BEREA, OHIO – JUNE 11: Dawand Jones #79 of the Cleveland Browns walks off the sector after Cleveland Browns obligatory minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 11, 2025 in Berea, Ohio. (Photograph by Nick Cammett/Diamond Photographs through Getty Photographs) | Diamond Photographs/Getty Photographs
Cleveland Browns common supervisor Andrew Berry put in some heavy lifting throughout the offseason to repair the offensive line.
The 2026 NFL Draft introduced in Spencer Fano, the presumptive starter at left deal with, Austin Barber, a flexible participant with a pleasant quantity of upside, and Parker Brailsford, who the Browns will give ample alternative to win the starter’s job at heart this summer time.
It isn’t all in regards to the rookies, in fact, as Berry fortified the road with veterans Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins, and Tytus Howard, whereas additionally retaining Teven Jenkins.
There’s one participant who has been misplaced within the shuffle a bit, and that’s fourth-year deal with Dawand Jones, who as soon as upon a time seemed to be able to step in as a starter at one of many deal with spots.
Issues haven’t gone to plan, nevertheless, as, by no fault of his personal, Jones has suffered a significant season-ending harm in every of the previous three seasons. He made it 11 video games as a rookie earlier than tearing his MCL. In 2024, he fractured his left fibula 10 video games into the season. Final season, it solely took three video games for the harm goblin to strike, as Jones suffered a torn LCL and a hamstring avulsion that knocked him out for the 12 months.
Now, after all of the give attention to the offense line, mixed with Jones solely enjoying in 24 video games the previous three seasons, the previous fourth-round draft decide could possibly be coming into coaching camp on unsure phrases.
But when Jones can show he’s wholesome and as much as the duty, the Browns will reportedly “find a starting job” for him, even when it means shifting him to protect, which he has by no means performed within the NFL.
That’s in response to Mary Kay Cabot at cleveland.com, who highlighted the offensive line coach George Warhop is raring to see what the coachable Jones can do if wholesome:
“I’m not placing a swing deal with on Dawand … (he’s) going to return in and compete, proper? We’re not conceding something. And he’s not conceding. I feel he’s had a very good spring. I feel coaching camp’s going to be even higher for him. I actually take pleasure in teaching him. I feel he is usually a actually good participant on this league. So swing deal with, I don’t know. I’m going to see if he can begin for us in some capability earlier than I say he’s a swing deal with.
“Anybody that can be themselves all the time, I appreciate,” he stated. “He doesn’t have any pretenses. You can be frank with him, and it’s not an issue. He listens. He tries to do what you ask, and as a coach, that’s all you want.”
It has been a tough three years for Jones as accidents have continued to plague him.
However even with the modifications alongside the offensive line, he should have an opportunity this summer time to point out the Browns they should discover a spot for him alongside the offensive line.
