Browns should be bracing to get hit with bad news once again that would be a tough loss for 2025 roster
The Cleveland Browns have a very unpredictable offseason ahead of them to say the very least. Cleveland needs to find a quarterback and while doing that they have a Myles Garrett trade request hanging over their head. After going 3-14 a year after making the playoffs, the Browns are trying to right the shop to […]
The Cleveland Browns have a very unpredictable offseason ahead of them to say the very least.
Cleveland needs to find a quarterback and while doing that they have a Myles Garrett trade request hanging over their head. After going 3-14 a year after making the playoffs, the Browns are trying to right the shop to keep the current regime around.
At this time, Cleveland does not yet know if they are going to lose a Pro Bowl-caliber player from their offensive line. Former All-Pro LG Joel Bitonio is weighing whether to retire or not after 11 years in the NFL. In late December Bitonio said he would take a couple of weeks after the season to weigh retirement. It has in fact been longer than a couple of weeks, and Bitonio isn’t ready to share despite knowing his decision.
Cleveland has to brace for the worst and be ready to adapt
This is not the first offseason that Bitonio has contemplated retirement. The two-time First-Team All-Pro is weighing in one direction and is going to let the Browns know a decision ahead of free agency in March. If Bitonio does retire, the Browns lose their longest-tenured player and one of the franchise’s best offensive linemen.
Cleveland doesn’t currently have a starting guard on the roster to fill in for Bitonio. Second-year player Zak Zinter would be the closest, but the ups and downs he showed as a rookie do not warrant a starting spot yet. The Browns are not drafting a guard in the first round and maybe not even in the second round.
If Cleveland takes a rookie quarterback and plans to play him in Year 1, signing a veteran or trading for one makes the most sense. There will be multiple veteran guards out there that the Browns could afford.
It really is an unpredictable offseason for the Browns. Bitonio’s decision will give some clarity on the direction Cleveland may trend. As the combine starts this week, things will heat up a bit. When free agency begins, Cleveland just may have an extra task on their plate with a need for a starting guard.
Browns standout says the quiet part out loud with how Cleveland can keep DE Myles Garrett in town
They have to find a way or it could get bad.
