Browns: Grading out all the 2020 free agents after year one

OT Jack Conklin

Contract: 3 years/$42 million

2020 Stats: 15 GP, 999 snaps, 2 sacks allowed, 2 penalties committed

Performance Grade: A+

Contract Grade: C-

Shush, don’t even comment yet. REMINDER, this is a grade of the contract against the production. Jack Conklin is an A+ player, probably the best tackle in football. He’s an All-Pro and the best offensive linemen on a team full of All-Pro offensive linemen. He’s just now entering the prime of his career.

So why does the contract suck? It’s only for three years. When he’s 28, he’ll be a free agent again. Yeah. The Browns only gave him three years. Why did those fools ONLY give him three years? Five, at least, would have been a good start. This man is going to be playing well into his mid-30’s at a high level. The Browns should’ve realized this, considering his rookie year was an All-Pro year and his fourth year should’ve been.

Now, in the offseason of 2023, Conklin is probably going to ask for almost double the deal he just signed, because he’s as good as David Bakhtiari, the leagues’ top-paid offensive linemen. The Browns have now set themselves up to either pay Conklin another, even fatter, contract or let him walk.

All because you underestimated him.