As the Browns sat through the early stages of free agency while hundreds of millions of dollars changed hands via needy teams and free agents, the prevailing fear was that the Browns might be embarking on a 2025-level free agency in 2026. That's a diplomatic way of saying: sitting around and doing a whole lot of nothing.
Particularly, as presumed targets from Todd Monken's past like Tyler Linderbaum, Isaiah Likely, and John Simpson inked massive deals elsewhere, it felt like if the Browns weren't targeting these guys, then they probably weren't targeting anyone. Andrew Berry's at it again.
It was a welcome surprise, then, when Adam Schefter of ESPN announced that the Browns agreed to terms with former Los Angeles Chargers guard Zion Johnson. The terms of the contract are reportedly three years and $49.5 million ($16.5 million per year).
At first glance, Browns fans should be excited. The annual value makes him the 14th-highest-paid guard in the league, so a hefty investment but not a backbreaking one.
Johnson was the 17th overall pick in 2022 out of Boston College. Still only 26 years old, Johnson has been an Ironman for the majority of his career. He has only missed two games, appearing in 66 of a possible 68 games in his four years, 65 of which were starts. This is the part where I have no choice but to share the bad news.
Did the Browns make a mistake signing Zion Johnson over other options?
If you caught any of the Los Angeles Chargers games in 2025, you were liable to see quarterback harassment of the worst order. Justin Herbert was constantly pressured as the five big men in front of him failed to fulfill their end of the bargain. According to PFF, the Chargers had the 30th-ranked offensive line in the league last season (the Browns were 31st, of course).
For Zion Johnson individually, the grades were not all that impressive, either. PFF gave him a 57 overall grade, a 60.6 pass-block grade, and a 53.4 run-block grade. Those grades placed 53rd, 49th, and 61st, respectively, out of 81 qualified guards. It's debatable whether $16.5 million should get you a below-average guard, but I digress.
There's at least this: The Browns' new quarterbacks coach, Mike Bajakian, was the offensive coordinator at Boston College in 2019. That was Johnson's first year with the program after spending his first two seasons at FCS-level Davidson. Perhaps Bajakian convinced Monken and Co. that it was the Chargers' coaching staff — and not Johnson — that was to blame for him not reaching his potential.
One way or the other, Browns fans will be introduced to the Zion Johnson experience in due time. Here's to hoping this staff can maximize his abilities and get a much different player than the one the Chargers had over the last four years.