A Browns DT finds his voice and his next career as he continues to condemn the new training camp proposal

BEREA, Ohio – Browns defensive tackle Shelby Harris has been angry for weeks about the NFL Players Association’s proposal to eliminate the voluntary offseason program in favor of a longer training warm-up phase.

And the ten-year veteran still insists that he thinks it’s a bad idea that doesn’t benefit players in the slightest.

“You want us to give in and give up the voluntary part of the OTAs and make it mandatory?” Harris told cleveland.com last month at the Browns’ mandatory minicamp.

“And then what do we get? That’s business. And I think our NFLPA is doing terrible business right now, and frankly, I think that’s a terrible idea. It’s going to make the season extremely long, and I know players and coaches alike don’t want that.”

Currently, the offseason program consists of three phases and runs from mid-April through the mandatory minicamps in June. All workouts except minicamp are voluntary and most training camps begin in late July, giving players about a six-week summer break.

But in May, NFL.com reported that the players’ union was finalizing a proposal that would reshape the offseason as early as next year. All voluntary on-field work in the spring would be eliminated in favor of a longer training camp. Players would have to report for a ramp-up period in mid-June or early July. Virtual meetings could take place in the spring, but no workouts.

Offseason work rules are collectively negotiated, so any changes require an agreement with the NFL.

Harris was extremely vocal in his opposition on social media when news of the proposal broke and stands by his statements.

“We can sit here and talk about football as much as we want, but this is a business,” Harris said.

Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported that the majority of players support the changes. He also reported that the NFLPA consulted medical and performance experts in developing the proposal.

Harris, on the other hand, argues the opposite and also suggested that the proposal may be losing momentum since there has been no news about it since the first reports in May.

“I haven’t heard anyone really agree with it, other than people who don’t play football,” Harris said. “The players just know they don’t want it. And no one has really heard anything about it since.”

“Hopefully they rejected it because it’s a terrible idea. But I just hope it’s not something that comes out secretly and then gets passed because that would really upset everyone.”

The NFLPA is under new leadership: Lloyd Howell Jr. was elected to succeed CEO DeMaurice Smith in June 2023. Lions linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin also took over from former Browns center JC Tretter in March.

While Harris remains staunchly opposed to the proposal, he has also made his voice heard in other ways during the offseason.

In April, he traveled to Los Angeles to attend a three-day broadcasting boot camp run by the NFL and NFL Network. After an interview process, he was selected as one of only 23 current and former players.

“You had to apply, send in some clips and kind of say why you wanted to be there, so it was definitely worth it,” he said.

“It was a great experience. I think it was a very well organised boot camp. The reason I wanted to go is because after (when I’m done playing) I’d like to do something like radio or TV. So I just wanted to try it out and get some experience and it was a really enjoyable experience.”

During boot camp, Harris tried his hand at podcasting, commentated on games for a radio show, commentated on games for a television show, and worked as an on-air TV commentator. He left camp with a professionally produced film of his work.

Harris returns to Cleveland for his second season with the Browns, signing a two-year deal in the spring after becoming a key rotation player on coordinator Jim Schwartz’s D-line in 2023.

With the Browns, Harris started eight games last season, including Cleveland’s final five. In the regular season, he recorded 28 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three QB hits, five passes defensed and one forced fumble. He ranked 32nd in the league among qualified DTs with a defensive grade of 70.5, according to data from Pro Football Focus. For his career, he recorded 289 regular season tackles, 26.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and one interception.

He said it was easy for him to return to Cleveland after realizing it was the tightest D-line group he had ever been a part of last year as the Browns rose to become the league’s best defense.

“I just think it’s a perfect mix of personalities,” Harris said. “Everyone’s personalities mesh well and everyone encourages each other. Everyone is willing to help, everyone is ready, everyone wants the best for each other and there are no haters, there are no problems. Everyone just wants to work and win.”

Harris will certainly continue to speak out loudly on this issue.