The Cleveland Browns entered the offseason with a ton of question marks, and the offensive line was responsible for a majority of those question marks. Cleveland had to build a brand new starting offensive line, so most of the O-line group is made up of new players. For the few returners, there were very low expectations about what they would be able to provide to the team.
One of those returning players is Zak Zinter, an interior offensive lineman who has been with the Browns since 2024. Drafted in the third round, Zinter didn’t produce like Cleveland hoped he would throughout his first two seasons, so he entered training camp at risk of being waived during roster cutdowns.
However, as the Browns move toward Week 1, Zinter is on the 53-man roster. He didn’t just make the cut, he established himself as a value depth piece, making noticeable strides in training camp and the preseason.
Zak Zinter’s improvement makes him a valuable depth piece for the Browns
Zinter played a combined 22 games in his first two seasons, 17 as a rookie and five last season. Of those 22 games, only three were starts, and they all came during his rookie season. Whenever he was on the field, he didn’t perform like a reliable lineman, though.
At some point during Cleveland’s most recent training camp, Zinter flipped a switch and played his way onto the roster. His performance in the last two preseason games, especially, was praised by head coach Todd Monken and played a big role in landing him on the 53-man roster.
"Really, I thought Zak Zinter played his way onto the roster with the way he played the last two games," Monken said. "He got dinged up a little bit early in camp, and I thought he played his way on the roster."
Now, Zinter remains on the roster as one of the key backup offensive linemen. With how common injuries are in football, especially on the offensive line, it’s important to have some quality depth. Zinter is helping to provide that in Cleveland.
If his number is called, he’ll have the opportunity to show just how far he has come.
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