The Cleveland Browns struggled from the get-go with injuries in 2023, watching veteran offensive tackle Jack Conklin suffer a season-ending knee injury during their Week 1 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Despite finishing the year with an 11-6 record and a second playoff appearance in four years, the parade of injuries continued throughout the season and affected multiple players on both sides of the ball.
Although Cleveland addressed depth concerns at multiple linemen positions with free agency pickups and the draft process, analyst Kristopher Knox believes the Browns may again address one particular position before the season starts.
Knox named two offensive linemen as potential Browns targets in a recent Bleacher Report article, suggesting Cleveland could take a chance on former Green Bay Packers tackle David Bakhtiari and Kansas City Chiefs tackle Donovan Smith.
The writer described Bakhtiari and Smith as two of 10 potential “bargain-bin” free agents who could help their future team immediately.
Bakhtiari is 32 years old, but the two-time First-team All-Pro player has only participated in 13 games over the past two seasons due to injuries.
He underwent surgery in November, but the Packers chose to waive the lineman after the season.
Smith has been on multiple Super Bowl winners with the Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the past three seasons.
The 31-year-old tackle has fallen off in recent years, allowing eight sacks and committing 21 penalties over the past two seasons.
Both Bakhtiari and Smith could be signed for below league-average prices, Knox suggested.
The writer chose the Browns as potential suitors after Cleveland had three tackles – Conklin, Jedrick Wills, and then-rookie Dawand Jones – suffer season-ending knee issues in 2023.
NEXT: 3 Reasons The Browns Could Struggle Offensively To Start This Season