NFL free agency: A few offensive tackles still available for the Browns to sign

The Cleveland Browns have one thing happen every year like clockwork: Their offensive linemen get injured and miss a ton of games.

It used to be that a team carried three substitutes and kept eight for the O-Line room. Before Kevin Stefanski became the head coach in 2020, the Browns traditionally retained nine. But Stefanski keeps 10.

And every season, it isn’t enough. No position along the offensive line is immune.

What is the answer? More strength and conditioning? Lifting more? Lord knows offensive linemen are allergic to running, but perhaps that would help.

The answer is to sign more offensive linemen. No matter what the Browns change or alter or offer, this group will be hit and hit hard by the injury fairy. Football is a rough sport, and with the O-Line, they are engaged with a defender on every single play they are on offense. Did you get that? Every play.

The position most affected in the past three years for Cleveland has been the tackle spot. The Browns are a wreck in this regard.

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RT Jack Conklin (6’-6”, 308 pounds) has been plagued with injuries. He was signed in free agency in 2020 and was viewed as a huge plum for the offensive line. In his first season in Cleveland, he only missed one game due to COVID-19. The following year he had an elbow injury followed by a right knee injury where he tore his patellar tendon. He missed nine games but has agreed to a new contract to keep him in-house.

What followed was a complete knee blowout in the first game of 2023. In all, he has missed 33 games in just five seasons.

LT Jedrick Wills (6’-4”, 307 pounds) had his own issues. He has had a shin problem and suffered an MCL injury in Week 9 of last year. In all, he has missed 26 games in his five seasons.

RT/LT Dawand Jones (6’-8”, 374 pounds) has been installed at both tackle spots since he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft. When he plays, he does a great job with his long arms. But he has suffered two injuries in two years with a knee injury and a fractured ankle. He has played in 21 games out of 34 regular season contests.

On the third day of free agency this year, Browns GM Andrew Berry signed OT Cornelius Lucas (6’-9”, 325 pounds) who is 33 years old and on his sixth NFL club. He came into the league undrafted in the 2014 draft and has played in 129 NFL contests with 54 starts including seven during 2024 with the Washington Commanders. His Pro Football Focus (PFF) overall grade last year was 74.1 which was 27^th out of 141 qualifying offensive tackles and only allowed one sack. Very encouraging numbers.

That gives Cleveland three offensive tackles. Is that enough?

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Currently on the roster under contract are LT Roy Mbaeteka (6’-8”, 330 pounds), RT Julian Pearl (6’-6”, 325 pounds), and LT Lorenzo Thompson (6’-6”, 305 pounds). All three spent time on the Browns practice squad last season and signed reserve/futures contracts on January 6. Mbaeteka is an international player.

After the 2024 season, the Browns had seven offensive linemen unsigned and ready to test the free agency market. Of these players, four were offensive tackles: Wills, James Hudson, Geron Christian, and Germain Ifedi. New York Football Giants signed Hudson during this year’s free agency period.

Could any of these players provide the Browns with a dependable backup at offensive tackle?

Ifedi (6’-5”, 338 pounds) has played in 117 games and has 90 NFL starts including seven with Cleveland last year. He was the starting RT for four consecutive seasons from 2017-2020. Last season his PFF overall grade was 48.6 which was 120 out of 141 qualifying offensive tackles. Not exactly numbers to call Grandma about.

Christian (6’-5”, 302 pounds) was the offensive line’s savior in their playoff run of 2023 when he was signed off the practice squad of the Houston Texans and then started nine games down the stretch. He was re-signed for last season but only played in four games but only had 72 offensive snaps and five on special teams.

Another player of interest not already discussed is Hakeem Adeniji (6’-4”, 315 pounds). He was signed during free agency last year and was viewed as a dependable swing tackle. He inked a one-year $1.125 million deal but injured his right knee in the preseason game against the Green Bay Packers and found IR his season home.

And what about free agency this year? What is left waiting to find a new home?

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LT Tyron Smith – New York Jets

6’-5”, 320 pounds

Age: 34

NFL draft: 2017 Round 2, Pick #34 (Jags)

Free agent ranking: #36

Accolades: 8 Pro Bowls, 2 First Team All-Pro, 3 Second Team All-Pro, NFL 2010s All-Decade Team

With Conklin entrenched at right tackle, Smith could come in and cement the leftside with Jones and Lucas as primary backups. The Browns should not give Smith a long-term deal given his age, but he is a very good tackle and a solid option to man one starting position. His PFF overall grade last year was 73.7 with 84.3 on pass protection.

Signed on a one-year deal with the Jets for $20 million, he did suffer a neck injury which put him on injured reserve where he missed seven games last season but is completely healed.

Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images

RT Trent Brown – Cincinnati Bengals

6’-8”, 380 pounds

Age: 31

NFL draft: 2015 Round 7, Pick #244 (49ers)

Free agent ranking: #172

Accolades: 1 Pro Bowl, Super Bowl Champion

Brown signed with the Bengals last year on a one-year $4.75 million deal to play backup. He ended up as the starter to begin the season and tore his patellar tendon in Week 3, landing on season-ending IR. He has played for four NFL teams. He has played in 103 NFL games with 96 starts.

In his limited playing time last year, he had a 71.5 pass-blocking grade with PFF. Has very long arms and meat hooks for hands.

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RT/LT D. J. Humphries – Kansas City Chiefs

6’-5”, 307 pounds

Age: 31

NFL draft: 201 Round 1, Pick #24 (Cardinals)

Free agent ranking: #176

Accolades: 1 Pro Bowl

He started a ton of games (100) for the Arizona Cardinals after being taken in the first round but has only four seasons out of nine years that he played every game. He has been plagued with an assortment of injuries and has missed 29 games. The Cards ended up cutting him last year to which he signed a deal with the Chiefs for the remainder of the season but did not register a start and played only 92 offensive snaps.

When Humphries is healthy, he is a road grader. He had a back injury in 2022 that could still be lingering and tore his ACL in 2023’s Week 17. Humphries plays with good quickness out of his stance, so he’s rarely beaten around the edge.