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.