Offensive Tackle Has Become the Browns’ Surprise Roster Hole
Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK
This week has once again brought out the worst in Cleveland Browns’ fans after the team was obliterated in their opening preseason game. Personally, I don’t care about the preseason. I watched this team go 4-0 and convinced myself DeShone Kizer was a good NFL quarterback one preseason. It was a historic team, it turned out, as Cleveland went 0-16 in the regular season.
While I understand the urge to panic based on the long history of losing in Cleveland, the truth is that this organization has moved leaps and bounds since the 2016 season when they didn’t win a game.
So even though the first preseason game didn’t go as planned, let’s not all lose our marbles just yet. However, there is one roster spot on this team that has me extremely concerned, and for good cause. Last year we saw several injuries and bad play at the offensive tackle position, and while Cleveland still has known quantities at tackle, the position’s effectiveness will once again be in question this year.
Great Ability, Lack of Availability
When you look at this depth chart at tackle and see names like Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin, you would think this is one of the better tandems in the NFL. But injuries (for both) and inconsistencies (from Wills) have kept this duo from developing together.
The same can be said for the depth of the Browns at tackle. Dawand Jones and James Hudson were both mid-round picks who had success in college. Hudson showed signs of potential as a rookie but his development has plateaued since. Jones was phenomenal last year in his short stent where he was forced to start, but was yet another victim of the dreaded season-ending injury.
With all the money the Browns have tied up at the offensive line, we all knew going into the offseason that Andrew Berry would let it ride at offensive tackle. However, they did quietly make solid, underrated additions in Hakeem Adeniji and Germain Ifedi. Neither are elite, or even average NFL starters, but in a pinch, they have experience and can get the job done.
All told, Cleveland has five capable NFL players, with a few of those guys (Wills and Jones) still having a great amount of upside. Add in Conklin, another elite player, and there’s more high-end potential on the line. But the problem is, these players simply haven’t stayed on the field, and that doesn’t tend to get better as time goes on.
Change Could be Good
One of the biggest changes this offseason was the departure of OL coach Bill Callahan, who was released from his contract by Kevin Stefanski to allow him to join his son who became the head coach of the Tennessee Titans.
Callahan is considered one of the best at his job by many, but to be brutally honest, he underperformed in pass protection while in Cleveland. His run scheme with Nick Chubb was fantastic, but the addition of Deshaun Watson fundamentally changed the makeup of the offense, and the line could not adapt.
The Browns brought in Andy Dickerson to replace Callahan, who arrives without nearly the reputation of his predecessor. Arguably, though, he did a better job in his previous spot, revitalizing a Seattle Seahawks offensive line in Seattle that was one of the NFL’s worst. They became one of the league’s best during a time when Russell Wilson ran a similar style of offense as Cleveland, requiring a lot of time in the pocket.
Don’t Panic Yet
It’s not time to throw in the towel just yet, but it is important to realize the tackles have the chance to either be a strength or the fatal flaw for the 2024 Browns. If Watson doesn’t have time to make good decisions or is constantly taking hits and getting hurt again, it’s going to be hard for this offense to perform to expectations.
The good news is injuries have decimated this group for two straight years. If Cleveland can go one season without losing three guys for the season, that would be a massive improvement. Wills’ consistency is still worrisome, but if Conklin is healthy and Jones can force a little competition, it should only bring out the best in the group.
So, while this is the most fragile position on a roster that is overall extremely solid, everything could end up being just fine. Having three plausible starters means they have a one-injury buffer, and if someone makes a leap in development, the depth should be just fine. And while having six solid-but-not-great players isn’t always the best strategy, with the injury history we have seen in this position, who can blame Berry for stocking up on average depth?
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