General manager Andrew Berry and the Cleveland Browns have received their fair share of flowers this offseason, and deservedly so. The Browns’ offense will be mostly unrecognizable in 2026, and that’s a testament to the front office for aggressively attacking a glaring problem.
Much of the praise flowing the Browns' way relates to their complete overhaul of the offensive line. And while fair, as it’s possible fans see a completely new starting five in Week 1, it feels just as likely that we one day look back at these cheerful spring months in Berea only to see Berry whistling past the graveyard.
He helped create this situation by attempting to squeeze an extra year out of last year’s veteran-laden and aging O-line. Joel Bitonio, Jack Conklin, Wyatt Teller, and Ethan Pocic all saw their contracts void this offseason, leaving behind a combined $48.7 million in 2026 dead-cap charges, per Over the Cap. The Browns have done a fine job using trades, free agency, and the draft to rebuild that group on the fly.
But what they’re attempting to do is rare — because NFL GMs don’t typically let their entire offensive line leave as free agents in the same year.
Berry’s going to need to nail his more polarizing moves, like the trade with Houston for Tytus Howard, or handing Zion Johnson over $32 million in guaranteed money in free agency. Thankfully, ESPN’s Ben Solak seems to have his back.
Solak recently listed the 10 biggest position group upgrades across the NFL, and the Browns’ offensive line was among his picks.
"There isn't one individual move here that blows me away as a clear upgrade,” Solak wrote. “There's a lot of jelling to do in the new group — and just one injury could reshuffle the whole deck. But given how poor the Browns' line was last season, an average group in 2026 would easily qualify for the most improved positional groups.”
The Browns’ success in 2026 may hinge on their completely new offensive line
How Cleveland’s starting offensive line comes together will be one of the league’s more underrated storylines this summer. If the season started today, the Browns would most likely roll with this lineup:
- LT — Spencer Fano
- LG — Zion Johnson
- C — Elgton Jenkins
- RG — Teven Jenkins
- RT — Tytus Howard
- Swing tackle — Dawand Jones
A lot could change once the pads come on in July, though. Elgton Jenkins had a pair of Pro Bowl seasons in Green Bay playing mostly left guard, and Johnson could easily flip to the right side, where he spent his entire rookie season with the Chargers.
The wild-card will be the positional battle at center. Veteran Luke Wypler and fifth-round rookie Parker Brailsford should both be in the mix, and if one of them wins the job, the whole lineup would change. Elgton Jenkins would likely shift to guard, and Teven Jenkins — who could face a challenge this summer from third-round rookie Austin Barber — would likely head to the bench as a top interior reserve.
There are just a lot of moving pieces that will need to fall into place here. The Browns have built a younger and more versatile O-line overall this offseason, but their starting five could include a 21-year-old rookie (Fano), a key veteran coming off a serious injury (Elgton Jenkins), and a couple of experienced players whose teams passed on keeping around (Howard and Johnson).
Cleveland has the right people in place with Monken and longtime offensive line guru George Walthrop. But Berry better hope he got this right, because what's been a celebrated Browns offseason could sour quickly if the team’s O-line play goes south this season.
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