With the NFL trade deadline drawing closer, the Cleveland Browns look like a team worth watching in the trenches.
The AFC North leaders already went hard after offensive line help in the spring, and the results have been mixed. Cleveland replaced all five starters for the 2026 season, and while the group is no longer the total mess it was a year ago, the line still hasn’t found the kind of rhythm the offense needs.
The Browns’ rookies - left tackle Spencer Fano and right guard Austin Barber - have been serviceable, and Elgton Jekins remains one of the league’s better pass-blocking centers when healthy. But the run game has been a major problem.
Pro Football Reference has Cleveland tied for the fourth worst average yards per rushing attempt before the first contact at just 2.0, a number that has dragged down the entire offense. Without a reliable ground attack, the Browns have also struggled to get much out of play-action.
The numbers back up the eye test. After six games, ESPN Analytics has Cleveland 27th in pass block win rate and 24th in run block win rate.
PFF grades show the same split across the line, with each of the Browns’ main veterans doing far better in pass protection than in run blocking. The gap for Elgton Jenkins is especially striking.
The right side has been a particular headache. Back in early March, Cleveland acquired Tytus Howard from the Texans in exchange for a fifth-round pick, then gave him a three-year, $63 million extension to handle right tackle. Instead, Howard has led the league in false start penalties with five and is one flag away from tying the league lead in that category, no matter the position or infraction.
A few days after that move, the Browns signed Zion Johnson away from the Chargers on a three-year, $49.5 million deal to play left guard, stepping into the spot long held by future Hall of Famer Joel Bitonio. Johnson has improved some in pass protection, but he’s still not creating enough movement in the run game.
The interior shuffle has continued from there. The Browns signed Elgton Jenkins to a two-year, $24 million contract, and Teven Jenkins came back on a one-year, $5 million deal with a chance to hold the right guard job before a back injury in the summer opened the door for Barber. That spot may be Barber’s for now, unless he shifts elsewhere.
If Cleveland decides to make another move, Quenton Nelson stands out as the most intriguing name. He’s 30 and on the final year of his deal, and while he’s not quite the same player he once was, he’s still good enough to anchor a line.
With the Colts moving on from general manager Chris Ballard, a rebuild would make sense, and Nelson should not cost a huge return. His 2026 cap hit is $10 million, a number Cleveland could fit.
In that scenario, Nelson could take the left side, Johnson could move to the right, and Barber could kick out to right tackle, where he looks better suited for the future.
Landon Dickerson would be the cheaper route. The Eagles have already seen superstar right tackle Lane Johnson retire and sent starting center Cam Jurgens away in a trade, and Dickerson, despite dealing with injuries, would be an upgrade at left guard. He also has center experience, which gives Cleveland options: he could take over in the middle and push Jenkins to left guard, or simply slide in at left guard and let the rest of the line adjust around him.
Ben Bredeson is another interior option who could be in play before the deadline. Like Dickerson, he can line up at left guard or center, and the fact that he has no guaranteed money left on his contract could make a deal easier to work out.
The Browns could also stay in-house. Dawand Jones is an option at right tackle or right guard, which could allow Barber to move out to tackle. KT Leveston showed some promise at guard in the preseason after a rough 2025 season at tackle.
However Cleveland handles it, the message is clear: this group has to improve fast. The Browns need more juice from the run game, and they need better answers for a quarterback who holds the ball too long and takes too many sacks.
The line is better than last year’s patchwork version, but it’s not finished. The Browns are still looking for help up front.
In Other News...
Browns Winning Streak Could Force Todd Monken Into A Brutal Decision
The Browns have found enough ways to win that a 4-2 start has kept them right in the thick of things, but it has not solved the bigger offensive questions hanging over the team. Cleveland has been fighting through issues in both the run game and the passing game, and while Todd Monken has praised the groups fight, he has also been clear that the offense still has room to grow.
That leaves the quarterback conversation getting harder by the week. Deshaun Watson has given Cleveland strong fourth-quarter play, but the early-game inconsistency is still part of the equation, and the idea of turning to backup Shedeur Sanders keeps hovering over the situation. If the Browns keep winning, Monken may be forced to weigh whether changing quarterbacks is worth the risk of disrupting a streak that has already bought the team some breathing room. [Read more 🡒]
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Deshaun Watson and Todd Monken have both framed that shift as a matter of matchups and game situations rather than a sign of concern, with the offense spreading the ball around as opponents try to take away different options. Fannin has kept the focus on helping the Browns win, even if the individual numbers are quieter than they were a year ago, and that makes his place in the offense a little more intriguing as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Face A Costly Rushing Dilemma At The Worst Time
The Browns have managed a 4-2 start despite a rushing attack that has not found its footing, and the timing is hardly ideal with injuries thinning the running back room. That has pushed the conversation beyond simple internal fixes and into the trade market, where a player like Colts back Jonathan Taylor immediately stands out as the kind of upgrade that could change the equation for Cleveland's offense.
The problem, of course, is cost. Any pursuit of a marquee runner would likely force the Browns to part with meaningful draft capital or other assets, and the roster's age profile already leans young enough to make a long view appealing. With the offensive line still working through its own challenges, Cleveland has to decide whether to chase help now or trust its current backs and draft picks to grow into the answer. [Read more 🡒]