Tag: jedrick wills

Browns set to start fourth different left tackle vs. Steelers

Germain Ifedi will start at left tackle on Thursday Night

The Cleveland Browns will be starting veteran Germain Ifedi at left tackle against the Pittsburgh Steelers as Jedrick Wills has once again been ruled out.

This marks the fourth different starting left tackle for the Browns in 2024. First, it was James Hudson III who started the first few weeks, then Wills took over before getting hurt again. Dawand Jones then flipped from right tackle to left tackle when Jack Conklin returned when Wills was ruled out and took the job from the former first rounder before his season-ending injury. Even Joel Bitonio has played some reps at left tackle this season.

With Wills still out, the former first rounder Ifedi will get the start. For depth, the Browns brought back a familiar face in Geron Christian as the backup tackle due to all of the injuries up front.

Going against the potent Steelers’ pass rush, Ifedi will need all of the help he can get.

Browns optimistic about getting one OL back vs. Steelers

Jedrick Wills is expected to return to practice on Tuesday

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced that left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. will attempt to practice on Tuesday with the Pittsburgh Steelers up next on a short week.

This is a good sign for the former Browns’ starting tackle who has had a difficult season. He is now back in a starting role after the season-ending injury to Dawand Jones, it’s just a matter of getting back to full health. Wills currently has 245 total snaps played so far in 2024 with a 52.9 overall PFF grade to show for it.

The starting left tackle spot has been a revolving door for Cleveland. Throughout injuries, adjustments to the game plan, and more, the Browns are now back where they started at the position. Wills is a future unrestricted free agent in this upcoming offseason and has a lot to prove before his time comes to negotiate a new contract.

It’ll be worth nothing how much Wills can do at practice today and if he can play on Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Browns down another offensive lineman after late scratch vs. Saints

The Browns have ruled backup offensive tackle Jedrick Wills out against the Saints

The Cleveland Browns have ruled offensive tackle Jedrick Wills out against the New Orleans Saints.

Wills, who came under fire earlier this week for a comment about sitting out against the Baltimore Ravens three weeks ago, will now miss another game with a flare-up to a knee that has been giving him issues all season (according to Cleveland dot com’s Mary Kay Cabot). Already benched before the bye week in favor of second-year offensive tackle Dawand Jones, Wills is still the designated swing tackle for the Browns.

With James Hudson III still on Injured Reserve as well, veteran and former first round pick Germain Ifedi will now be the first man off the bench should Jones or Jack Conklin exit the game with an injury.

Set for free agency after the season, it is becoming clearer by the day that 2024 will be Wills’ last year in a Browns uniform.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski speaks on Jedrick Wills’ ‘business decision’

The Browns have had a PR fire to put out after left tackle Jedrick Wills admitted to making a “business decision.” Here is what the head coach had to say on it.

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski took the podium to answer some questions on Wednesday afternoon and among these questions was whether he met with offensive tackle Jedrick Wills about his “business decision” to not play in their Week 9 contest.

When asked about the comment, Kevin Stefanski said that he spoke with the offensive tackle and it won’t negatively impact his chances of playing again this season.

“It was a poor choice of words and he understands that,” said the Browns head coach when asked about the comment. Since his absence, Wills has been replaced at left tackle by second-year offensive tackle Dawand Jones. While the current tackle situation has been an improvement compared to earlier in the season, many fans can’t help but think about his consistently solid performances in previous years.

Unless Jones starts to struggle significantly, Jedrick Wills will likely remain on the bench for now, as he would have even before the comment was made.

Jedrick Wills’ business decision even draws ire from Browns Hall of Famer

Browns Hall of Famer Joe Thomas weighed in on Jedrick Wills’ “business decision”

It is no longer news that the Cleveland Browns have benched left tackle and former first round pick Jedrick Wills in favor of Dawand Jones, but what he recently said has even caused Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Thomas to raise an eyebrow.

Speaking to the media in the locker room about his benching, Wills stated that he was shocked about his benching, but that he “made a business decision” not to play in the win against the Baltimore Ravens. He was benched for Jones the following Monday.

However, now that more of the story has been revealed from Wills’ perspective, it looks uglier for him. It takes quite a bit to draw a reaction from Thomas, the left tackle Wills was supposed to follow in the footsteps of, but his comments did just that:

Yeah, this is the end of the Wills era in Cleveland as he is a free agent after the season.

Jedrick Wills gives baffling statement that reflects his Browns tenure

The former 10th overall pick stated he “made a business decision” not to play against the Ravens that led to his benching.

The Cleveland Browns benched former first round pick Jedrick Wills in favor of Dawand Jones at left tackle, and he spoke about it with the media for the first time.

And it did not make things better.

Wills stated that he made the decision not to play against the Baltimore Ravens after hyperextending his knee against the Cincinnati Bengals the week before:

“I decided myself that, I made a business decision not to play after the Bengals game going into that Ravens game because I was injured. And then the next week is when I received the news.”

After the Ravens game, Jones was named the starter shortly after.

This more or less summarizes Wills’s time with the Browns. While his rookie season began with promise, the former Alabama national champion never took another step forward. He did the opposite. Year over year it seemed as though Wills lost confidence and regressed.

This has led to many questioning his off-the-field and practice habits and love for the sport. Needless to say, making a “business decision” not to play in a year where free agency status hangs in the balance does not help to calm any of those thoughts.

At this point, it would be shocking to see the Browns re-sign Wills this offseason.

Browns bench healthy Jedrick Wills for Dawand Jones vs. Chargers

The Browns have officially benched their former first round pick.

Dawand Jones got the start at left tackle last week for the Cleveland Browns against the Baltimore Ravens with Jedrick Wills missing the game due to an injury.

This week, however, the Browns are making a business decision. They are keeping Jones in as the starting left tackle and moving their former first round pick to the bench as they take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9.

Jones was a mainstay at left tackle a week ago, as the only sack that came from the left side of the line was a safety blitz that was not picked up due to a miscommunication. With both Jones and Conklin healthy, the Browns have decided to roll with the same offensive line that they started a week ago.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed this to Cleveland Browns Radio in the pregame show.

Can Jones stack on a successful outing a week ago and solidify himself as the left tackle of the future for the Browns? This sure would cross off a 2025 NFL Draft need from their list.

Browns potentially set to start their third different left tackle vs. Ravens

Dawand Jones might get the start at left tackle on Sunday

With left tackle Jedrick Wills missing his last two days of practice, the Cleveland Browns are preparing second-year player Dawand Jones to start at left tackle against the Baltimore Ravens.

With right tackle Jack Conklin back from injury, the Browns had benched Jones after an abysmal start to his sophomore season. Jones did play against the Cincinnati Bengals a week ago, however, as Conklin left the game. If Wills cannot go, it will be Jones and Conklin manning the tackle posts.

The issue then lies at who will come on the field if either Jones or Conklin go down with an injury as they both have missed time this year after returning from season-enders one year ago. The usual swing tackle, James Hudson III, is already on Injured Reserve with a shoulder injury.

If Wills is out and Jones starts, that leaves Germain Ifedi as the swing tackle in this game against the juggernaut Ravens.

I mean, it could not get any worse right?

3 reasons for optimism for Raiders as they face the Browns Sunday

All may not be lost for the Raiders. There are reasons for hope this week.

All isn’t lost for the Raiders this week. They may have lost to a bad Panthers team in Week three, but they get another shot against another struggling team in Week four. Neither team should feel confident going into this one. And here are a few reasons for optimism if you’re the Raiders.

Both Browns starting tackles out

The Raiders may be without both their starting edge rushers – Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce – but the Browns are without their starting tackles – Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills. Granted Crosby and Koonce are bigger losses for the Raiders than Conklin and Wills are to the Browns, but perhaps it evens the playing field a bit.

The Raiders have been looking for former seventh overall pick Tyree Wilson to start showing his draft potential and there’s no time like the present. He figures to get the bulk of the snaps at edge in his game, with the Janarius Robinson, Charles Snowden and former top pick K’Lavon Chaisson rotating in and splitting time at the other end spot.

Deshaun Watson is terrible

No amount of massaging can make Deshaun Watson’s stats look anything but terrible. He’s just plain bad. He has yet to crack 200 yards passing this season and the offense’s best game was when they scored 18 points without him throwing a touchdown. His season passer rating is a pathetic 71.4. And he hasn’t been making up for it on the ground either. He has 14 carries for 85 yards this season.

Then there’s this gem.

Oh, and did I mention he’s already been sacked 16 times this season?!

Zero interceptions

The Browns defense is one of just five teams in the NFL without an interception on the season. The Raiders do tend to have a way of ending such futility streaks, but it’s at least a sign of hope that they aren’t facing an opportunistic defense.

That doesn’t mean Gardner Minshew should just be throwing it all over the yard willy-nilly. The Browns still have one of the better cornerbacks in the league in Denzel Ward, even if Ward hasn’t gotten his hands on one yet.

Also see: 3 causes for concern for Raiders vs Browns

Raiders, Browns Week 4 final injury report: Both teams missing several key starters

The Raiders and Browns are both literally limping into their Week 4 matchup Sunday.

Injuries are hitting both the Raiders and the Browns hard this week. The two teams are quite literally limping into their Week four matchup in Las Vegas on Sunday. With both teams set to be without key starters.

https://twitter.com/LeviDamien/status/1839774633245192249

The Raiders have four players officially ruled OUT for the game — WR Davante Adams (hamstring), TE Michael Mayer (personal), LB Divine Deablo (oblique), and CB DeCamerion Richardson (hamstring).

DE Maxx Crosby (ankle), and T Thayer Munford (ankle/knee) are officially listed as Doubtful after head coach Antonio Pierce said in his morning press conference both would be OUT for the game.

Questionable for the Raiders are RB Ameer Abdullah (back) and LB Kana’i Mauga (calf).

The Browns also have four players listed as OUT — T Jack Conklin (hamstring), TE David Njoku (ankle), RB Pierre Strong (hamstring), and T Jedrick Wills (knee).

Questionable is LB Jordan Hicks (ribs/elbow).

DE Myles Garrett missed the first practice this week, but has since practice full and was removed from the injury report.