The Cleveland Browns have a lot of areas in need of improvement after going into 2024 with playoff aspirations, only to flop to a 3-14 record thanks to a lifeless offense and another season-ending injury for Deshaun Watson at quarterback.
One of those areas in need of improvement is the offensive line, which gave up 66 sacks and paved the way for just 94.6 rushing yards per game, which was the fourth-fewest in the NFL.
With Jedrick Wills Jr. still a free agent, the door is open for Dawand Jones to take over at left tackle, which is exactly what former legend Hanford Dixon recently said in an episode of his Hanford Dixon Show.
“We’ll probably take Dawand Jones and probably move him over. I think that would be the right move to make, and then we’ll have our left tackle.”
The Browns selected Jones in the fourth round in the 2023 draft, and he has shown lots of promise in his 17 starts over the first two years of his career.
The question with him is going to be his health after his first two years have now been cut short due to season-ending injuries, first an MCL injury in 2023, and most recently, the fractured ankle he suffered against the New Orleans Saints this past season.
Jones has the ideal size at 6’8″ and 374 pounds and could make it so that this team doesn’t have to worry about the left tackle position for a decade if he can take the next step.
His presence surely contributed to the team parting ways with Wills, and it would be wise to take advantage of the cap benefits of having a talented young blind-side protector on a fourth-round rookie deal, as that is often the second-highest paid position on offense.
Cleveland has enough to worry about on offense without having to worry about left tackle, and everyone will be rooting for Jones to potentially lock down that job so resources can be allocated elsewhere.
