Getty General manager Andrew Berry of the Cleveland Browns looks on before a game against the New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 18, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Browns made a big decision about the future of their team on Friday, which could leave a former first-round draft pick out in the cold.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on December 23 that the franchise inked right tackle Jack Conklin to a new four-year deal just a few months before the former All-Pro was set to hit the free agent market.
Browns and right tackle Jack Conklin reached agreement today on a four-year, $60 million extension that includes $31 million fully guaranteed, per his agent @DrewJRosenhaus, who negotiated deal with @JasonRosenhaus, @RyanMatha, Browns’ GM Andrew Berry and Browns’ VP Chris Cooper.
“Browns and right tackle Jack Conklin reached agreement today on a four-year, $60 million extension that includes $31 million fully guaranteed, per his agent @DrewJRosenhaus, who negotiated the deal with @JasonRosenhaus, @RyanMatha, Browns’ GM Andrew Berry and Browns’ VP Chris Cooper,” Schefter tweeted.
The move solidifies the right side of Cleveland’s offensive line in front of expensive skill players that include quarterback Deshaun Watson ($230 million) and running back Nick Chubb ($36.6 million). However, with the kind of money Browns have spent on their roster over the last year, Conklin’s sizable deal calls into serious question left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr.’s future with the franchise.
Browns May Not Have Cash, Willingness to Pay Wills Big Extension
GettyOffensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. of the Cleveland Browns walks off the field after a preseason game against the Chicago Bears at FirstEnergy Stadium on August 27, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Browns drafted Wills with the 10th overall selection in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Now in his third season with the team, Wills has been relatively reliable and played adequately at the offensive line’s most important position. However, he has failed to live up to his draft position.
Wills has appeared in and started 42 of 47 regular season games since arriving in Cleveland, per Pro Football Reference. But this year, Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranks the left tackle as the 56th-best of 81 qualifying players at the position with a mediocre overall rating of 63.9. Wills’ pass blocking has been good enough with a rating of 68.3. However, his run blocking grade is suspect at 59.7.
Jack Duffin of The Orange and Brown Report on Friday wrote that the only way the Browns’ long-term financial commitment to Conklin makes sense is if the team deals Wills elsewhere in a trade.
There is one way the Conklin extension makes sense to me:
LT Hudson/Day 2 Draft Pick/Cheap Vet
LG Bitonio
C Harris/Cheap Vet
RG Teller
RT Conklin
Trade Wills & turn Pocic into a comp pick
Will be interesting to see the Andrew Berry Plan play out 👀
“There is one way the Conklin extension makes sense to me: LT Hudson/Day 2 Draft Pick/Cheap Vet; LG Bitonio; C Harris/Cheap Vet; RG Teller; RT Conklin; trade Wills & turn Pocic into a comp. pick. Will be interesting to see the Andrew Berry plan play out 👀,” Duffin tweeted.
Should the Browns decide to trade Wills, they don’t need to move on anything immediately. Cleveland can exercise his fifth-year option by May of 2023, should they so choose, which will keep Wills under contract for at least the next two seasons. He is scheduled to earn just shy of $3.3 million next year, though his salary would spike into the eight-figure range in year five based on NFL contract rules regarding fifth-year extensions for former first-round picks.
Browns Sign Conklin Long-Term Despite Severe Knee Injury Last Year
GettyRight tackle Jack Conklin of the Cleveland Browns was injured during a game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on November 28, 2021 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Conklin’s extension raises eyebrows for really only one reason — because he suffered a severe knee injury roughly 13 months ago.
Conklin ruptured his patellar tendon in a game against the Baltimore Ravens on November 28, 2021, which required surgery to repair. The injury cost him last five contests of the campaign after an elbow issue robbed him of three games prior.
He has appeared in and started 12 of 14 games this year, and PFF ranks him as the 39th best tackle in the NFL — 17 spots ahead of Wills with three regular season games left to play.
Cleveland is clearly confident that the two-time All-Pro (2016, 2020) has recovered adequately from the injury and can be a stalwart presence on the offensive line for the next several years, but only time will tell.