Browns Worked Out 7 Players On Friday

Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season for the Cleveland Browns is just a day away and even though many fans are still bummed about Deshaun Watson being the starting quarterback, there is a lot to be excited about heading into this season. The Browns are legitimately building a foundation with a new culture and identity under head coach Todd Monken and it all starts on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Cleveland is mostly healthy heading into the matchup aside from right guard Teven Jenkins, whose Browns debut will have to wait at least another week after exiting practice earlier this week with a back injury. Rookie third-rounder Austin Barber will have a chance to make a lasting impression in his first career start, but just to be safe, the Browns worked out a handful of other linemen on Friday just in case.

The Athletic’s Zac Jackson shared that Cleveland worked out seven players on Friday. The seven Browns hopefuls were tight ends Devin Culp and Joshua Simon, guard Josh Priebe, and tackles Obinna Eze, Tristan Leigh, Xavier Truss, and Aamil Wagner.

“The Browns in previous years have used early season Fridays for tryouts for potential needs later in the season. Here’s today’s tryout group, per the NFL transaction wire,” said Jackson.

The Browns in previous years have used early season Fridays for tryouts for potential needs later in the season. Here’s today’s tryout group, per the NFL transaction wire pic.twitter.com/jI34Xc6HdX

— Zac Jackson (@AkronJackson) September 11, 2026

Cleveland brought in five new starters on the offensive line this offseason, but there are still depth issues, which Barber and some other new faces can hopefully alleviate. The fact that five of the seven players being worked out on Friday are offensive linemen, with the other two being tight ends, could indicate that the coaching staff and the front office aren’t quite satisfied with what the protection has looked like thus far in camp and preseason.

Both Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders have struggled to avoid sacks during their careers, so keeping them upright is of utmost importance. Watson last played in 2024 and made seven starts that season, taking an absurd 33 sacks in those seven games, which ultimately led to him getting injured again.

We’ll see if any of these tryouts make the team over the coming days. The team is in good hands with Barber, but if injuries up front are already rearing their ugly heads, it’s a good idea to explore all options for some help.