Anything can happen, but the plan appears to develop behemoth fourth-round draft pick Dawand Jones for two years before he competes for a starting spot.
Browns’ heavy investment in their offensive line continued this week
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Leftover takeaways from Browns draft …
The Browns continue to be proactive in keeping their offensive line among the deepest and best-paid in the NFL.
This week alone, they drafted gigantic right tackle Dawand Jones of Ohio State in the fourth round and picked up the fifth-year option of left tackle Jedrick Wills.
These moves come after right tackle Jack Conklin received a day-after Christmas present of $60 million in a new four-year contract.
What does it all mean? Here are some points to consider:
* The Browns are devoting $55.4 million in salary cap dollars to the offensive line in 2023, per spotrac.com. That ranks fifth in the league, behind the Texans ($60.8 million), Falcons ($60.5 million), Lions ($58.8 million) and Bengals ($57.4 million). Super Bowl 57 participants Philadelphia ($46.4 million) and Kansas City ($37.4 million) rank 10th and 21st, respectively.
* By exercising Wills’ fifth-year option for a guaranteed $14.175 million, the Browns are committing to the 2020 first-round pick for at least the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Adding to Wills’ 2023 guaranteed salary of $3.296 million, Wills is assured of making $17.471 million over the next two years. That’s actually a bargain for a starting left tackle with his years’ experience. That average salary of $8.735 million ranks 20th among NFL left tackles.
* Conklin’s new contract includes $30 million in guarantees. So it realistically breaks down to two years for $30 million, after which the Browns can move on without killing their salary cap. So Conklin is on board for an average of $15 million a year, which ranks eighth among right tackles.
* With the starting veteran tackles locked in for two years, it gives offensive line coaches Bill Callahan and Scott Peters sufficient time to groom Jones as Conklin’s successor and determine whether James Hudson can be a dependable starter at left tackle. Hudson has made seven starts in his two-year Browns career. Each has been at right tackle. Look for Callahan to shift Hudson to left tackle in training camp and preseason because Jones is not a candidate there.
* The big question is whether Hudson will be regarded as the third tackle – first one in if Wills or Conklin leaves a game with injury. Or would Jones be up to speed as a rookie to replace Conklin at right tackle if need be? The only other tackle of note on the roster is Joe Haeg, an eight-year veteran who spent most of 2022 on the Browns’ injured reserve list.
* The Browns also re-signed center Ethan Pocic to a three-year contract for $18 million with $10 million guaranteed. Look at this as a two-year deal for $10 million. That $5 million average ranks 15th among centers.
* Joel Bitonio’s $16 million salary average ranks third among left guards. Wyatt Teller’s $14.2 million ranks third among right guards.
QB3 camp battle
Fifth-round draft pick Dorian Thompson-Robinson, the quarterback from UCLA, was naively cocksure about his future with the Browns.
On his draft-day conference call, Thompson-Robinson indicated he believes he is the successor not only to backup Josh Dobbs but also to Deshaun Watson.
“Obviously, you guys have Deshaun and he’s going to do wonderful things this year,” Thompson-Robinson said. “For me to be able to learn from him and then, ultimately, be able to take the reins later on, I think will be very beneficial for me.”
There’s one other person standing in his way – Kellen Mond.
The Minnesota Vikings third-round pick from Texas A&M in 2021 was claimed by the Browns after he was released last year on the final roster cut. He came aboard after the preseason and spent the year acting as a scout-team quarterback on the active roster.
As things stand, Mond and Thompson-Robinson will stage a mini-competition for the third quarterback role.
Dobbs was re-signed for $2 million guaranteed, so he’s not going to be unseated as QB2 this year. But he probably will move on after 2023, so the Mond v. Thompson-Robinson preseason battle in essence is to be Watson’s primary backup in 2024.
Mond has a full year head-start on Thompson-Robinson in the Browns’ offensive system, although it will change in 2023.
A comparison of the two young quarterbacks revealed some interesting similarities.
Age: Despite two years in the NFL, Mond is only five months older than Thompson-Robinson. Mond turns 24 in June, Thompson-Robinson turns 24 in November.
Height, weight: Mond is a tad bigger at 6-2 5/8 and 211 pounds. Thompson-Robinson is 6-1 5/8 and 203.
40 time: Mond timed 4.61 at his NFL combine. Thompson-Robinson was quicker at 4.56.
College experience: Mond started 44 games in four years at Texas A&M, completing 801 of 1,358 passes (59.0 percent), for 9,661 yards. He had 71 touchdowns v. 27 interceptions and ran 438 times for 1,608 yards (3.7 average) and 22 touchdowns. Thompson-Robinson started 48 games in five years at UCLA, completing 860 of 1,359 (63.3 percent), for 10,710 yards. He had 88 touchowns v. 36 interceptions and ran 470 times for 1,827 yards (3.9 average) and 28 touchdowns.
Draft status: Mond was the 66th overall pick in the third round of the 2021 draft, the seventh quarterback taken. Thompson-Robinson was the 140th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2023 draft, the 10th quarterback taken.
Whatever slight edges Mond holds in the above categories, the fact that Thompson-Robinson was a draft pick of the Browns – and Mond wasn’t – trumps everything.
