruled out for Sunday’s game. Starting tackles Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills both currently reside on IR, Conklin since Week 1 and Wills just this past week. Jones had been starting across from Wills in place of Conklin. With Wills and Jones out next week, Cleveland will have to start two fresh faces at offensive tackle. Schudel reports that James Hudson III is expected to start at right tackle. Starting left guard Joel Bitonio is expected to slide out to serve as a left tackle. Backup center Nick Harris will get an opportunity to start in Bitonio’s place at left guard. A beleaguered offensive line will face a significant challenge with three new starters in new positions against a Ravens defense that leads the league in sacks.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/16/22

August 16th, 2022 at 7:04pm CST by Ben Levine

With the NFL dropping the roster limit to 85 players today, we’ve got a long list of minor moves to pass along:

Atlanta Falcons

Released: TE Tucker Fisk, LB Rashad Smith, DB Tre Webb, P Seth Vernon
Placed on IR: CB Cornell Armstrong

Baltimore Ravens

Released: QB Brett Hundley
Placed on IR: LB Trent Harris

Buffalo Bills

Released: CB Tim Harris, LB Marquel Lee

Carolina Panthers

Released from IR: DE Jacob Tuioti-Mariner

Chicago Bears

Signed: S Jon Alexander, OL Corey Dublin
Waived: LB Noah Dawkins, TE Rysen John
Waived/injured: S Michael Joseph, CB Jayson Stanley, LB Javin White
Placed on IR: C Doug Kramer

Cleveland Browns

Claimed off waivers (from Saints): WR Easop Winston
Released: DT Sheldon Day
Waived/injured: OT Elijah Nkansah
Placed on IR: C Dawson Deaton, C Nick Harris (story)
Released from IR: LB Silas Kelly

Dallas Cowboys

Activated from PUP: LB Anthony Barr
Placed on IR: FB Ryan Nall

Denver Broncos

Waived: RB Max Borghi, WR Kaden Davis, WR Travis Fulgham, S Jamar Johnson, TE Rodney Williams
Released from IR: RB Tyreik McAllister

Detroit Lions

Waived: WR Josh Johnson
Waived/injured: S Brady Breeze

Green Bay Packers

Claimed off waivers (from Panthers): TE Nate Becker
Released: RB BJ Baylor, LB Ellis Brooks, TE Dominique Dafney, G George Moore, LB Randy Ramsey

Houston Texans

Waived: DL Damion Daniels

Indianapolis Colts

Released: Isaiah Ford
Waived: OT Brandon Kemp, CB Alexander Myres, WR Michael Young

Jacksonville Jaguars

Released from IR: RB Nathan Cottrell

Kansas City Chiefs

Waived: DL Austin Edwards, WR Devin Gray
Reverted to IR: WR Gary Jennings

Los Angeles Rams

Waived: P Cameron Dicker, OT Adrian Ealy, QB Luis Perez, TE Jamal Pettigrew, DB Caesar Dancy-Williams

Las Vegas Raiders

Waived: CB Nate Brooks, DE Gerri Green, OT Tyrone Wheatley

Miami Dolphins

Waived: OL Cole Banwart, WR DeVonte Dedmon, DL Jordan Williams
Waived/injured: CB Tino Ellis
Placed on IR: TE Adam Shaheen

Minnesota Vikings

Released: CB Tye Smith
Waived: FB Jake Bargas, LB Andre Mintze
Waived/injured: WR Thomas Hennigan, DL Tyarise Stevenson

New York Giants

Waived: TE Jeremiah Hall, DB Gavin Heslop
Waived/injured: WR Austin Proehl

New York Jets

Released: DB Luq Barcoo, WR Rashard Davis, OL Derrick Kelly, DE Timmy Ward

Philadelphia Eagles

Waived/injured: WR Lance Lenoir, S Jared Mayden, CB Jimmy Moreland

Pittsburgh Steelers

Signed: G William Dunkle
Claimed off waivers: C Ryan McCollum
Waived: DT Doug Costin, OT Jake Dixon, C Nate Gilliam, P Cameron Nizialek, C Chris Owens
Placed on IR: S Karl Joseph
Released from IR: WR Javon McKinley

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Released: DB Ross Cockrell
Waived: TE Ben Beise, OL Curtis Blackwell, WR Kameron Brown
Waived/injured: OL Jonathan Hubbard, OLB JoJo Ozougwu

Washington Commanders

Released: CB Troy Apke, CB De’Vante Bausby, G Deion Calhoun
Placed on IR: FB Alex Armah, TE Sammis Reyes
Released from IR: WR Jequez Ezzard

Browns C Nick Harris Likely Out For Season

August 13th, 2022 at 12:49pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Nick Harris will be sidelined for the entire 2022 season. The Browns starting center will undergo surgery on his injured right knee that will likely knock him out for the entire season, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (via Twitter).

Jeff Schudel of the The News-Herald tweets that the team isn’t “ready to say he’ll miss the entire season,” with the team awaiting more information before making that determination. However, it sounds like the lineman is all be destined to go under the knife, and recovery time would likely last through the entire 2022 campaign. Harris was injured on the second snap of yesterday’s preseason opener. After receiving contact from Jaguars defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton, the offensive lineman fell to the ground. He was unable to put weight on his right leg before being helped on to a cart.

“All these injuries stink. You don’t like anybody to get injured,” coach Kevin Stefanski said (via Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal). “Nick certainly is a guy that’s been working so hard this offseason. Really hoping that it’s not a season-long thing because the kid just works so hard.”

Harris was a fifth-round pick out of Washington in 2020. He started two of his 23 games through his first two seasons in the NFL, and while he didn’t play enough snaps to qualify for Pro Football Focus’ 2021 OL rankings, he earned an above-average grade in both pass blocking and run blocking. He was expected to take over the starting center gig in place of free agent J.C. Tretter, who remains unsigned. Ethan Pocic filled in at center last night, and the team is also rostering seventh-round rookie Dawson Deaton and UDFA Brock Hoffman.

Browns Not Seeking OL, DL Additions?

June 26th, 2022 at 3:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

At this point in the offseason, teams use the remaining free agent market to address depth needs on their rosters. As a result, some view offensive and defensive line as two positions the Browns could use to make additions between now and training camp. However, May Kay Cabot of cleveland.com observes that the team is confident in its current options in both position groups.

The Browns cut veteran center J.C. Tretter in March, saving the team significant cap space but creating a hole in the middle of the 0-line. They have signed former Seahawk Ethan Pocic, but the top candidate for Tretter’s vacated role is Nick Harris, who has made one start in each of his first two NFL seasons. If healthy, the team will also be able to return one of the league’s top tandems at both tackle (Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin) and guard (Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller).

In terms of depth, 2021 fourth-rounder James Hudson is in line to remain the team’s top swingman. He played over 300 snaps as a rookie, making four starts along the way. While he struggled during his initial season, earning a PFF grade of 57.3, Cabot notes how confident the Browns are that he will take a step forward after gaining experience at the NFL level.

The situation is similar on the other side of the ball. The Browns are high on the potential shown in spring practices by Jordan Elliott. The 2020 third-rounder has only made four starts so far in his career, but he took on a significantly larger workload last season, setting himself up to do the same this year. He could be joined as a starter by former first-rounder Taven Bryan, who signed a one-year deal in free agency. Cabot also names rookie Perrion Winfrey as a candidate for at least a significant depth role.

Given their cap situation, the Browns could easily afford another signing along either the offensive or defensive fronts. Aside from any difficulty which could arise from convincing remaining free agents to come on a short-term deal (given the lengthy suspension expected to be handed down to Deshaun Watson, which could very well take the team out of 2022 contention), Cleveland already appears content with their in-house depth.