No matter who’s calling the shots next March, the Cleveland Browns will have work to do both in free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft. It’s hardly a stretch, for example, that Cleveland could look to replace its entire starting offensive line, as age and injuries have caught up to the Browns in recent seasons.
The O-line should be the team’s top priority, especially the tackle positions. The Browns passed on drafting a single offensive lineman in 2025, but they did go heavy on offense with two quarterbacks, two running backs, and a tight end.
Those rookie running backs, Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, have been among the team’s most productive skill position players. Judkinis sits just 216 yards shy of a 1,000-yard season with four games to play, and Sampson isn’t only Cleveland’s second-leading rusher, he’s the team’s fourth-leading receiver.
Fourth-year pro Jerome Ford has actually outsnapped Sampson this season, per Pro Football Focus, but the rookie should be poised for added reps going forward. Ford apparently picked up a new shoulder injury against the Titans on Sunday, because the Browns placed him on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday.
It’s a tough blow for Ford, who could’ve used the final month of 2025 to showcase his talent ahead of the next league year.
The Cleveland Browns appear ready to cut ties with fourth-year RB Jerome Ford
Ford has been a productive back for the Browns, especially at the end of the Nick Chubb era. He broke out for 813 yards and four touchdowns during the 2023 season, and averaged a career-high 5.4 yards per carry in 2024.
The writing’s been on the wall for Ford’s future in Cleveland, however, with the team spending second- and fourth-round draft picks on running backs in April as Ford entered the final year of his rookie contract.
Ford, like Pocic, is in the final year of his contract. His snaps had decreased in recent weeks to Dylan Sampson, who figures to be part of Cleveland's backfield of the future with Quinshon Judkins.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) December 9, 2025
Raheim Sanders likely takes Ford's spot on the game day roster. https://t.co/TR85kGhTXu
Ford’s production fell off significantly in 2025. He played 269 total offensive snaps, per PFF, but ranks fourth on the team in rushing behind Judkins, Sampson — and wide receiver Malachi Corley. Ford averaged just 3.0 yards per carry on 24 attempts this year.
Cleveland’s front office will have to get creative with next year’s roster, with 10 projected selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, and a tight salary cap situation due to the ongoing Deshaun Watson contract fiasco. That almost certainly means the team will say goodbye to Ford, their fifth-round pick in 2022 who turned out to be a dependable depth piece for Cleveland.