The phrase "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" has been the coin of the realm for the Browns since the free-agent negotiating period opened on Monday.

The first two moves the Browns made in free agency were to bring back defensive end Za'Darius Smith and defensive tackle on Monday. On Tuesday, they continued that trend by agreeing to a deal with defensive tackle Shelby Harris, who played in all 17 games as one of the top four tackles on the team.

"We back baby signing back to Cleveland!!! #backtotheland," Harris posted on X.

Harris started seven games for the Browns, mostly late in the season after Hurst's season-ending pectoral injury in Week 14. He finished with 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and six tackles for loss.

The Browns didn't initially sign Harris, who spent eight seasons with the Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, this past season until the middle of training camp. However, he made it clear then why drew him to sign with Cleveland, something which no doubt held true in his decision to come back.

"I felt like of all teams I was talking to, they're the most primed to win, and how could I turn down the chance to play with those guys up front?," Harris said on Aug. 14. "Playing in (defensive coordinator Jim) Schwartz's defense, him coming out of retirement, him coming and coaching, I can't pass that up man. It's truly a D-lineman's dream to play in this and … want to make a comeback and with the guys with Big Z and DT (Dalvin Tomlinson) and Myles (Garrett) and Ogbo (Okoronkwo) and everybody, it is hard, it would've been possible to say no to that."

Those three signings leaves just one player who was in their primary defensive line rotation — free-agent tackle Jordan Elliott, who has reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers — not under contract for at least this upcoming season. The Browns did lose a pair of starting linebackers in free agency on Monday, as Anthony Walker Jr. agreed to a deal with his hometown Miami Dolphins and Sione Takitaki did the same with the New England Patriots.

The only outside signing, so far, on defense has been linebacker Jordan Hicks. The Browns signed the 32-year-old linebacker Monday night to fill the veteran void they had at that position.

What the first two days of free agency have shown is that general manager Andrew Berry, at least when it came to the Browns' defense, believes it's not worth changing up what was working so well. That defense was ranked No. 1 in the league in multiple categories at the end of the regular season, including total yards allowed, passing yards allowed and third-down conversions.

"I think we will work hard to do what's right," head coach Kevin Stefanski said at the NFL combine. "I know Andrew has a plan and is ready to go in that regard, but it was an important position for us that will always be important, just like the offensive line, really. Both lines are super important to us."

The Browns showed they weren't just interested in defensive line continuity on Tuesday. They re-signed Michael Dunn, a key reserve offensive lineman over the previous three seasons, to a one-year deal.

On top of that, they addressed the offensive tackle depth question by bringing in Hakeem Adeniji, who previously played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings. Adeniki comes in at a position where three starters from this past season — left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. and right tackles Jack Conklin and Dawand Jones — are coming off season-ending knee surgeries.

The Browns still have James Hudson III under contract at tackle. Wills will be entering his fifth-year option season, while Jones still has three years on his rookie contract and Conklin has three years left on the extension he signed in December, 2022.

"No. 1, we like linemen, no surprise, we like linemen, we will, at least as long as I'm the general manager here, our investment in those positions will always be high," Berry said at the combine of offensive line investments. "Now I will qualify that with the way we think of investment isn't just necessarily in terms of cap dollars. If we invest high picks in there, that may not show up on the, let's say the cash balance sheet, but that's a pretty significant resource that we're putting into the position group. So over time, as you look at the offensive line room, whether it's in terms of picks or dollars, that will be one of our higher resource position groups."

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Shelby Harris, Michael Dunn shows Browns want continuity on lines