Certainly, it is easy, if you have followed the ins and outs of the Cleveland Browns in recent years beyond the skill positions and the sack masters, to root for tackle Dawand Jones, the snake-bitten former starter who has been the victim of a series of crushing injuries that have limited him to 24 games since he was drafted in the fourth round in 2023.
Last year, Jones suffered a gruesome injury in Week 3 against the Packers, a torn LCL with a hamstring avulsion that knocked him out for the season, marking three straight times in season had been cut short by injury. Jones has also had surgeries on his MCL and a broken ankle/fibula in previous years.
Now, he is basically playing for his NFL career in 2026, entering his fourth season with free agency looming next offseason and the Browns having cut his salary in half, to about $1.5 million for this year, earlier this spring. He will be doing this in a Browns offensive line room that includes three veteran free-agent additions and a first-round pick, Spencer Fano, who plays Jones’ preferred left tackle spot.
Browns ‘Not Putting Swing Tackle on’ Dawand Jones
The presumption, then, has been that Jones will try to carve out a role on the Browns as a “swing tackle,” capable of playing on the left side should Fano falter or suffer an injury, or on the right side behind veteran Tytus Howard.
But offensive line coach George Warhop has a warning, seemingly aimed at both Fano and/or Howard: Jones is still in line for a starting job.
Said Warhop: “I am not putting a swing tackle on Dawand. I think Dawand is going to come in and compete. We’re not conceding anything, he has not conceded. He has had a really good spring. I think training camp is going to be even better for him. I really enjoy coaching him, I think he can be a really good player in this league.
“Swing tackle? I don’t know. I am going to see if he can start for us in some capacity before I am going to say swing tackle.”
Dawand Jones Losing Weight in Comeback Attempt
Credit Jones for the diligent work he has put in all through the offseason as he comes back from last year’s injury and also has sought to get himself into better shape–he was 374 pounds last year and is trying to get himself down to 350. Coach Todd Monken said Jones was one of the first players he met at the Browns facility in Berea, because Jones was there daily for rehab and weight loss.
While Fano and Howard would be the ones to watch if Jones were to be a starter, it is possible he could kick in to play right guard, which is considered the most up-for-grabs spot on the line. But Jones has almost exclusively played left tackle and right tackle during his career with the Browns.
Browns Looking for ‘9 or 10 Best’
Warhop did say that the Browns are not so concerned about where players have been in previous years, that as the team installs Monken’s offense, it is going to focus on just bringing in the best players it can.
There have been a lot of movement and different combinations in OTAs and minicamp.
Said Warhop: “It’s hard when you’re putting in a new system and we didn’t move them around for the first couple weeks until they had a pretty good foundation, and once they got the foundation, we started moving them around. I think it gets difficult when it’s spring. We’re always going to roll the guys around, in general, unless you are a an established starter, you’re going to have to be able to play multiple positions. We need to find guys who are not starters who can be backups and play multiple sports.
“We need to find our best nine or 10 guys, that is what it boils down to.”
Browns Coach Warns Starters That Injured Veteran ‘Not Conceding’