The Seattle Seahawks traded veteran center Nick Harris to the Cleveland Browns, primarily as part of a 2026 pick swap. Specifically, the Seahawks received a 2026 sixth-round pick in exchange for sending Harris and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Browns. The trade was finalized on August 11, 2024, just one day after Seattle’s 16-3 preseason victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
**Why does this trade matter?**
The Seahawks needed to free up a roster spot to sign longtime Dallas Cowboys starting offensive lineman Connor Williams. This trade signals the Seahawks’ confidence in Williams as their solution at center, a position for which Harris was also competing. Seattle also has Olu Oluwatimi vying for the starting center role.
This trade means that Harris never played a game for the Seahawks. He was signed by Seattle in March 2024 with the intention of competing for the starting center job.
Harris now reunites with the Browns, who originally drafted him in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons in Cleveland before signing with Seattle earlier this offseason. Last season, Harris played in 17 games for the Browns, including two starts.
**The Seahawks Are Banking on Connor Williams to Stabilize the Center Position**
The Seahawks have struggled to maintain consistency at center and hope Williams can end that instability. However, it’s worth noting that Williams is recovering from a season-ending ACL injury.
Williams, who was a starter for the Dallas Cowboys during his first four seasons, spent the last two seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He started nine games in 2023 before his injury.
“My take on the Connor Williams signing: Seattle has cycled through centers for most of the last decade and can’t afford to be subpar there again, especially with other uncertainties on the offensive line,” ESPN’s Brady Henderson commented in an August 6 post on X. “Williams has the potential to be the best player they’ve had at that position in quite some time.”
Though returning from a significant injury is less than ideal, Williams was impressive when healthy last season, earning an 86.5 grade (out of 100) from Pro Football Focus for his performance in 2023.
“Former Dolphins and Cowboys center Connor Williams has agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million, with $3M guaranteed, with the Seattle Seahawks,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported in an August 6, 2024, post on X. “The deal was negotiated and confirmed by Drew Rosenhaus and Ryan Matha.”
**Connor Williams Expected to Start at Center for the Seahawks: Insider**
The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar predicts that Williams will be the Seahawks’ Week 1 starting center. However, Williams’ health remains a concern, and right tackle Abraham Lucas is also on the PUP list, leaving Seattle’s offensive line with several question marks.
“[Williams’] timeline for getting on the field, as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered in December, remains uncertain,” Dugar wrote in an August 12 article titled “Seahawks roster projection: Tough decisions loom at RB, WR, CB.” “… By Week 1, I expect Williams to be the starting center and Oluwatimi the backup.
“For now, I’ll project Lucas — who is on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from offseason knee surgery — to be healthy enough to play the first month of the season.”
