Last year the offensive tackle position for the Cleveland Browns was a mess due to injuries. Starters Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills were injured in week one and week nine respectively. Conklin’s replacement, Dawand Jones was lost after week twelve. All three had season ending injuries that required surgery. James Hudson, Geron Christian and Leroy Watson filled in, but all three were average to below average at best. The only reason the offensive line didn’t fall apart was due to the creative blocking schemes by former offensive line coach Bill Calahan. During OTA’s Wills and Jones both told reporters they would be ready for training camp. This week Conklin posted on his Instagram account, “Nothing is easy after an injury especially multiple. I could never have made it thru without my wife @caitlyn_conklin she is my rock. I talked to @nchubb27 and there may be one dark knight but the first person to rise from the pit was bane! #Imback”  It appears all three will be ready for training camp. During the off-season the Browns signed veterans Germain Ifedi and Hakeem Adeniji for depth. Both could compete for the fourth tackle spot.

With the return of Conklin, the question now becomes who starts at right tackle. Jones played extremely well starting nine of eleven games in place of the injured Conklin. Based solely on salary, Conklin’s cap number for 2024 is $10.5 million, while Jones is due to make $1.1 million, Conklin should start. Could the Browns trade Conklin if Jones plays well again this season? Not in 2024. His dead money would be $17.6 million and there be no cap savings (-7.1 million). It would be more advantageous to move Conklin prior to the 2025 season, ($7.8 million in dead money and $11.7 million in cap savings) if Jones shows he can handle the starting job. Adding to the situation, the Browns have not offered Jedrick Wills a new contract after picking up his fifth-year option for 2024.

A simple solution to all this would be to start Wills and Conklin and teach Jones to be the swing tackle replacing James Hudson. Jones did play some left tackle in college. Then, either Adeniji or Ifedi would be the fourth tackle. This would allow the Browns to determine the worth of Wills. If he plays well, they can give him a new contract during the season, if the team feels it could do better in 2025, they could use a high draft pick on a left tackle or sign a free agent. All of this depends on the blocking schemes of new offensive line coach Andy Dickerson. All I know is, this will be all worked out in training camp and the Browns offensive line will again be one of the strengths of this team.