General manager Andrew Berry and the Cleveland Browns wasted no time getting to work on their biggest 2026 project this offseason. Their offensive line wasn’t just in shambles due to age and injury concerns, but the majority of last year’s starting five were on expiring contracts in 2025
That’s part of the reason why the Browns are carrying over $90 million in dead money on their 2026 salary cap. But hiring a new head coach in Todd Monken at the start of the new league year served as a natural pivot point. Berry addressed the problem head-on, first trading for veteran right tackle Tytus Howard, and then signing interior linemen Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins in free agency.
With guard Teven Jenkins and tackle Dawand Jones also in the mix, the Browns have at least a preliminary starting five entering the 2026 NFL Draft. And while Elgton Jenkins could be the X-factor, given his ability to play any position along the O-line, Jones is clearly the wild card as he looks to return from his third season-ending injury in as many pro seasons.
Despite passing on a major bargain for free agent left tackle Rasheed Walker, who settled for a one-year, $4 million prove-it deal with the Carolina Panthers, Berry has another option in a Pro Bowler fans should know well.
Former Ohio State Buckeyes star Taylor Decker requested and was granted his release by the Detroit Lions on March 6 after extension talks between the two sides broke down. The Pro Bowl left tackle remains unsigned, weighing his options, and Bleacher Report’s Kris Knox believes a return to Ohio could soon be in the cards.
“While the rebuilding Cleveland Browns would be less enticing to Decker,” wrote Knox, who also named the Chicago Bears as a suitor for Decker, “they also have major question marks at left tackle.”
Taylor Decker’s depressed market could lead Browns down an intriguing path
Most NFL Draft experts expect the Browns to select an offensive tackle with one of their two first-round picks in 2026. They could ensure that prospect doesn’t get thrown to the wolves in Year 1 by finding their missing piece at left tackle prior to the draft.
Depending on the price tag, Decker, even as he enters his age-32 season, could be that piece.
Signing Decker would allow the Browns to move Jones into the swing tackle role while grooming the team’s left tackle of the future behind him. Draft experts have linked Cleveland to prospects like Monroe Freeling, Francis Mauigoa, and Spencer Fano at pick No. 6 overall, but none of those players project as Day 1 starters on the left side as rookies; Freeling would need time as a 21-year-old junior, and both Mauigoa and Fano played their most collegiate snaps at right tackle, especially in recent seasons.
If the Browns choose to pass on adding another external veteran to compete at left tackle, Jones would presumably enter minicamp as the expected Week 1 starter for the second straight year. Injuries have limited Jones to just 20 total starts over his first three NFL seasons, so a reduced role could serve both him and the team well, at least early in 2026.
That leads us back to Decker, who was reportedly looking for north of $20 million per year from the Lions. If Walker’s experience is any indication, his best options could be going back to Detroit at a lesser number, or seeking some sort of prove-it deal with a new team that offers immediate opportunity at left tackle.
The Browns could be that team, with an intriguing new group of offensive linemen on the roster and the makings of a formidable run game behind Monken and standout second-year running back Quinshon Judkins.
Decker was born three hours from Cleveland. He’d probably prefer to play for a contender, but he’s likely not going to find the big contract he’s been looking for in free agency. The Browns could offer a unique blend of nostalgia and opportunity that’s impossible to ignore.