Giants To Sign DT D.J. Reader
MAY 9: Reader’s contract includes $5.25MM in guaranteed money, comprised of a $3.5MM signing bonus and his $1.75MM salary this season, per OverTheCap. He can also receive up to $1MM in per game roster bonuses in 2026, creating a cap hit of $4.5MM. That will set up what is essentially a team option for 2027, in which Reader will be owed $5.15MM in base salary and $1MM in per game roster bonuses with a $1.75MM dead cap hit if released.
MAY 5: The Giants-D.J. Reader buzz is expected to produce a deal. The sides are finalizing an agreement that will move the veteran to a fourth NFL team, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report.
Reader visited with the Giants days before they decided to trade Dexter Lawrence, and the parties stayed in contact in the period after the blockbuster swap. With Lawrence sent to Cincinnati for the No. 10 overall pick, Reader will have an opportunity to play a big role in New York.
Although we are past the draft — when the bulk of the signings are one-year pacts — Reader will fetch another multiyear agreement. He is signing a two-year, $12.5MM accord, veteran insider Jordan Schultz tweets. Incentives could push the value higher as well. Reader’s incentive package covers $3MM, Rapoport adds.
John Harbaugh spent four seasons coaching against Reader in the AFC North, as the Bengals rostered the run-stuffing D-lineman from 2020-23. Reader, 31, spent the past two years with the Lions. The Giants have now added Reader and fellow ex-AFC North 30-something Shelby Harris to their post-Lawrence D-tackle group since the draft. Harris, 34, signed a one-year deal worth $3MM. His contract brings $2.66MM guaranteed, per OverTheCap.
Reader (128 career starts) will be expected to be the Giants’ first-string nose tackle, the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz notes. The contract certainly points to such a role being commandeered, as does the 10-year veteran’s body of work. This year’s D-tackle class was considered weak behind John Franklin-Myers, who benefited from both a shallow DT veteran crop and a draft not flooded with high-level options either. This landscape led to Vikings 30-something cap casualties Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave landing on their feet — with two-year deals worth $25MM and $23MM, respectively — soon after releases. The Giants’ changing DT complexion undoubtedly boosted Reader’s value.
Lawrence requested a trade and, despite a Giants attempt to keep him on a revised contract, received one days before the draft. The Giants then focused on other areas in the draft, adding a linebacker, offensive lineman, cornerback and wide receiver in the first three rounds. New York did not address its suddenly glaring DT need until Round 5, when Bobby Jamison-Travis arrived. The team used a third-round pick on DT Darius Alexander last year. He will now see vets Reader, Harris and Leki Fotu represent a quantity-based approach to replacing an All-Pro.
Tied to a two-year, $22MM Lions deal previously, Reader started all 32 games he played with the NFC North club. Pro Football Focus graded Reader 36th and 32nd, respectively, among interior D-linemen in those seasons. He logged a 53% defensive snap rate in each Detroit campaign. Although Reader displayed durability in New York, he suffered two quadricep tears while with Cincinnati. The second one came during his contract year, though it speaks to how Reader is viewed around the league he scored an $11MM-AAV deal coming off that injury.
Reader, whose first quad tear sidelined him five games into the 2020 slate, also missed seven games during the 2022 season. An MCL issue sidelined Reader that year, coming after his key contributions during Cincy’s Super Bowl LVI season. The former Texans draftee played out a four-year, $53MM Bengals contract before heading to Detroit.
The Ravens met with Reader in free agency, before they added Calais Campbell, but the veteran nose will meet up with a host of ex-Ravens under Harbaugh soon. The Giants will hope the 330-pound defender has enough gas in the tank to make an impact on a defense that ranked 31st against the run with Lawrence playing 17 games. This situation may not inspire confidence, given Lawrence’s talent level, but the Giants are bringing in some proven vets after using the Lawrence-generated pick to bolster their O-line (via Francis Mauigoa).
Giants To Sign DT Shelby Harris
Trading their cornerstone defensive lineman days before the draft, the Giants created a glaring need. Dexter Lawrence is now part of a deep Bengals D-tackle group, while the Giants need some answers after devoting their early draft resources elsewhere.
One of those answers is coming from a recent visitor. A month after meeting with the Giants, Shelby Harris is signing with the team (according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson). Harris joined D.J. Reader in visiting the team while Lawrence remained a Giant, though Harris’ visit came before the All-Pro’s trade request.
This agreement will give Harris a chance to play an age-35 season. Formerly a key Broncos D-line piece who became part of the 2022 Russell Wilson trade, Harris spent the past three seasons as a Jim Schwartz charge in Cleveland. Regularly redirecting passes via batdowns, Harris started 25 games with the Browns and has 89 career starts on his resume.
The Giants have been looking for multiple D-linemen, according to The Athletic’s Dan Duggan, who indicates the team has been searching for a nose tackle and a three technique. Harris qualifies for the latter role, while Reader would be a nose addition. Reader remains unsigned but has been closely linked to the Giants this offseason.
Neither Harris nor Reader will count toward the 2027 compensatory formula, as that deadline passed Monday. Free agency annually reignites after that point on the NFL calendar. Joe Schoen said (via Duggan) the team had been in contact with a few veteran DTs, while John Harbaugh confirmed post-draft (via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith) the Giants were “not done at all” at this spot.
A 2014 seventh-round Raiders draftee, Harris found a home in Denver after spending the 2016 season out of football. Harris served as a five-year cog for the Broncos, contributing for Vance Joseph and Vic Fangio‘s 3-4 defenses. Harris tallied two six-sack seasons under Fangio, and his pass-deflecting prowess shone during those years. Harris deflected nine passes in 2019 and re-routed seven more in 2020. From 2017-25, Harris ranks fourth among front-seven players with 40 pass deflections. Only Cameron Heyward, the since-retired Carlos Dunlap and T.J. Watt have more.
The Broncos re-signed Harris on a three-year, $27MM deal heading into Fangio’s final season as HC. A year later, they included that contract in the eight-asset Wilson trade package. The Seahawks used Harris as a starter in 2022 but released him in 2023, leading to the Cleveland trek. Used as a part-time starter, Harris totaled 18 tackles for loss over three Browns seasons. Pro Football Focus ranked Harris as a top-35 interior D-lineman in 2023 and ’24, slotting him 56th (out of 127 qualified options) in 2025.
Set to turn 35 in August, Harris certainly will not be a one-for-one Lawrence replacement. The Giants, who also lost Rakeem Nunez-Roches this offseason, waited until Round 6 to address the position in the draft. They do return veteran Roy Robertson-Harris and 2025 third-round pick Darius Alexander up front, but a team that ranked 31st in run stoppage with Lawrence last season certainly has more work to do after this Harris addition.
Giants To Meet With DL Shelby Harris
Part of the Russell Wilson trade, Shelby Harris spent the past three seasons in Cleveland following a Seattle one-off. The former Broncos defensive line mainstay is interested in playing an age-35 season, and he may be closing in on a destination.
Harris has a Giants meeting set up for today, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes. The Giants are interested in adding interior D-line help, according to the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy, and Harris brings considerable experience as an 11-year veteran.
The Browns used Harris as a 25-game starter during Jim Schwartz‘s three-year DC run; while he came up as a trade candidate at last year’s deadline, the Browns did not move on. Pro Football Focus graded Harris 56th among interior D-linemen last season (out of 127 qualified options).
Harris also made an impact with the Broncos before being included in the 2022 Wilson blockbuster. Denver traded five draft picks to Seattle for the declining quarterback — who later made what will almost definitely be a one-and-done Giants stop — but included Harris, Drew Lock and Noah Fant in the deal. Harris has made a New York stopover previously, but his three-month Jets stay in 2016 did not produce any game action.
The Myles Garrett wingman combined for 18 tackles for loss from 2023-25. While Harris only registered four sacks in that time, he was a more disruptive pass-rushing presence in Denver. The former seventh-round pick tallied at least 5.5 sacks in three of his five Broncos seasons, totaling six apiece in 2019 and 2021. Harris is also among this NFL period’s best at re-routing passes up front; his 40 pass deflections trail only Cameron Heyward (46) among D-linemen since 2017.
The Broncos gave Harris a three-year, $27MM deal to re-sign him as a free agent in 2021 but ended up including that deal to sweeten their Wilson offer. After playing out a two-year, $9MM pact in Cleveland, Harris would stand to be an affordable option for a Giants team looking for help alongside Dexter Lawrence.
Neither Rakeem Nunez-Roches nor D.J. Davidson has re-signed with the Giants; both former Lawrence sidekicks remain free agents. The Giants used a third-round pick on interior D-lineman Darius Alexander last year, and Roy Robertson-Harris is signed for one more season. The team added Sam Roberts as a depth option Monday, but the four-year veteran has maxed out at 102 defensive snaps in a season.
Browns Expected To Make One Or Two More Deals Before Deadline; Fire Sale Unlikely
The Browns have swung two trades in October, dealing quarterback Joe Flacco to the Bengals as part of a Day 3 pick swap in 2026 and trading contract-year cornerback Greg Newsome II to the Jaguars for fellow cornerback Tyson Campbell (that deal also included a 2026 Day 3 pick swap). Zac Jackson of The Athletic (subscription required) unsurprisingly believes Cleveland, which is currently sitting at 2-5, will continue to operate as a seller as we approach the November 4 trade deadline.
Jackson does not expect a full fire sale, however. Instead, he anticipates one or two more trades as the Browns attempt to extract some value for their older players while looking ahead to 2026 and beyond. As Jackson observes in a separate subscribers-only piece, Cleveland already has 10 picks in next year’s draft, which is probably too many to be useful, even for a rebuilding club. That is presumably one of the reasons why he does not expect a flurry of trade activity.
As for who could be on the move, Jackson identifies running back Jerome Ford, whose name has already cropped up in trade rumors, as a clear trade candidate. Tight end David Njoku has also been rumored as a player who could be dealt, and Jackson confirms the longtime Brown may be in the final stretch of his Cleveland tenure (though he also leaves open the possibility that player and team could work out another contract extension).
Both Njoku and Ford have seen rookies (Harold Fannin and Quinshon Judkins, respectively) eat into their playing time, and as both veterans are on expiring deals, their status as potential trade bait is apparent. Offensive linemen Wyatt Teller, Ethan Pocic, Joel Bitonio, and Jack Conklin are also impending free agents whom Jackson names as potential targets for OL-needy clubs. Jackson views a Bitonio trade as improbable since the front office would need to negotiate with an interested team as well as the 12th-year Brown – who is considered likely to retire at season’s end – and his family.
Other contract-year veterans with varying degrees of trade-worthiness include DE Alex Wright – whom Jackson views as a player who will generate some interest given his position and the fact that he profiles as an inexpensive rental – DT Shelby Harris, LB Jerome Baker, S Rayshawn Jenkins, and P Corey Bojorquez. And, while Jackson acknowledges a trade of WR Jerry Jeudy or DE Myles Garrett is unlikely, he does include them on his list of trade candidates.
Despite an offseason trade request and a report that he was not open to a new deal with the Browns, Garrett and Cleveland came together on a record-setting contract in early March. Cleveland did not really consider moving Garrett even after his trade demand, and given that the ink is barely dry on his mega-deal, the dead money cost of a trade within the next couple of weeks could be prohibitive. That said, if a team were to pony up three first-round picks, that could change Cleveland’s calculus.
After a Pro Bowl performance in 2024, in which the former first-round pick of the Broncos finally lived up to his considerable potential, Jeudy has been a disappointment in 2025, largely as a result of his struggles with dropped passes and penalties. Cleveland would be selling low on the Alabama product, whom they signed to a three-year, $52.5MM deal ($41MM guaranteed) last March. Jackson therefore thinks a trade probably will not come together, but if a team thinking Jeudy just needs another change of scenery came calling, Jackson suggests GM Andrew Berry would listen.
Given Cleveland’s glut of 2026 draft picks, Jackson says Berry could target players under club control at least through next year — rather than more draft capital — as he navigates the trade season. That is what happened when he traded Newsome for Campbell, who is signed through 2028.
As Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal writes, Campbell was shocked by the deal, perhaps because he signed a lucrative extension with the Jaguars in July 2024. Clearly, the playoff-hopeful Jags believed Newsome offered an immediate upgrade to aid in their postseason push, while Cleveland will hope to provide Campbell something of a longer runway to find the form that earned him a big-money deal just last year.
Browns Willing To Trade DT Shelby Harris
After Sunday’s loss, the Browns sit at 1-5 on the year. The team has already authorized two notable trades, sending Greg Newsome to the Jaguars in a swap for fellow cornerback Tyson Campbell after Joe Flacco was dealt to the Bengals.
It would come as no surprise if other trades were to take place ahead of next month’s deadline. Provided the Browns continue to sell, a number of veterans will presumably draw trade interest. One of those is defensive tackle Shelby Harris.
The Browns will listen to offers on Harris, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. Likewise, ESPN’s Adam Schefter names the 11th-year veteran as one of the league’s top trade candidates. Harris is a pending free agent, so he would be viewed as a rental for an acquiring team. With a base salary of just $2MM, the 34-year-old would also be an affordable target for any number of suitors.
Cleveland invested a second-round pick in defensive tackle Mike Hall last year. The Ohio State product has yet to play this season, but Cabot notes he is nearing a return to full health. When that takes place, Hall will join Mason Graham – selected fifth overall in April after the Browns traded out of the No. 2 slot – as a tandem along the defensive interior for years to come. With those two in the team’s plans well beyond the current campaign, Harris could be deemed expendable in the near future.
The former seventh-rounder has 135 appearances and 84 starts to his name. Harris was a first-team presence through much of his five-year Broncos run before heading to Seattle as part of the Russell Wilson trade. After a single campaign with the Seahawks, the Illinois State alum signed the first of two contracts with the Browns. In addition to drafting Graham this offseason, though, the team added Maliek Collins in free agency, something which threatened to limit Harris’ playing time.
As a result, Harris was a cut candidate this summer. The Browns elected to keep him in the fold through training camp and into the start of the season, and Harris has handled a 42% snap share so far. He could offer a rotational presence to a contending team for the second half of the campaign, and it will be interesting to see how strong of a market develops on the trade front in this case.
Release Candidates: Shelby Harris, Ogbo Okoronkwo
For the Browns, a key talking point through training camp and the preseason will of course be the team’s quarterback competition. Other position battles will be taking place this summer, though, and the defensive line will be a position group to watch.
Cleveland has free agent addition Maliek Collins set to occupy a starting role along the interior after he inked a $20MM deal to join the Browns. Having selected Mason Graham fifth overall in this year’s draft, it can also be safely assumed the All-American will be counted on as a key contributor early and often in his career. 2024 second-rounder Mike Hall is another defensive tackle attached to a rookie contract in Cleveland’s case.
Given the nature of the Browns’ depth chart along the D-line, Shelby Harris could find himself on the outside of the roster bubble. The Athletic’s Zac Jackson writes Harris is in danger of being cut this summer (subscription required). Jackson also notes that the same is true of veteran edge rusher Ogbo Okoronkwo.
Harris has spent time with four teams over the course of his NFL career. The 33-year-old played for the Seahawks in 2022 after being acquired as part of the Russell Wilson trade. That was followed by a free agent deal with the Browns. Harris has logged 31 games and 20 starts to date in Cleveland, and his snap share jumped from 42% in 2023 to 59% last year.
In spite of that workload, the Browns’ moves along the defensive interior this spring would leave Harris lower on the depth chart in the event he were to be retained. One year remains on the former seventh-rounder’s contract. If the Browns were to release or trade him, they would see $1.68MM in cap savings while incurring a slightly lower dead money charge.
Okoronkwo has also been in Cleveland for the past two years. After showing potential with the Texans in 2022 (five sacks, 17 QB pressures) the former fifth-rounder joined the Browns to operate as a complementary option to Myles Garrett. Over the course of his time with the team, however, Okoronkwo has only totaled five starts (each of them coming late last season after Za’Darius Smith had been traded away). In all, he has managed 7.5 sacks.
Garrett is still in the fold for years to come thanks to his new market-resetting deal. The Browns also have recent draftees Alex Wright and Isaiah McGuire in place as No. 2 and 3 pass rush options along the edge. As a result, Jackson notes Okoronkwo, 30, could find himself on the outside looking in. That comes as little surprise given a report from April which stated he was among the players Cleveland was shopping in a potential trade.
Just likes Harris, Okoronkwo is a pending 2026 free agent. None of his scheduled base salary for the year is guaranteed, but the Oklahoma product is owed a $1.5MM option bonus on August 30. That represents a logical deadline for a decision to be made on keeping him in the fold or moving on. In Okoronkwo’s case, a release or trade would yield $3.67MM in cap savings while generating $1.95MM in dead money.
As things stand, the Browns have just over $18MM in cap space. That figure can and will change once final roster cuts are made, and Harris and Okoronkwo are among the notable names to watch with respect to a potential parting of ways in the near future.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/26/24
Thursday’s minor moves around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Reverted to season-ending IR (practice window expired): CB Elijah Jones
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: G Chris Glaser
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on IR: DT Shelby Harris
- Signed to active roster: WR James Proche
Detroit Lions
- Waived: LB Kwon Alexander
New York Jets
- Designated for return: K Greg Zuerlein
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: LT Trent Williams (story)
- Signed (to two-year deal): OL Matt Hennessy
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: CB Artie Burns
Harris’ second season with the Browns saw him play a key role with 13 starts and a 59% snap share on defense. The 33-year-old remained consistent against the run (37 tackles) while chipping in as a pass rusher (1.5 sacks), but his campaign is now over as he deals with an elbow injury. One year remains on Harris’ contract, although none of his scheduled $1.26MM base salary is guaranteed.
Alexander joined the Lions late last month as part of the team’s bid to add healthy options at the linebacker spot. He made a pair of appearances with Detroit prior to today’s move, one which may not mark the end of his time with the team. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Lions hope to be able to sign Alexander, 30, to their practice squad provided he clears waivers. Teams will be able to put in a claim until tomorrow afternoon, by which point he will become a free agent if no interested parties emerge.
Zuerlein has been on injured reserve since the end of October, spurring the Jets to turn to other kicking options. If the veteran is activated in the near future, he will be able to make a late-season return in 2024, his third campaign with the Jets. Failing that, New York will still have Anders Carlson and recent practice squad addition Greg Joseph in place at the position.
Browns To Re-Sign DT Shelby Harris
Being on three teams since 2021, Shelby Harris is set to enjoy more continuity in the mid-2020s. The Browns have reached an agreement to keep the veteran defensive tackle.
Harris will stay in Cleveland on a two-year deal worth $9MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. The Browns had picked up Harris weeks after his 2023 Seahawks release, and the former Broncos starter will stay in Cleveland to work alongside Dalvin Tomlinson once again.
After adding a few outside pieces at defensive tackle last year, the Browns are spending resources to keeping their own at the position this year. A day after re-signing Maurice Hurst Jr. (and Za’Darius Smith), the Browns will retain Harris, whom they signed midway through training camp last year.
Harris’ most noticeable skill comes in re-routing passes. The veteran D-tackle batted down five passes in 2023 and has two more seasons with at least seven deflections up front. The Browns used the former seventh-round pick as a seven-game starter last year, but Harris was active for all 18 Cleveland contests. He finished with 1.5 sacks and six tackles for loss with the team.
Known more for his interior pass rushing (two six-sack seasons) than his work against the run, Harris rated well in this area last season. Pro Football Focus slotted him just outside the top 20 among interior D-linemen. After being part of a No. 1-ranked Browns pass defense, the 32-year-old defender will be asked to keep going toward his mid-30s.
The Broncos gave Harris a three-year, $27MM deal to stick around in 2021, which marked his fifth season with the team. But the team included the starting D-lineman in the Russell Wilson trade. The Seahawks bailed on the $9MM-per-year contract after one season, however, leading to the Cleveland arrival. Harris has 71 starts on his resume. Harris and Tomlinson helped the Browns go from 25th in run defense in 2022 to 11th in this category last season.
Browns, DT Shelby Harris Agree To Deal
A free agent visit between Shelby Harris and the Browns has yielded an agreement. The veteran defensive tackle is headed to Cleveland on a deal worth up to $5.25MM, reports Jordan Schultz of the Score (Twitter links). 
Harris had been on the open market since being released by the Seahawks in March, but it took plenty of time for him to receive tangible interest. He explored the possibility of returning to the Broncos by visiting Denver, but that did not produce a deal. The 31-year-old then met with the Browns, though at that point he was not believed to be acting with much urgency to make a firm commitment.
Now, Harris has a new home for the fourth time in his career. The former seventh-rounder was included in the package Denver sent to Seattle in the Russell Wilson trade last offseason. He remained a full-time starter in the Emerald City, though his production dropped compared to his days with the Broncos. Harris recorded two sacks and eight QB pressures in 2022, after posting six and 18, respectively, the year prior.
Harris should still be able to carve out at least a rotational role in Cleveland, a team which has set about re-tooling its defensive front this offseason. Their most signficant endeavor in that regard was the deal given to Dalvin Tomlinson (four-years, $57MM). The latter will be an anchor of the Browns’ defensive interior for the foreseeable future, and 2020 third-rounder Jordan Elliott graduated to a starting role in 2022. Perrion Winfrey was waived last month, though, leaving a vacancy at the DT spot.
Cleveland invested a third-round pick in this year’s draft to add further depth on the D-line by selecting Siaki Ika. Harris, who has 98 appearances and 64 starts to his name, will no doubt be counted on more than the Baylor product in 2023. As is the case with the Seahawks, the Browns are aiming to take a needed step forward with their defensive front compared to last year. Harris should aid in their ability to progress under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
A return to the Seahawks was thought to be on the table for much of the offseason in Harris’ case. As Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets, however, the signing of Mario Edwards (which in turn came after the addition of Dre’Mont Jones) likely took a Harris deal off the table. Seattle will move forward with its new DT contingent, while Harris will look to put together a strong season in Cleveland ahead of another trip to free agency.
DT Shelby Harris Visits Browns
AUGUST 4: The veteran interior defensive lineman looks to be taking his time on selecting his next team. The Browns did not get the impression Harris was desperate for a deal now, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. Harris, who has earned more than $26MM during his career, has visited the Browns and Broncos thus far. It is unclear if an offer was extended by either team, but the 64-game starter seems likely to land an opportunity to play a ninth season.
JULY 31: Not long after Shelby Harris made a visit to one of his former teams, he will do so with another potential suitor. The veteran defensive tackle is set to meet with the Browns today, per the Score’s Jordan Schultz (Twitter link).
Harris visited the Broncos last week, signaling that a reunion in Denver could be in the works. Denver lost Eyioma Uwazurike to a gambling suspension, so plenty of playing time would be available for Harris if he were to return to the Mile High City. He could see a signficant role in Cleveland as well, however.
The Browns entered the offseason needing to upgrade their defensive interior, and their most impactful move on that front was the signing of Dalvin Tomlinson. The former Giants and Vikings starter inked a four-year, $57MM deal to serve as the anchor of new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz’s D-line. That also unit added depth during the draft with the selection Siaki Ika in the third round.
The Browns moved on from 2022 fourth-rounder Perrion Winfrey earlier this month, however, after learning he is under investigation for what would be a second instance of violence against a woman. Winfrey’s absence opens the door to at least rotational snaps for an addition at the position, and Harris could fit the bill. The soon-to-be 32-year-old has served as a full-time starter across each of the past four seasons.
Part of the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade, Harris took a step back in his debut Seahawks season compared to his final Broncos campaign. After posting six sacks in 2021, the former seventh-rounder recorded only two last season while also seeing his pressure, QB hits and tackle for loss totals drop. Still, he would add plenty of experience to a defensive line set to be led by Tomlinson and 2020 third-rounder Jordan Elliott.
Seattle expressed a willingness to re-sign Harris back in March, but his market has seen little movement since that time. After visiting a pair of AFC teams on the lookout for a depth addition, however, a deal could materialize in the near future.