Desmond

Harrison

Harrison is facing charges of assault on a person by strangulation and assault on a female by a male in Greensboro, North Carolina. Police have issued a warrant for Harrison’s arrest. Harrison started eight games for the Browns last year but was cut last month when he was late to minicamp. The Cardinals, along with a couple other teams, placed waiver claims on Harrison. He’ll likely pass through waivers this time around with the off-field issue hanging over his head.

Cleveland waived Harrison after he was late to minicamp. The former undrafted free agent opened last season at left tackle for the Browns, but he was terrible before being replaced by Greg Robinson. He is not a lock for Arizona’s roster.

Harrison was reportedly late to minicamp. An UDFA rookie last year, Harrison somehow won the Browns’ Week 1 starting left-tackle job and remained there for the first eight games. He received atrocious grades from Pro Football Focus and was benched in favor of ex-bust Greg Robinson. The left-tackle situation in Cleveland is a real issue heading into the summer, and one that is going overlooked by many.

There are no surprises here as these are the same inactives that the Browns had a week ago with the exception of Corbett. Cleveland enters Week 13 as one of the healthiest teams in the league.

This the third consecutive game in which Harrison has been benched in favor of Greg Robinson. Robinson has allowed five hurries and one sack in his two previous starts against the Chiefs and Falcons, but has been an unquestionably better option at left tackle for the Browns than Harrison was over the front half of the season.

Disastrous UDFA starter Desmond Harrison was sidelined with an “illness” Sunday. “Played well, didn’t he?” Williams said of former Rams mega bust Robinson. Williams said it will be a “competition” going forward. Robinson has never been good, but he just needs to be better than Harrison, which is not a high bar to clear.

Harrison suffered an illness late in the week and was scratched for Sunday. The undrafted rookie left tackle has started every game this season, but has struggled mightily. Harrison has allowed a league-high 27 quarterback pressures for all offensive tackles and is Pro Football Focus’ 74th graded offensive tackle out of 76 qualifiers. Former second-overall draft selection Greg Robinson will start in Harrison’s place on a Cleveland offensive line that has not done any favors for rookie Baker Mayfield this season.

Harrison (6’6/292) bounced from JUCO to the University of Texas and finally D-2 West Georgia due to drug and academic problems. Harrison earned D-2 All-American as a senior left tackle for the UWG Wolves, then flashed rare size-adjusted athleticism at the Combine with a 4.90 forty and 1.72 ten-yard split. Harrison has long arms (34") and moves exceptionally well for such a big man, but he turns 25 in October and struggles to keep on pounds, weighing just 279 at January’s Senior Bowl. Harrison is a high-upside, low-floor developmental project.

"[Harrison has] just improved,” coach Hue Jackson said. “So it gives you another option to look through to see who’s the best five guys to put out there.” Hue and Co. drafted OG Austin Corbett No. 33 overall but are “in all seriousness” contemplating moving star Joel Bitonio back to his original LG position and, in turn, starting Harrison on Tyrod Taylor’s blindside against the Steelers. If that really is the case, Harrison would likely be tasked to blocking DE Cam Heyward in the Browns’ season opener.

Harrison was signed out of West Georgia in April, so this is a major leap in competition for the rookie, who will see a lot of sophomore breakout candidate T.J. Watt on Sunday. The Browns were considering moving LG Joel Bitonio to left tackle, but decided to keep Bitonio in place. The Browns may have to give Harrison help in the form of TE Daniel Fells, but he did have a good summer.