5 Browns on Thin Ice at the Midway Point of Season
By Randy Gurzi
4. The Entire OL
For the last several years we’ve heard how great the Cleveland Browns offensive line is. And in all honesty, they have some excellent traits — especially when it comes to opening holes in the running game. The problem is, they’ve been subpar when it comes to pass blocking.
Left tackle Jedrick Wills has been the player who receives the majority of the criticism, and while much of it is deserved, he’s not alone in his struggles.
It's true that Wills has been a problem in pass protection as well as in the running game, yet they keep running to his side for some reason, but the Browns quarterbacks have been getting pressured from every spot on the line. That could get even worse now that Wills is injured.
After being carted off the field in Week 9, Wills was sent to the IR and that means James Hudson will move into the starting lineup. Cleveland is already leaning on rookie Dawand Jones, who is filling in for Jack Conklin, and will now have two backups at tackle. They could also be making another move with Hudson saying he's playing on the right side, meaning Jones might slide to the left.
Jones has been a solid player during his first year in the league but he's not experienced on the left side. It could wind up being an issue to move him but the Browns are running out of options at this point and might be trying to figure out if this move could help shore up a major area of concern.