Unfortunate circumstance creates early opportunity for Browns rookie Dawand Jones
Sometimes opportunities come about at times you don’t expect them to. That’s the case for Cleveland Browns rookie tackle Dawand Jones now the starting right tackle. With Jack Conklin out for the season due to a torn ACL and MCL suffered against the Cincinnati Bengals, an opportunity has come about for Jones in Week 1. […]
Sometimes opportunities come about at times you don’t expect them to. That’s the case for Cleveland Browns rookie tackle Dawand Jones now the starting right tackle.
With Jack Conklin out for the season due to a torn ACL and MCL suffered against the Cincinnati Bengals, an opportunity has come about for Jones in Week 1.
Jones earned the right to be a second-string player with a very good training camp and preseason. Though, the Browns’ plan was to more so mold Jones into a future role, now he’s pushed into a starting spot.
It’s not such a bad thing, Jones did more than hold his own against Sam Hubbard and the Bengals, he even handled D.J. Reader on a play.
The rookie out of Ohio State gave good first impressions in his first regular game, one that he did not expect to even play in. At 6-foot-8 and long arms, Hubbard uses his length to his advantage, as well as the rare athleticism at his size.
“Dawand has been constantly working with Coach (Bill) Callahan, Coach (Scott) Peters, Coach (Jonathan) Decoster to get ready” head coach Kevin Stefanski explained on Monday. “There are no red shirts in the NFL, so you never know when that opportunity is going to come. It happened in the first half of the first game and you have to be ready.”
Jones gave himself a good start to the season and a nice confidence boost to build off of. In Week 2, the competition is going to be a lot tougher with the Pittsburgh Steelers and T.J. Watt on the schedule. Watt had three sacks to open the season against the San Francisco 49ers, he’s simply one of the best in the game off the edge. It is going to be tough sledding for Jones and the Browns will do some stuff so that Jones is not alone out there.
“Obviously, going into Pittsburgh is tough on every team that goes into that place. So, we’ll have a plan and we’ll move forward,” Stefanski said.
If Jones can put together another good game against the Steelers, fans will get even more excited about his future. This is a huge opportunity for a talented player who went later in the draft than he probably should have in the fourth round. The Ohio State product has a chance to be a very good player and to never lose this job depending on what Conklin decides to do from here.
Injuries are terrible at the end of the day and you hate to see it to a good person and player like Conklin. As always, it’s next man up and that’s the case here.
Browns lose RT Jack Conklin for the season in Week 1 against Bengals
It is an unfortunate injury for the Pro Bowl right tackle.
Featured image via Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports.
