Cleveland Browns
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Browns 'aggressively' pursued star guard.
The Cleveland Browns lost out on another offensive guard.
Cleveland has been looking to overhaul their offensive lineman as all five starters from last season were pending free agents. The Browns traded for Tytus Howard to address a tackle spot, but Cleveland was expected to pursue several offensive linemen in free agency.
However, after the first day of the legal tampering period, the Browns made only one signing to the offensive line, inking Zion Johnson to a three-year, $49.5 million deal. Yet, the team was also pursuing Alijah Vera-Tucker, who agreed to a three-year, $42 million deal that can be worth up to $48 million with the New England Patriots late Monday night.
After the deal was agreed to, NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the Browns were aggressively after Vera-Tucker.
“Good morning. Lots of moves overnight, including the Patriots agreeing to a three-year, $42 million deal that can be worth up to $48 million with former Jets guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, per sources. The New York Giants and the Cleveland Browns were also aggressively in the mix,” Russini wrote.
Even after agreeing to terms with Johnson, it’s clear that the Browns remain firmly in the mix to land another guard. Adding both Johnson and Vera-Tucker would have been a stellar opening day for Andrew Berry for the Browns.
Yet, Cleveland could also address the offensive line in the NFL Draft. But the team is still looking for more help to shore up the O-Line.
Johnson Helps Browns Run Block
Cleveland needed to improve its run blocking, as well as its pass blocking.
The signing of Johnson immediately helps the run blocking. The former Los Angeles Chargers guard was one of the best run blockers in all of the NFL last season. Johnson finished the season ranked second in run block win rate (79.3%) among guards.
However, his pass blocking is a potential issue, according to ESPN NFL analyst Kris Rhim.
“[Johnson] struggled in pass blocking, often looking lost on defensive line stunts,” Rhim noted. “He ranked as the fifth-worst guard in pass block win rate (87.4%) and played a role in quarterback Justin Herbert being the league’s most pressured and hit quarterback.”
The Browns could very well be a run-first offense in 2026 with Quinshon Judkins as their lead back. So, adding a dominant run blocker like Johnson does make sense. But, Cleveland is likely far from done in terms of adding to their offensive line.
Cleveland Vowed to Overhaul O-Line
The Browns’ offensive line was an issue last season, and Cleveland planned to overhaul the unit.
Cleveland already made two additions to the unit, and the Browns are expected to use one of their two first-round picks on the offensive line.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry also pointed to the Chicago Bears‘ last season as how they revamped their O-line in one offseason.
“I actually think what Chicago, what (GM) Ryan Poles did last year is a really nice model,” Berry said. “If you think about it, they did a combination of internal development, veteran additions and draft.
“You had Darnell Wright, who he really came into his own at right tackle this past year. They traded for (guard) Joe Thuney. They traded for (guard) Jonah Jackson, they signed (center Drew) Dalman in free agency. And they drafted (tackle) Ozzy Trapilo in the second round. So it’s a nice mixture of youth and experience and we would look to take a similar approach if the player markets line up for us.”
After the two additions, the Browns are off to a strong start in overhauling the unit.