Tag: Dawand Jones

Ohio State football NFL rookie contract tracker

Here is a central way to keep track of when the six Ohio State players sign their rookie deals and an estimate of what they are worth. #GoBucks

Now that former Ohio State football players have been selected in the 2023 NFL draft, they are working with their new teams to sign those coveted rookie contracts. It’s why kids flock to Columbus to play and is the pot at the end of the Scarlet and Gray football rainbow for many.

Maybe you, too, are interested in when quarterback C.J. Stroud, offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba sign their rookie deals. If so, then you are in luck because we’re keeping track of the six Ohio State football players that were selected in the NFL draft and when they ink those agreements.

We’ll update it as news becomes available but we also use Spotrac because of the initial, non-public nature of the deals when they are reported to give you an idea of the ballpark value of each.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Here’s where things stand today.

Browns: 5 takeaways from rookie tackle Dawand Jones media availability

The Ohio State product is ready to prove himself in Cleveland.

For the first time this year, the 2023 rookie class for the Cleveland Browns is in Berea for the rookie minicamp. On Friday several players talked to the media including fourth-round pick Dawand Jones, the offensive tackle from Ohio State. He talked about the rumors surrounding his love for the game and his passion for basketball.

He also talked about the plan Bill Callahan and the team have for him overall this year and beyond. Let’s take a look at some of the quotes from Jones’s availability to kick off the minicamp in Berea and what takeaways you come away from them.

Browns announce jersey numbers for all seven 2023 NFL draft picks

The Browns have announced rookie numbers

It took the Cleveland Browns longer than most NFL teams, but they have finally announced the numbers their 2023 NFL draft class will wear during their rookie season. As rookie minicamp is set to start today, we will get our first glance at the newest members of the Browns and how they look in their new numbers, and in the orange and brown.

Here are the numbers each member of the rookie class will wear in Cleveland in 2023. As always, these numbers are subject to change as the 90-man roster continues to get cut down to 53 by the end of training camp.

Rookie OT Dawand Jones set to wear no. 74

The rookie offensive tackle has shared his jersey number on Instagram

The Cleveland Browns are one of the few teams that have yet to announce the jersey numbers their rookie class will wear in 2023. However, rookie offensive tackle Dawand Jones has shared his on his Instagram story. Taking a picture of his locker at the team facility, Jones’ locker displays the number 74 as he gets set for rookie minicamp.

Sandwiched between the two starting offensive tackles as well, Jones will have the opportunity to learn from the veterans throughout training camp and beyond. We now wait to see if the other rookie numbers will be released to the public this weekend.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

[stnvideo key=”BuIu1n8G” type=”player”]

Logan Paulsen wonders if Commanders should have drafted a couple of offensive tackles

Paulsen offers his excellent analysis of the Commanders’ draft and questions the team’s decision not to take a true offensive tackle.

Former Washington tight end Logan Paulsen raised a legitimate question with Craig Hoffman Thursday on the “Take Command Podcast.”

Paulsen reminded listeners that Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones was still available when the Commanders went on the clock for the 97th selection late in round three of last week’s 2023 NFL draft.

“My question is, is the risk of that player worth the 97th pick for a guy who has top-five talent, when and if he is in shape and he is ready to play football?”

Paulsen raised the question because the Commanders looking for an offensive tackle had all four top prospects taken by the time they selected at 16. Jones was there at 97 when the Commanders determined to not take the huge offensive tackle, selecting instead Arkansas center Ricky Stromberg.

Paulsen spoke to one of his NFL friends who conveyed to Paulsen that their staff had removed Jones from their board entirely.

“They (Commanders) like bigger centers, and Stromberg is more their type. This is not an indictment of Stromberg in any way. I think Stromberg is an excellent football player. But I tend to value tackle more than I value center.”

Paulsen also questioned the Commanders selecting Utah G/T Braeden Daniels at 118 when Pittsburgh tackle Carter Warren was available and taken two picks later. Prior to his ACL injury last season, Paulsen said Warren was projected by several to be a top 60 pick.

Do you get what Paulsen is saying? Offensive tackles being much more important, carry more value. Therefore, twice Washington could have taken a higher-upside tackle at either 97 or 118 and decided to go with a safer selection both times.

Paulsen continued, “There is a history with big offensive tackles with weight issues in college continuing to have weight issues in the pros.“ Paulsen expressed that Jones at the Senior Bowl came in at 370 and looked like a top-five offensive tackle.

But Paulsen also said that Jones in the season had gotten up to 420 pounds “and looked enormous.” If he “stays down at 370, it’s a party now.“ So Paulsen asked does 420 pound Jones have more upside than Braeden Daniels.

He also pointed out Jones was to come in for a 30-visit, but it fell through. Paulsen said he was not altogether certain but willing to wager a lot of money that Jones was again really out of shape, and they (Commanders) wanted to get him on the scales.

Craig Hoffman offered a logical, direct point when declaring, “I’d rather trust Braeden Daniels to put on 15 pounds than Jones to lose 30 pounds…it’s a no-brainer.”

Here is the entire segment; its worth the listen.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbykgy681k112p8 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

Dawand Jones responds to rumors as to why he fell in the NFL draft

Dawand Jones loves basketball… but not that much. #GoBucks

Dawand Jones had a solid career at Ohio State. A mountain of a man, he came to Columbus from Indianapolis Ben Davis High School at 6-feet, 8- inches, and 360 pounds, but only a three-star prospect. By the end, the Buckeye coaching staff helped develop Jones into a two-year starter for OSU.

Jones also excelled on the hardwood at Ben Davis, averaging 17 points and nine rebounds per game and earning several Division I scholarship offers. Now there are rumors that this love of basketball caused Jones to tumble in the NFL draft. The big offensive tackle fell to the fourth round after some projected him as a late first-round to early second-round pick.

It was reported by Dov Kleiman that Jones told teams during draft interviews that his dream was to play in the NBA and that he was also dealing with questions about his weight. Jones responded directly to the report on Twitter say “False… where do y’all get this information from?”

It’s hard to say why any number of prospects fall during the draft. Getting Jones in the fourth round seems like a steal for the Browns, but only time will tell.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

[mm-video type=video id=01gzbxw8bn5vhvb98gpf playlist_id=01eqbz0qtnjg5x7tc8 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gzbxw8bn5vhvb98gpf/01gzbxw8bn5vhvb98gpf-960ba811c97e8ebaaa0d6b320d8ab805.jpg]

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on Twitter.

OT Dawand Jones denies telling teams the NBA was his dream, not that it matters

Dawand Jones responds to reports about his meetings with NFL teams.

The pre-draft process was not kind to 2023 NFL draft prospect Dawand Jones. The new member of the Cleveland Browns opted not to weigh in at his pro day, skipped out on the Reese’s Senior Bowl after one day before returning to the sidelines as a non-participant, and telling teams his dream was to play in the NBA. The Browns snatched him up with pick no. 111.

The offensive tackle, however, has denied claims that he told teams he had dreams of playing basketball, not football. Tweeting out, “False like where do y’all get this information from” it appears Jones has taken offense to the report.

There is, however, a reason Jones fell to the fourth round despite top-50 caliber tape. It will be on the fourth round pick to prove he can lock in and commit to the Browns. There is little risk to selecting Day 3 players who may have questionable character as the team can cut them with next to no dead money.

Can Jones prove the Browns right?

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

[stnvideo key=”BuIu1n8G” type=”player”]

Podcast: Breaking down the Cleveland Browns’ 2023 NFL draft class

How does the overall draft class grade out?

The 2023 NFL draft for the Cleveland Browns started later than most, with their first pick being no. 74 overall. Starting with Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman in the third round, the Browns managed to get some talented players that fell into their laps. Also, Andrew Berry traded away his final pick in the seventh round for an upgrade in the form of the Ravens’ sixth-round pick next year.

The players the Browns picked have the physical tools to become quality NFL players and contributors down the road. Some of these players need work on the fundamentals but they have the time as they won’t be thrust into starting roles if they aren’t ready for them. You can watch this week’s podcast by clicking here.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[stnvideo key=”BuIu1n8G” type=”player”]

5 takeaways from the Browns’ 2023 NFL draft

What did we learn from the Browns’ draft this weekend?

After a busy Friday and Saturday, the Cleveland Browns added extreme value to their roster despite the lack of a first or second round pick in the 2023 NFL draft. The Athletic’s draft expert Dane Brugler has stated they landed a massive five players from the top 100 of his big board despite having two top 100 picks.

With seven new players now on their roster, and at key positions of need at the top, the Browns addressed positional holes and stayed true to the strength of their board when they came on the clock.

What can we take away from the way the Browns attacked the weekend? Here are five key points that stood out the most.

Pathway to production: Which rookies have a good chance to see the field in 2023?

How soon can the rookies find the field in 2023?

Adding seven new faces to their roster through the 2023 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns have improved their depth at key positions of need. How soon, however, will these rookies find the field in Cleveland to contribute toward wins for the franchise?

Using the stoplight structure, we dive into how clear each rookie’s pathway to finding the field in 2023 is. Green light means they will see snaps from Week 1 on, yellow light means they may have to contribute as a special teamer before clawing their way onto the field at their position, and red light means their chances of seeing the field in 2023 are slim to none.