The Cleveland Browns are facing a tough situation with cap space in 2025, with Over the Cap estimating the team to be $60 million over the limit, putting some high-priced veterans in danger of getting cut.
For the Win’s Christian D’Andrea called offensive tackle Jack Conklin a cut candidate for the Browns.
“The Browns need cap relief. … That makes Conklin, on the hook for cap hits of nearly $19.5 million in 2025 and 2026, a potential casualty, D’Andrea wrote August 8 in a story on “1 veteran who could be cut or traded” for each NFL team.
“The high-profile free agent signing has played just 22 games over the last three seasons and will turn 30 years old before the season begins,” D’Andrea wrote. “Cleveland could opt for savings while plugging Dawand Jones into his spot at tackle.”
Browns Trading Jack Conklin ‘Would Be a Total Mistake’
If Conklin hadn’t dealt with the injuries he has suffered over the past three seasons, he would be an ideal fit for the Browns’ offensive line. However, he appeared in one game in 2023 and seven in 2021.
In a June 19 Instagram post, Conklin indicated he’d recovered from the torn ACL and MCL he suffered in September 2023. However, he’s currently on the PUP list, and it’s uncertain when he’ll be removed.
Despite the injuries he’s suffered, the Browns should avoid trading him, according to Leigh Oleszczak of Dawg Pound Daily.
“As we’ve seen in the NFL, having solid offensive lines is key. It’s hard for quarterbacks to play their best ball if the line in front of them isn’t up to the task of protecting them,” Oleszczak wrote on August 3. “Yes, Conklin has had injury issues and yes, Dawand Jones played well filling in for the veteran while he missed time but what’s also important is for teams to have depth on their o-line.”
Conklin played in 14 games for the Browns in 2022, and if he can play in the same amount this season, as well as the playoffs if Cleveland makes it, he’d still be a very valuable piece to the roster. Spending four years with the Brons, he was named an All-Pro in his first one, which was just one of two seasons in which he played in more than seven games.
Browns Would Have to Find His Replacement
Due to what the Browns traded for Deshaun Watson and how much they’re paying him and other players on the roster, they’re in a win-now situation.
In fact, his salary is one reason the Browns might retain Conklin in 2024, according to NFL.com’s Eric Edholm.
“Two things work in Conklin’s favor as he tries to regain his starting spot in Cleveland: The Browns are paying him quite well, thanks to the major extension he signed late in 2022, and Conklin recently proclaimed himself healthy following the knee injury that ended his 2023 campaign in Week 1,” Edholm wrote on July 25.
Cutting Conklin would help them save money in 2025 and 2026, but if they don’t have a clear replacement for him, doing so might not help their chances of winning. The biggest factor with Conklin is his health, and while he hasn’t managed to stay on the field in two of the past three years, he played in at least 15 games in four of his first five seasons in the NFL.
If the Browns have a replacement for him who can provide similar value, saving money would be a wise decision. However, it’s tough to replace a two-time All-Pro, even with his injury history.
