Despite some obvious salary cap restraints, Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry has made a series of practical moves through the first week-plus of NFL free agency.
One of the most recent moves came down this week after the team agreed to terms on a deal for Bears free-agent guard Teven Jenkins. It's yet another pragmatic addition by Cleveland, but brings some curious questions about the setup of the team's o-line.
What's curious is that Jenkins is only 27, and since being drafted in the second round by the Chicago Bears in 2021 has spent the majority of his first four years in the league as a starter at numerous spots across the offensive line.
Jenkins brings plenty of versatility to the Browns, having entered the league out of Oklahoma State as a tackle. Leading into his sophomore season, Jenkins announced that he was moving to guard, though. He started on the right side before switching to left guard in 2023.
Being able to play multiple positions along the O-line is something Berry and the Browns value. That was also evident in their signing of swing tackle Cornelius Lucas.
The Lucas addition potentially addresses an obvious void for Cleveland at left tackle. But the Jenkins move comes with more examination, considering both of the team's guard spots are accounted for.
Joel Bitonio recently announced that he would forego retirement to return for a 12th season, with one year remaining on his deal. Meanwhile, Wyatt Teller is entering the final year of his current deal as well and just turned 30.
There's not really a place for Jenkins, unless, of course, the Browns are considering moving on from Teller. It wouldn't be the most far-fetched idea, especially since his name has been mentioned in trade rumors before.
Moving on from Teller would come with some modest salary cap relief – something the Browns could desperately use – but it would have to be after June 1 in order to spread out his dead cap hit over multiple years.
Such a decision would free up a spot for Jenkins to start, but it's unclear if that's part of the Browns' plan right now.
Or perhaps Berry and company believe that Jenkins can shift back to tackle and he's the replacement for Jedrick Wills Jr., at least temporarily. Even that only feels like a temporary solution, especially since Jenkins has thrived as a guard.
We don't yet know the details of the deal, but if it's a multi-year one maybe they convinced Jenkins to come in as a depth piece for 2025, with the expectation that he'll have a place to start next season when Bitonio considers retirement again and Teller's contract is up.
There are an assortment of possibilities for how Cleveland will deploy Jenkins. Still, his presence does raise some questions about what the Browns o-line will look like next season.
Some answers are likely to reveal themselves in the coming month, throughout the offseason program, minicamp and training camp. For now, though, it's fair to wonder what ripples the addition of Jenkins may create.
