Story by
Dawand Jones ready to start at left tackle for Browns for injured Jedrick Wills Jr.
- Story by
- Dawand Jones ready to start at left tackle for Browns for injured Jedrick Wills Jr.
BEREA — The Browns offensive line remains a mishmash of combinations because of injuries heading into Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens .
Offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee) will not play against Baltimore after having started the previous three games. However, the Browns potentially could start their third different left tackle, as coach Kevin Stefanski said Dawand Jones is an option to start there.
Advertisement
Jones, though, sounded like a player who is ready to assume a new role on Sunday.
"I feel good," Jones said Friday afternoon. "Had a good preparation all week going against Myles. He gave me great looks, I could say for sure. But getting better at practice, learning the reps and just watching other people on film was the main thing. We watched a couple of good left tackles like [Tampa Bay's Tristan] Wirfs, I watched [ Philadelphia 's Jordan] Mailata, just people in the past that switched over and played left and so I just tried to put that into my game.
Although the left tackle will be new, the Browns will be getting back another Pro Bowler on the right side. Right guard Wyatt Teller (knee) is expected to play despite having been listed as questionable on Friday's injury report.
The Browns also ruled out linebacker Jordan Hicks (elbow, triceps), safety Ronnie Hickman (ankle) and running back Jerome Ford (hamstring). Ford did practice on Friday.
Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Dawand Jones (79) and guard Wyatt Teller (77) wait for the snap during the first half against the New York Giants on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Teller still needs to be activated from injured reserve, which must be done by 4 p.m. Saturday. He's been on the list since spraining his medial collateral ligament during a Week 3 loss to the New York Giants .
Advertisement
The combination of Jones, Joel Bitonio , Pocic, Teller and Jack Conklin from left tackle to right tackle would be the seventh different starting offensive line the Browns have had in eight games if it ends up that way. The only time the Browns have started the same line combination for two consecutive games was in the first two games of the season, and even then both Wills and Conklin were out.
Factoring in the different in-game adjustments made due to either ineffectiveness or injury, they will have run out at least 10 different combinations up front, which doesn't even include heavy packages. Nine different offensive linemen have started at least one game.
"I know don't try to talk about last year, but last year we was with [former line coach] Bill [Callahan] last year and he just built that into us, like 'next-man-up' mentality," Jones said. "Just like for me, the Bengals game, I was the next man up. I got hurt, James [Hudson III] next man up. We had Geron [Christian] last year; he's the next man up there. Just the same thing transitions over this year. It may not be the best, it may not be pretty or cute, but we're definitely giving our best after there."
Jones has appeared in 18 games with 14 starts since the Browns selected him in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft (111th overall) out of Ohio State. All 1,078 of his offensive snaps have come at right tackle.
Advertisement
However, the mammoth 6-foot-8, 374-pounder appeared in three games at left tackle for the Buckeyes in 2020, including a start there at Michigan State. The previous year, as a true freshman in 2019, Jones appeared in four games for the Buckeyes, all at left tackle. He had 90 total snaps that season, including more than 30 in games against Maryland and Rutgers.
Browns offensive tackles Roy Mbaeteka (61) and Dawand Jones do a drill during minicamp, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Berea.
"I had to actually go watch that [2020 Michigan State] game just so I could kind of remember the steps to take and just what it's like, my body just being switched," Jones said. "I started at left in my career at Ohio State so it's kind not nothing, you know what I mean? But it's like going back to my old roots. So it's definitely a tough transition, but it's something to manage."
The work with Garrett may also prove as valuable as Jones' own film. Although the Ravens don't have one set edge rusher who'll line up opposite Jones, both Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh have wrecked opposing quarterbacks.
Advertisement
Van Noy has a team-high seven sacks, which is fourth in the league. Oweh has 4.5 sacks, which is a half-sack more than Garrett.
"I just want to give him the best look as possible," Garrett said. "He's going to have a challenge with some of the guys over there and I want to give him a look of not only what I can do, but maybe things he might face when he gets out there and gets those looks.
"So just prepare him as much as I can, and also get a look from him because he's a great look for some of the bigger guys they have over there."
Conklin's return from injuries, both last year's knee injury and the Week 3 hamstring pull that cost him three more games, in Week 6 against the Philadelphia Eagles forced Jones to the bench for the last two games. He didn't play against the Eagles, but did finish last week's game against the Cincinnati Bengals, playing 27 snaps.
Advertisement
The Browns' backup tackle would be veteran Germain Ifedi . They could potentially elevate another tackle from the practice squad to the game day roster, a move that would be made Saturday.
(This story has been updated with new information.)
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Dawand Jones ready to play LT for Browns in place of Jedrick Wills Jr.
