General manager Andrew Berry and the Cleveland Browns filled one of their most important roster needs with Monday’s trade for Houston Texans right tackle Tytus Howard. The 29-year-old veteran is expected to anchor that same position for head coach Todd Monken this year, despite his invaluable experience starting NFL games at literally every other spot outside of center.
The move allows the Browns some flexibility entering free agency next week, as they now have a pair of starting-caliber tackles in Howard and Dawand Jones, who opened 2025 as Cleveland’s top left tackle before his year was cut short in Week 3 by a season-ending knee injury. The Browns will likely look to bolster that group in the 2026 NFL Draft next month, but with the league’s legal tampering window now just days away, the interior offensive line spots just became a top priority.
You could make an easy argument that the center position sits right at the heart of Berry’s plan.
Cleveland lost center Ethan Pocic to an Achilles tear in December, and is now firmly in the market for their next guy. Luke Wypler, the Browns’ sixth-round draft pick out of Ohio State in 2023, was serviceable in four starts to close the regular season, but the team is expected to be hunting for help at that position, potentially in the first wave of free agency.
The harsh reality? This year’s free agent pool at the center position is extremely top-heavy, and Ben Johnson’s Chicago Bears just joined the party as unwelcome guests.
Drew Dalman’s surprise retirement adds a new foe for Browns in free agency
During his rounds with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine last week, Berry mentioned the work done by GM Ryan Poles and the Bears, and how they might’ve provided a blueprint on how to successfully overhaul an entire offensive line in Year 1 of a new coaching regime.
Those same Bears will now have to address their center spot after Drew Dalman surprisingly informed the team of his intentions to retire after five NFL seasons at the age of 27.
ESPN sources: Bears Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman has informed the team that he is retiring from the NFL at age 27. Dalman left Stanford in 2021, and after four seasons in Atlanta and one in Chicago, he has made the sudden and surprising decision to retire. pic.twitter.com/SKJcXa1res
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 3, 2026
Dalman had just signed a three-year, $42 million free agent contract with the Bears during the 2025 offseason, and Poles wasted no time trying to get a leg up on the competition on Tuesday. The Washington Commanders recently released center Tyler Biadasz, a former Pro Bowler as a member of the Cowboys in 2022, and that move allows him to legally meet with other teams prior to the start of the new league year. The Bears, per insider Ian Rapoport, have already scheduled Biadasz for a visit.
These developments aren’t great for the Browns, who could have interest in Biadasz as a veteran option with over 50 starts at center in his career. If Biadasz remains unsigned into the new league year, he figures to slot in somewhere behind clear-cut No. 1 free agent Tyler Linderbaum of the Baltimore Ravens, and Connor McGovern of the Buffalo Bills.
Cleveland’s connection to Linderbaum is legit. He’s only 25, and he produced a trio of Pro Bowl seasons in Baltimore with Monken operating as his offensive coordinator. The Ravens passed on placing their franchise tag on Linderbaum prior to Tuesday’s deadline, but GM Eric DeCosta confirmed to reporters at the combine that the Ravens already have a market-setting contract offer on the table.
Linderbaum has all the leverage here, though, as the clear star at his position in this free agent class. The Ravens might’ve surpassed Creed Humphrey's average per-year salary of $18 million with their offer, but that might not be nearly enough. The Browns should want no part of a potential bidding war given their current financial situation. That’s a big reason why they made the trade for Howard on Monday.
Anything’s possible, as Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has proven that he’ll open up the checkbook if needed to get a deal across the finish line. The more realistic path, though, is for the Browns to try their luck in the middle tier of free agency, and added competition in that market — especially from an ascending NFC team fresh off a division title — is the last thing they need right now.