The Cleveland Browns Are Built To Survive These Left Tackle Issues
The Cleveland Browns' left tackle situation has been well-documented to this point, and it is not good. Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin have yet to return from their 2023 injuries, and Saturday claimed the next three guys filling their void. James Hudson, Germain Ifedi and Hakeem Adeniji all suffered injuries of varying degrees.
The outlook is bleak, but the question mark at left tackle pales in comparison to what the Browns experienced in 2023.
Cleveland won games with six different tackles, five different quarterbacks, four different running backs, four different safeties, five different cornerbacks and five different linebackers. Injuries are a part of the game and having a massive question mark at left tackle is not going to stop these Browns.
Preseason voice of the Browns Chris Rose said on Monday's Cleveland Browns Daily that "good tackles get beat too." The solution Cleveland puts out there, even if it is Jedrick Wills, will be a far cry from perfect.
The Browns' organization and the members within it have faced unprecedented levels of adversity and have found ways to win in spite of it. The 2024 campaign will be no different.
The start of Cleveland's season is favorable for this situation. After facing Dallas in week one and Jacksonville in Week 2, Cleveland gets the Giants, Raiders and Commanders in consecutive weeks. If that tackle room can get decently healthy and the Browns can survive that opening five weeks with a winning record, they will be right where they need to be heading into AFC North play.
The options to fill the spot in the interim are slim. Look for the Browns to scour the roster cut-down market to find a band-aid before Wills and Conklin can return.