CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns spent the first week of 2026 free agency setting fire to their old depth chart. By signing Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson while trading for Tytus Howard, the front office committed over $118 million in total contract value to a complete offensive line overhaul. The mission is clear: keep Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson upright after a 2025 season where the unit ranked 30th in the league.
Quantity Over Certainty in Berea
Cleveland’s front office didn’t just add depth; they bought a lottery ticket. The biggest splash came with Zion Johnson, who secured a three-year, $49.5 million deal with $32.4 million guaranteed. Johnson is durable and young, but he hasn’t yet reached the elite tier his price tag suggests. He joins a room already shaken by the release of veteran Jack Conklin, who missed 44 games during his Cleveland tenure and logged only eight appearances last year.
The trade for Tytus Howard cost a fifth-round pick, but his $45 million extension—set to kick in after 2026—adds even more weight to the books. Howard brings flexibility, yet his career lacks a dominant stretch at one specific spot. Then there is Elgton Jenkins. The former Packer landed a two-year, $24 million contract with $20 million in guarantees despite a November 2025 leg fracture and ligament damage. It is a massive swing on a player who failed a physical just weeks ago. The Browns are choosing upside over stability, a move that feels like sprinting through a minefield.
- Zion Johnson: 3 years, $49.5M ($32.4M Guaranteed)
- Tytus Howard: 2-year, $45M extension (Starts 2027)
- Elgton Jenkins: 2 years, $24M ($20M Guaranteed)
- Teven Jenkins: Re-signed for depth after a full 17-game 2025 season
“We have to give Shedeur, Deshaun, and all these quarterbacks time. If they can’t breathe back there, we can’t win football games. Period.”
— Todd Monken, Browns Head Coach
Playoff Implications and the Monken Era
New head coach Todd Monken inherits a 5-12 roster that showed life late last year when Shedeur Sanders went 3-4 as a starter. The atmosphere at the team facility is thick with expectation, yet the offensive line looks more like a collection of “ifs” than a finished product. If Elgton Jenkins recovers his Pro Bowl form and Zion Johnson takes the next step, Cleveland could control the AFC North trenches. If the injuries that plagued Conklin migrate to this new group, the Browns will be right back in the cellar by October.
The aggressive spending on the line left the pass-catching room largely untouched in Week 1. While keeping Quincy Williams and Corey Bojorquez maintains some continuity, the lack of a true No. 1 receiver to help Sanders remains a glaring hole. Cleveland is betting that a clean pocket solves everything. In the brutal AFC North, that is a $118 million prayer.
