The Cleveland Browns have made several notable acquisitions so far this offseason. While none of them can be considered headline-making or team-altering, the organization has taken a deliberate approach that should pay dividends this season.
The primary task at hand was rebuilding an offensive line that was about to lose all of its most-used starters from last year. So, Cleveland went out and traded for Tytus Howard before signing free agents Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins.
Their versatility should serve the team well, and analyst Lance Reisland recently named Jenkins as his favorite offseason pickup for the Browns based on the veteran’s ability to play any position on the line.
“Elgton Jenkins is probably my favorite pickup, and here’s why: I think he could play left tackle. This guy is a football player,” Reisland said. “(He’s a Pro Bowler) at guard. And the reason he’s (a Pro Bowler) at guard, because he can move his feet like a tackle.”
Granted, having Jenkins enter the season as the starting left tackle is not the scenario the Browns would want or are planning for. But the fact that he could do so in a pinch is a valuable asset to have.
Instead, the Browns gave Jenkins a two-year, $24 million contract to be their starting center, a position he played for the first time with the Green Bay Packers last season. The two-time Pro Bowl guard struggled with the move before suffering a season-ending leg injury.
Despite that, the Browns seem to be confident he can handle the role, as they have not brought in any other centers to replace departing free agent Ethan Pocic. Howard is projected to be the right tackle, and Johnson will man one of the two guard spots.
With Teven Jenkins a possibility to play guard after re-signing this offseason, that would leave a glaring vacancy at left tackle, where Dawand Jones could be the starter despite suffering a season-ending injury each of the past three years. Instead, the Browns are likely to look for a solution in the 2026 NFL Draft, with Monroe Freeling of Georgia and Kaydn Proctor of Alabama potential first-round selections.
Yet, if things do not go fully according to plan, it’s good to know that head coach Todd Monken and offensive line coach George Warhop can use Jenkins at various spots if needed.
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