The Cleveland Browns reached an agreement with first-round nose tackle Danny Shelton on Monday.
The team also signed sixth-round cornerback Charles Gaines and added eight players who participated in the team’s rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported Shelton’s four-year deal includes $11.7 million guaranteed with a $6.7 million signing bonus. The contract also includes a fifth-year team option.
The 6-foot-2, 339-pound Shelton, who was taken with the No. 12 overall pick out of Washington in the 2015 NFL Draft, is expected to immediately see action for a Browns defense that was ranked 32nd against the run last season.
Shelton was rated as the No. 2 defensive tackle in the 2015 class by NFLDraftScout.com.
Shelton impressed the Browns in the three-day minicamp that concluded Sunday.
“I’m glad we have Danny,” defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I was confident with the guys we had coming back. But am I glad we drafted Danny No. 12 overall? Hell yeah.
“He’s a big body who was dominant at Washington and in the Pac-12 for two years. He’s a guy that’s going to command four hands on him or two bodies on him. When you have that, you keep linebackers clean over top. The thing he doesn’t get credit enough for is he’s not going to have great sack production, but he’s going to push the pocket and get the quarterback off his spot.”
The former Huskies player had nine sacks, an NCAA-leading five fumble recoveries and 93 total tackles — 16.5 of them for loss — in 2014.
The 5-10, 180-pound Gaines is a former wide receiver who moved to cornerback as a sophomore at Louisville. He finished his career with 58 tackles and seven interceptions, and was rated as the No. 21 cornerback by NFLDraftScout.com.
The Browns also signed seven undrafted rookies: tight ends Emmanuel Bibbs and Kevin Haplea, wide receivers Paul Browning and Darius Jennings, defensive back Landon Feichter, running back Luke Lundy and linebacker Rodman Noel. Cleveland also signed defensive back Brandon Stephens, a first-year player out of Miami (Ohio).
Bibbs was rated as the No. 18 tight end this year by NFLDraftScout.com, while Haplea was No. 35. Browning was No. 77 and Jennings No. 191 among wide receivers, Feitcher was 26th among free safeties, Lundy No. 25 among fullbacks and Noel was No. 102 among outside linebackers.