Sometimes, when the need is so great, an NFL team will have to overpay to solve the problem. The Cleveland Browns were facing the potentially overwhelming task of rebuilding their entire offensive line from scratch this offseason, so they perhaps could be forgiven for their considerable spending in that area.
Their first move was to acquire veteran Tytus Howard in a trade with the Houston Texans. Following that deal, the Browns gave Howard a three-year, $63 million contract extension that has been criticized as unnecessary.
Then, the Browns entered the free agent market, signing guard Zion Johnson away from the Los Angeles Chargers. It cost Cleveland another three-year contract, but at a lesser salary than Howard.
However, Bleacher Report has named Johnson among the most overpaid NFL players, based on cash salaries for the 2026 season.
“Among the Browns’ free-agent additions for their offensive line, Zion Johnson is the most head-scratching acquisition. Through four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, he struggled at both guard spots. The Browns need to see a much better version of Johnson to feel justified in giving him a three-year, $49.5 million contract. As the fifth-highest paid guard in cash, he’s an underwhelming signing,” Moe Moton wrote.
Johnson is on the positional list as the interior offensive lineman. According to Pro Football Focus, the 26-year-old ranked 51st out of 81 qualified guards last season, yet he is now among the top 10 in current salary.
The Browns also signed free agent Elgton Jenkins away from the Green Bay Packers with a two-year, $24 million deal. As of now, Cleveland intends to use Jenkins as its starting center. He played nine games there last season after playing guard for most of his career and earning two Pro Bowl selections.
It is possible that the Browns would not have spent that much money on linemen salaries if they had known how the 2026 NFL Draft would work out for them. Cleveland was able to add tackle Spencer Fano with the No. 9 overall pick, tackle Austin Barber in the third round, and center Parker Brailsford in the fifth round.
With returnees Teven Jenkins and Dawand Jones, the Browns now have a deep and versatile group. Whether it can jell in time to succeed at the start of the season could be one of the key determinants of the campaign.
The Browns are fortunate that these questionable deals are all for the short term, but they are still hopeful they will get more than they paid for.
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