Conklin signed a four-year contract extension in the off-season and even though it was unlikely that Conklin would be around for all four seasons, the Browns certainly didn't expect to have Conklin play less than one game.
Conklin played fourteen games last season after returning from an injured Patella Tendon in the twelfth game of the 2021 season.
Cleveland will start fourth-round draft pick Dawand Jones in the spot vacated by Conklin and hope that the learning curve isn't too steep for the Ohio State rookie.
Jones played well against the Bengals in pass protection and is very nimble for a man his size (6'8 375 pounds) but will need to step up his game in the run-blocking department.
The Browns moved veteran Michael Dunn to the active roster from the practice squad and Dunn is a solid reserve lineman that would have made the roster for many teams out of camp, so while Dunn isn't as good as the players in front of him, the definition of depth is to have as many people as possible that are capable if they are needed to play.
Seldom are backup players the same level as the player they are replacing but the key is to lose as little as possible from the starter.
Dunn's best position is guard but he can play tackle in a pinch and 2022 fourth-round draftee James Hudson will be the main backup for Jones (and left tackle Jedric Wills) and Hudson will likely see a few snaps here and there when needed.
Another player to remember is former first-rounder Alex Leatherwood, who has struggled since his 2021 selection by the Raiders and was signed to the practice squad.
I think Bill Callahan may be the best offensive line coach in the game and I would be anxious to see if Callahan's expertise can turn around a player that was thought to be extremely talented when he entered the league from Alabama.
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