The Cleveland Browns obviously have a lot of issues they need to figure out this offseason, the first of which is finding a head coach after the team opted to move on from two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski after six up-and-down years. He brought the team to highs it hadn’t seen in decades, but after going 8-26 over the last two years, it became clear it was time for a new voice in the locker room.
The coaching search is well underway, but that’s far from the only issue that needs to be solved this offseason. Cleveland has four of its five starters hitting free agency this offseason and has little to no cap space to fill the voids left behind, so the new coach and general manager, Andrew Berry, have a lot of work to do in the trenches.
Wyatt Teller, Joel Bitonio, Ethan Pocic, and Jack Conklin are all hitting free agency, leaving holes at every spot except left tackle. During a recent episode of The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show, the crew discussed what the line might look like next year, with Jason Lloyd of The Athletic sharing more details on what he expects to see in the trenches.
“I would say three new linemen and one rookie would be where I land on it,” Lloyd said.
With the sixth overall pick in the draft and another pick late in the first round, it would be surprising if the Browns didn’t use at least one of those picks on a lineman. At No. 6, someone like Spencer Fano or Francis Mauigoa could be a franchise-altering tackle for the next decade, and even though this team needs a receiver in the worst way, an anchor at left or right tackle is arguably an even bigger need.
The lone remaining starter is Dawand Jones, who has been unable to stay healthy. Lloyd floated the idea of him moving back to right tackle, where he originally thrived next to Wyatt Teller when he first came onto the scene.
With so much uncertainty up front in 2026, Jones will likely factor into the equation, but where he’ll play will depend on what the Browns do in the offseason. As for the free agents, it remains to be seen if any will be re-signed, but most signs point to it being unlikely.
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