CLEVELAND, Ohio – The injury-riddled offensive line has been a disaster for the Browns this season, and cleveland.com columnist Terry Pluto isn’t mincing words about what must be the team’s top priority this offseason.

“You have to do this. You know, you get what you stress,” Pluto said on the latest episode of the Terry’s Talkin’ podcast. “If you stress you’re going to fix the offensive line, then you have to put money and draft resources into it.”

It’s a concept that seems to have escaped the Browns’ decision-makers in recent years. No matter who plays quarterback, no offense can function behind a line in shambles. The evidence has been painfully clear throughout the 2025 season.

As Pluto has said many times on the podcast: No quarterback would look good playing in this offense.

The Joe Flacco factor provides a perfect case study. After struggling with the Browns, Flacco thrived holding down the position for Joe Burrow in Cincinnati with better protection and two excellent receivers in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

This discussion about line play comes at a pivotal moment for the franchise. With two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Browns have a rare opportunity to select a franchise cornerstone in the trenches.

“They’re in position up there that you may be able to get a guy that could play left tackle for 10 years,” Pluto said, drawing a comparison to the Browns’ 2007 selection of Joe Thomas, now a Hall of Famer.

A complete offensive line rebuild is necessary, Pluto said.

“Right now, basically, Joe Bitonio will be the only probably starter coming back,” Pluto said of the veteran guard.

There’s a reason the Chicago Bears have made a dramatic turnaround this season. After the Bears invested heavily in their offensive line, the same quarterback who struggled mightily last year — Caleb Williams — now leads one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses. The Bears have had the NFL’s top-ranked offensive line for most of the season.

The 2026 draft will offer Cleveland multiple options to address this critical need. Some of the top prospects are Miami tackle Francis Mauigoa; Utah tackles Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu; and Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor.

“I don’t think Lomu has given up a sack this season,” Campbell said.

The blueprint: Use high draft picks on offensive linemen, supplement with targeted free-agent signings, and create a foundation that will benefit whoever plays quarterback in 2026. No quarterback — whether it’s Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, a high draft pick, or a veteran free agent — can succeed without time to throw and holes for running backs.

Here’s the podcast for this week:

If you have a question or a topic you’d like to see included on the podcast, email it to sports@cleveland.com, and put “Terry’s Talkin’” in the subject line.

You can find previous podcasts below.