ESPN’s suggestion for what Browns should do with former first-round pick is wrong on so many levels
There will be no shortage of storylines for the Cleveland Browns in 2024. Some of them will play out rather quickly, while some will not. One thing that will be worth watching is the season that LT Jedrick Wills Jr. has during his fifth year in the NFL. Despite the rocky start to his NFL […]
There will be no shortage of storylines for the Cleveland Browns in 2024. Some of them will play out rather quickly, while some will not.
One thing that will be worth watching is the season that LT Jedrick Wills Jr. has during his fifth year in the NFL.
Despite the rocky start to his NFL career through four seasons, one ESPN analyst has quite the take that Cleveland should extend Wills.
“Wills' contract was restructured this offseason to give the Browns some cap room, and it now has a bunch of void years tossed onto the end of it. But effectively, the Browns will lose their left tackle after 2024 without giving him a new deal. Yes, Wills is coming off a torn MCL, but he has been one of the top young tackles in the league. Last season, he ranked eighth among tackles in pass block win rate (92.4%).” – Aaron Schatz, ESPN
To say that Wills has been one of the top young tackles in the NFL is quite the stretch. One could argue that Wills was at his best early in his career when he made 28 starts between his first two seasons in 2020 and 2021. In his rookie season, he gave up 18 pressures and four sacks. Wills followed it up with 28 pressures and five sacks allowed in 15 games played during his second season. In 2022, Pro Football Focus had Wills with 41 pressures and six sacks allowed in his full 17-game season.
Wills was hampered by injury in 2023 and was limited to eight games. In those eight games, he was charged with 29 pressures allowed and three sacks. To his credit, he was not healthy for much of that time. That has been the theme for Wills, inconsistent health and level of play.
The Browns have Jack Conklin back this season to be the right tackle with second-year player Dawand Jones waiting to step in. Jones played in 10 games last year and looked the part of a very good tackle in this league and it shouldn’t be ruled out that he switched to left tackle in the future for Cleveland.
Cleveland would be doing themselves a disservice to extend a player who has been mediocre to this point in the NFL. The Browns have a first-round pick again next year and free agency exists, so they could let Wills walk and be fine if they need to.
It is hard to find starting-caliber tackles in the NFL but that does not mean you strap yourself into a bad spot when it is avoidable. The best case scenario for the Browns and Wills is that he takes a strong step forward in 2024 and they give him a strong contract offer prior to free agency.
Browns could have the perfect trade to land WR Brandon Aiyuk from the San Francisco 49ers
Now this could be fun.
