Cleveland Browns are going to have a logjam of sorts to at least begin the 2024 season it seems. It can be looked at as a good thing that can be bad as well.
Last go around for the NFL Draft the Browns came away with perhaps one of the biggest steals. They found T Dawand Jones in the fourth round and he looked to be a starting tackle of the future for the Browns.
There is the issue the Browns will face this season that could work itself out, or one may end up sitting more than they would like. Trade rumors have happened but the Browns are set on having all three of the players on the roster and GM Andrew Berry looks at it as a positive.
“I do. I do. And, like, we’ve probably seen that in particular two out of the four years that we’ve been here. Where, you know, I don’t, I think, you know, maybe one or two teams in the league end up having their starting five play the whole season on a given year, so, and that’s one of the positions where once you get into the season, it’s hard to acquire them like the big guys,” Berry explained. They’re hard to acquire once you get into, really once you get into camp. So tackle is a premium position. We have good ones, again, in no hurry to give anyone away.”
Jones had to step in for veteran RT Jack Conklin last season, who went down in the first game of the year against the Cincinnati Bengals. The impressive rookie played in the next ten games before he was lost to a knee injury. It was an example of the Browns that they have lived out themselves — they have to know you need quality depth at the tackle position.
On the opposite side, Jedrick Wills Jr. will play out his fifth season in Cleveland. Wills played in eight games last season before he was lost to an injury as well. Cleveland was playing their fourth and fifth tackles by the end of the season.
All three are expected to be healthy at the start of training camp and the Browns would like for it to stay that way. Cleveland could end up trying Jones at left tackle if Wills were to struggle again, but they have not been vocal about the will to do so.
One thing is for sure, if an injury happens the Browns are in a good spot. If more than one happens then they’re in a situation like last year, perhaps with a rookie tackle joining James Hudson and Hakeem Adeniji.