While most narratives circle around the Cleveland Browns' quarterback situation, and rightfully so, that was far from this team's lone glaring issue. The team's subpar pass protection has been a headache for two consecutive seasons, and with most of the starters slated to become free agents, GM Andrew Berry had the perfect opportunity to begin the overhaul.
The Browns got things going early in the offseason with a big trade. Acquiring Tytus Howard came with some risk, given his age and lofty contract extension, but it was a much-needed first step to solve this team's not-so-silent crisis.
Considering that, Mike Kadlick of Sports Illustrated gave the Browns a B-plus grade for the move. Given Howard's pedigree and positional versatility, he believes they're the clear-cut winners of this transaction.
"The Browns entered the 2026 offseason with five question marks along the offensive line, as the entirety of their starting five in LT Cam Robinson, LG Joel Bitonio, C Ethan Pocic, RG Wyatt Teller and RT Jack Conklin are set to become free agents in the coming weeks," Kadlick wrote. "This move solves at least one of the gaps."
The Browns have a clear vision for their offseason
It's way too early to say who won the trade. Again, the Browns gave him a three-year, $63 million contract extension. He'll turn 30 next season and has been in the league for seven years, so that move could backfire at some point.
That said, the Browns needed to add at least two starting-caliber tackles. And even though Howard can also play both guard spots and shouldn't change the Browns' potential plans to draft Francis Mauigoa, they're paying him tackle money. One can only assume that, should the Browns go with Mauigoa, they'd try to move him to the left side of the line.
Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine, Andrew Berry said he'd take a page from the Chicago Bears' book this offseason. They rebuilt the entire offensive line in a matter of weeks, using every resource available (trades, free agency and the NFL Draft) to protect Caleb Williams. That's clearly a point of emphasis in Cleveland as well, so this move was just an omen of other transactions to come.
The Browns restructured the contracts of Deshaun Watson and Denzel Ward to free dozens of millions of dollars in salary cap space. As such, it wouldn't be shocking to see them make a run at proven free agents like Rasheed Walker, Taylor Decker, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Cade Mays, and maybe even Tyler Linderbaum.
They look determined to dominate in the trenches, knowing that they have a special talent in RB Quinshon Judkins, who needs a line that can create some actual running lanes for him. Also, they need to give Shedeur Sanders some time and space to move around the pocket if they want to make a fair assessment of his potential as a franchise quarterback.
The game of football has come a long way over time, but one thing remains as true as it was 100 years ago: Teams that control the line of scrimmage control the game. Even below-average quarterbacks have thrived behind solid offensive lines.
As a whole, the Browns' offensive line gave up 224 pressures on 643 pass plays, according to Pro Football Focus. The offensive tackles combined to give up 143 pressures, the most in the league, logging an NFL-worst 44.1 pass-blocking grade. As erratic as Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders were, they never stood a chance.
The Browns gave up 51 sacks last season, the seventh-most in the league. Howard, on the other hand, didn't allow a single one in 1,021 snaps. That's how you solve a problem.