The Cleveland Browns enter 2026 free agency with two confirmed starter departures, forcing GM Andrew Berry to rebuild the offensive line from scratch. Berry, speaking at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, cited the Chicago Bears as a blueprint for gutting and replacing an entire front in a single offseason — a signal that the Browns plan to pursue that same aggressive path.

Two veteran starters — tight end David Njoku and right guard Wyatt Teller — will not return to the Cleveland Browns in 2026. That dual exit strips the offense of experienced pieces at two distinct spots and compresses Berry’s roster-building timeline considerably.

Why Berry Is Targeting a Full Offensive Line Rebuild

Berry’s public reference to Chicago was not casual. It was a declaration of intent. The Bears rebuilt their front by signing multiple free agents at once rather than patching gaps one by one, and Berry appears ready to copy that approach. The numbers reveal why: Cleveland’s line struggled in pass protection throughout 2025 whenever starters missed time, making proven depth an urgent priority rather than a luxury.

Teller’s exit from right guard removes one of the few stable forces on the interior line. Berry must fill that gap while also addressing tackle depth, where the market offers at least one option worth pursuing. The film from Cleveland‘s 2025 struggles shows a unit that lacked redundancy — when one piece broke down, the whole structure bent.

Rather than chasing a single marquee name, the Bears model favors several mid-tier additions that raise the floor of the whole unit. Berry’s public framing at the combine aligns with that multi-player strategy, per ESPN’s reporting. That approach tends to produce cleaner cap outcomes and cuts the dead-money risk tied to one large guarantee going sideways.

What the Cleveland Browns Lose With Njoku and Teller Gone

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The exits of Njoku and Teller create two separate problems for the Cleveland Browns. Njoku was the team’s primary receiving option at tight end and a central piece of Cleveland’s red zone scheme. His departure removes both target share and blocking snaps from the depth chart simultaneously.

Replacing Njoku demands either a single elite free agent — scarce and costly — or a two-player fix that splits duties across personnel groups. Each path carries cap consequences Berry must map out before the market opens. The contract math here is unforgiving: elite tight ends typically command top-ten money at the position, which could crowd out the funds needed for multiple line additions.

Teller’s situation differs but is equally complex. Right guard ranks among the most undervalued spots in cap analysis, yet its absence hits run efficiency and interior pass protection fast. The Cleveland Browns must weigh the cost of a proven veteran at that spot against the cap room needed to fund the broader rebuild Berry has described publicly.

Together, the two vacancies demand prompt action. Waiting on either position while pursuing the other risks letting the free agent pool thin before Cleveland can address both needs. The data from recent offseasons shows that interior linemen with starting experience are typically claimed within the first 72 hours of the legal tampering window.

The Swing Tackle Cleveland Browns Are Eyeing

One free agent tackle has drawn attention as a potential Cleveland Browns target based on ESPN’s reporting. The player spent 2025 as a swing tackle for the Super Bowl champions, stepping into a starting role for the final three regular season games when left tackle Charles Cross was sidelined by injury.

The film from those three starts shows a player who can hold his own at the top level. He ranked 34th out of 66 tackles in pass block win rate during that stretch, and 39th out of 69 tackles in run block efficiency over the same span. Those figures place him squarely in the middle tier of NFL tackles — not elite, but well above replacement value. The numbers reveal a player whose floor is starter-caliber, even if his ceiling remains untested over a full season.

At 28 years old, he projects as a multi-year starter rather than a bridge option, which fits the timeline Berry described when invoking Chicago’s rebuild. That age-to-contract alignment matters: a player entering his prime on a three-year deal gives Cleveland stability without the back-end cap drag that aging veterans typically carry into years two and three.

One real concern persists, though. Tackles who perform well in a brief sample during a championship run often command inflated prices once free agency opens. Three starts against a late-season schedule may not reflect a true baseline. If the Cleveland Browns overpay at tackle, the resulting cap strain could limit their ability to address the Njoku and Teller vacancies at the same time.

Key Developments in Cleveland’s 2026 Offseason

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• Tight end David Njoku confirmed he will not return to the Cleveland Browns in 2026, ending his tenure with the team.
• Right guard Wyatt Teller also announced his departure, leaving a hole on the interior line.
• GM Andrew Berry cited Chicago at the combine in Indianapolis as a model for rebuilding an offensive line in one offseason.
• A 28-year-old swing tackle who played for the 2025 Super Bowl champions has emerged as a Cleveland Browns target, ranking 34th of 66 tackles in pass block efficiency during a three-game starting sample.
• That same tackle posted a 39th-of-69 finish in run block efficiency during those three final regular season starts while filling in for an injured Charles Cross.

What Cleveland’s Strategy Means for the Roster

The Cleveland Browns’ free agency approach will define offensive identity for the next two to three seasons. Berry’s framework — volume over prestige, multiple functional starters over one big name — mirrors how Chicago executed its own rebuild and gives Cleveland a clear path to a functional front by September.

Berry has favored data-driven acquisitions over splashy moves across multiple seasons of roster construction. His public framing of the Chicago comparison at the combine was deliberate: it sets expectations with the fan base and signals to agents that the Cleveland Browns are an active, serious buyer in the offensive line market this cycle.

Draft strategy will run parallel to free agency. If Berry lands two or three credible linemen before April, Cleveland’s draft capital can shift toward skill positions or defensive needs rather than being absorbed by line depth. That sequence — free agency first, draft to complement — is exactly how Chicago rebuilt its front, and the Browns now have a concrete model to replicate.