5 Cleveland Browns who are coming back no matter what

Jack Conklin

Ho boy. It’s not the worst on this list but Jack Conklin’s contract isn’t great either. If Conklin can’t rebound to his 2020 form in 2023, then the Cleveland Browns will be saddled with a $20 million cap hit waiting. That’s not what anyone wants to see.

Conklin had started off 2022 badly, but he’s found a lot of his old form and is a candidate, in my opinion at least, to move over to the left side of the line as he’s a far better pass blocker than Jedrick Wills.

The Browns are likely to be a more up-tempo offense next year, and that means the onus is to put Deshaun Watson in the best place to succeed as possible. Assuming he keeps himself out of trouble.

Conklin is quickly becoming the vocal point of the pass-blocking game and the Browns can’t afford to dump another $20 million per year on an offensive tackle if he doesn’t regain his form. His cap hit is too big and even if the team restructures the contract, that money doesn’t disappear.

The Browns will have to pay that note eventually. This is why Andrew Berry’s buy now, pay later idea is so destructive, because he knows it won’t be his problem, it’ll be someone else’s. So don’t expect Conklin to go anywhere.