We are only a little over two weeks away from the ClevelandBrowns first regular season game against the Dallas Cowboys. Over the course of training camp and the first two pre season games, there has been increasing concern for Cleveland’s offensive line.
Not only is depth an issue, but lately it has been health. Left Tackle Jedrick Wills Jr has been virtually missing all offseason with an injury. We still don’t know if he will be ready for week one. That is very scary, mainly because he protects Deshaun Watson’s blindside. In addition to him, Right Tackle Jack Conklin is still working his way back from a season ending knee injury in 2023.
The depth, specifically at the tackle position, is also something to worry about. Dawand Jones is a future Pro Bowler, but he has barely seen the field in the pre season. He also dealt with injuries last season. James Hudson has seen some playing time so far in his career and it leaves a lot to be desired, especially as a pass blocker. Adding to that concern, he got banged up against the Vikings this past weekend.
Other backup tackles Hakeem Adeniji and Germain Ifedi simply are not NFL level starters. They may be forced to be called upon, and we can only hope that does not happen. They have looked awful in the pre season, often going against backups themselves.
One aspect that no one is talking about is that former Offensive Line coach Bill Callahan is no longer with the team. He is the best OL coach in the NFL, so not having him to coach these guys up could lead to more issues. I am sure that the coaching staff is missing him right now.
Overall, it isn’t time to hit the panic button yet, but things could get worrisome quickly if Wills and Conklin are not ready for week one. Never put it past Andrew Berry to make a trade to improve the roster, but as of now there are no rumors of him acquiring anyone. If the Browns are going to make a Super Bowl run, they will need to keep Deshaun Watson upright as much as possible. This situation is definitely one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.
