Browns May Have Pulled Off Sneaky Free Agency Steal

One of the most glaring holes for the Cleveland Browns heading into the offseason was their offensive line. Fans and analysts alike knew that this was a group that needed a lot of help, and for the Browns to get better in 2026, they’d need to address this sooner rather than later.

The front office hasn’t been shy in adding new offensive linemen, as they’ve added Elgton Jenkins, Zion Johnson, and Tytus Howard. Howard seemed to be the biggest surprise of the bunch as they had to work out a trade for him, but fans have been pleased with the team’s focus in this area, even though they still have some work to do.

All three of these linemen come highly regarded from their previous team, including Jenkins, who was excellent with the Green Bay Packers. Analyst Benjamin Solak talked about this move in a recent ESPN article, noting that this was a high-reward move for the Browns that could have massive dividends.

“I loved: Taking the leap on Elgton Jenkins. His fall-off in Green Bay was peculiar. A Pro Bowl-caliber player at left guard who got All-Pro votes to boot, Jenkins got bumped into center when the Packers signed a big-money free agent guard in Aaron Banks. I think sour grapes spoiled Jenkins’ 2025 season in Green Bay, and he could be one of the biggest free agent steals of the cycle — a win Cleveland desperately needs on its accounting sheet,” Solak wrote.

Solak called him a “steal,” which is exactly the type of player the Browns needed to target given their current cap situation. The Browns don’t need to play “Moneyball” just yet, but it was important for them to find some of the better values on the board, rather than just signing the most elite and most expensive free agents.

It will be interesting to see how the Browns shape the rest of this roster as the offseason goes on, especially when it comes to the upcoming draft. Having two first-round picks is great, as long as they use them right. Jenkins, Johnson, and Howard were certainly steps in the right direction, but some believe the Browns still need to add to this group.

Protecting the quarterback should be their A1 priority moving forward, and the only way they can do that is to keep adding impactful players, even if it means using early first-round draft capital to do so.