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AFC North Notes: Steelers, Bengals, Conklin

December 11th, 2024 at 1:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite their wide receiver depth being an issue throughout this season, the Steelers managed a two-score win over the Browns without George Pickens. The standout Pittsburgh pass catcher suffered a hamstring injury doing post-practice work late last week, and the Steelers exercised caution by holding him out. That strategy is expected to continue against the Eagles in Week 14, with Mike Tomlin pointing to another absence for Pickens. The third-year wideout, who had never missed a game as a pro until Sunday, is battling a grade 2 hamstring strain, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac. Tomlin said this injury has proven to be “a little more significant” than the team initially believed, and this comes at a bad time for the AFC North leaders.

The Steelers face the Ravens in Week 15 and Chiefs in Week 16, those matchups coming on short weeks. While Pittsburgh is two weeks from its Christmas Day matchup with Kansas City, Pickens’ availability for the Baltimore rematch should probably be considered up in the air. The Steelers traded for Mike Williams and have seen flashes, most notably a game-winning TD grab against the Commanders, but the team would be lacking against upper-crust competition if Pickens is sidelined.

Here is the latest from the AFC North:

  • Perhaps the NFL’s lead underachievers this season, the Bengals are 5-8. A team expected to return to Super Bowl contention has seen its defense crater. This franchise has proven conservative when it comes to many matters, and coaching is among them. As such, Zac Taylor is unlikely to be viewed as a hot-seat occupant, per ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. This reaffirms the team’s October stance. Though, this certainly does not mean the Bengals will maintain their status quo throughout the coaching staff. DC Lou Anarumo should probably be viewed as a chopping-block candidate given how poorly the once-well-regarded coordinator’s unit has performed. But Taylor, who took over after 16 Marvin Lewis Cincinnati seasons, is believed to be safe. His contract runs through 2026.
  • Putting up MVP-caliber numbers (without the required record for consideration), Joe Burrow made some noise this week by indicating he will play a role in helping to push for the Bengals to re-sign Tee Higgins. The franchise-tagged wide receiver, who has been viewed as likely to leave in 2025, has said he would like to stay but did not offer much confidence he would re-sign. The Bengals cannot reengage on negotiations, which are not believed to have been serious this year, until season’s end. When the team does, new Higgins representation may be at the wheel. Rumblings have surfaced regarding a potential Higgins agency change, Graziano adds. Such a switch would inject an interesting variable into Higgins’ next round of negotiations. The Bengals hold exclusive negotiating rights with their WR2 until March 10.
  • Dan Moore Jr. has twice managed to fend off competition to keep the Steelers‘ left tackle job, doing so despite the team using first-round picks on tackles in back-to-back drafts. Troy Fautanu‘s injury did leave the team with fewer options, and Broderick Jones has continued to play right tackle this season. The plan remains for Jones to switch sides in 2025, when Moore is due for free agency. Though, Jones was rumored to be the team’s preferred LT this year. Moore is likely to depart in March, Dulac adds, as they have not shown an indication they are losing faith in Jones. Next year’s Pittsburgh tackle plan will be for their 2023 and ’24 first-rounders — Jones and Fautanu — to start, with veteran Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly leaving little doubt about the 2025 starters.
  • Two nonguaranteed years remain on Jack Conklin‘s contract, and the Browns — facing an unprecedented situation with Deshaun Watson — will need cap space. They will almost definitely look to Conklin’s deal, with The Athletic’s Zac Jackson noting the team will either restructure it or move it off the payroll via a post-June 1 cut. Conklin, 30, has returned from a second career ACL tear, coming back after missing 16 games last season and five this year. The quality starter’s injury history will factor into Cleveland’s 2025 decision.

Browns’ James Hudson Undergoes Shoulder Surgery; T Likely Out For Season

October 11th, 2024 at 2:23pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns’ injury woes along the offensive line continue. James Hudson – who has seen time at both tackle spots this year – revealed on social media he underwent shoulder surgery this week.

No firm timeline is in place with respect to his recovery, but Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal writes the injury is expected to be season ending. At a minimum, a stint on injured reserve should be expected. Moving Hudson to IR would ensure at least a four-game absence, but a longer period than that where he is unavailable is likely in store.

With Jedrick Wills missing time during the year and Jack Conklin remaining sidelined through five weeks, the offensive tackle spot has been in flux in 2024. Hudson has started three of his four appearances this year, filling in as needed along the line. He injured his shoulder in Week 3 but managed to suit up for the following contest. The 25-year-old has not practiced since that game against the Raiders, though, and the surgical route has now been taken.

Especially if the injury proves to shut him down for the remainder of the campaign, the timing of the ailment will be particularly problematic for Hudson. The former fourth-rounder is currently in the final year of his rookie contract, so signficant missed time will hinder his market value. It will also add further to the injury situation Cleveland has dealt with throughout the year at the tackle spots but also along the interior of the O-line.

In a positive update on that front, Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot notes Conklin will be active for Week 6. That will mark his first game action since the ACL tear he suffered in Week 1 last season, although head coach Kevin Stefanski did not specify what Conklin’s role will be on Sunday. If he and Wills can remain healthy, Hudson’s absence can be compensated for the rest of the way. If not, being without their swing tackle will deal a blow to the Browns’ bid to rebound from their 1-4 start.

Browns LT Jedrick Wills To Debut In Week 3

September 22nd, 2024 at 11:26am CST by Sam Robinson

Jedrick Wills did not suffer an ACL tear, but a knee injury has kept the four-year Browns left tackle out of action since Week 9 of last season. The string of missed games will stop today for the contract-year blocker.

The Browns have listed Wills as active, and TheLandOnDemand.com’s Tony Grossi indicates the former first-round pick will be the team’s left tackle starter opposite from Dawand Jones. While Wills is back, Jack Conklin — after making his return from an ACL tear last week — is out.

Although an MCL sprain was primary issue impacting Wills’ lengthy absence, he missed all this time due to also sustaining PCL damage and bone bruises in his injured right knee. Wills missed all of Cleveland’s offseason program and training camp but avoided the reserve/PUP list. That will allow a Week 3 debut, whereas a PUP placement would have required a four-game absence. Conklin missed all of Browns camp as well, but he had suffered an ACL tear for the second time as a pro. Conklin is also secure with a third lucrative contract, while Wills is playing for his second.

Seeing his fifth-year option ($19.7MM) picked up in May 2023, Wills must answer questions in a pivotal year. He can begin that effort in earnest against the Giants today, and the Browns now have four of their five O-line starters healthy. The Browns have guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller signed beyond 2024, and center Ethan Pocic‘s three-year deal runs through 2025.

Conklin’s most recent extension covers him through 2026, but no guarantees are still in place post-2024 on that contract. Conklin, 30, will need to show he can stay healthy this season. That effort is not going especially well so far, with the ninth-year tackle logging two full practices before being limited Friday and out today. Conklin should be expected to return next week, per Grossi, but this is obviously a situation to monitor given the former first-rounder’s injury past.

Wills, 25, has started every game he has played (53) since the Browns made him the 10th overall pick in 2020. This included a 15-game 2020 season and a 17-game 2022 effort. Pro Football Focus graded Wills as a mid-pack tackle from 2020-22, before assigning him a worse grade last season.

Next year could present a host of interesting options for tackle-needy teams. As of now, Wills joins Ronnie Stanley, Garett Bolles and Cam Robinson as veteran LTs unsigned. The Rams’ Alaric Jackson is also out of contract after this season. Extensions may well thin this crop, but Wills is younger than this lot and could have nearly 70 starts on his NFL resume after this season.

Of course, the Alabama alum will need to show he has recovered from his troublesome knee malady to set himself up for a big payday — either from the Browns or a tackle-seeking team in free agency — come 2025.

Browns To Activate Jack Conklin, Greg Newsome; Jedrick Wills Activation Expected

August 26th, 2024 at 10:21am CST by Sam Robinson

Slow-playing Nick Chubb‘s recovery as expected, the Browns will give the Pro Bowl running back’s collection of backups some help to start the season. Jack Conklin is coming off the team’s active/PUP list Monday, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports. Jedrick Wills is expected to follow soon after.

Conklin will practice Tuesday, per Kevin Stefanski, while Wills is not yet ready. The Browns needed to activate both tackles to avoid each beginning the season on the reserve/PUP list, which would have knocked both out for at least four games to open the season. Each has been rehabbing knee injuries. Conklin suffered ACL and MCL tears in Week 1 of last season; Wills underwent MCL surgery late last year.

Cleveland is also not planning to have Greg Newsome on the NFI list to start the season, while Stefanski said (via the Akron Beacon Journal’s Chris Easterling) Dalvin Tomlinson will join the recovering cornerback at practice Tuesday. Stefanski added (via TheLandOnDemand.com’s Tony Grossi) Nyheim Hines is not yet off Cleveland’s active/NFI list but could practice later this week. It seems the Browns are also preparing to move Hines, who is still on the mend from the ACL tear sustained in a jet-ski accident last year, off an injured list in an effort to have him return during the season’s first four weeks.

The Browns finished last season without their top three tackles, with Dawand Jones suffering a major injury as well. Cleveland’s would-be swing tackle did not start camp on the PUP list, representing a rare positive injury development for the AFC North team. Conklin had hoped to return by training camp, but he did not come particularly close. Nevertheless, he will be an option for Week 1. Conklin should probably be expected to line up at his usual right tackle spot, with Stefanski (via The Athletic’s Zac Jackson) stopping short of indicating he would be an option at LT while Wills completes his recovery.

Conklin coming back after his second ACL tear gives the Browns a boost, but Wills needing this much time to return from an MCL issue is obviously a concern. The Browns have used Wills and Conklin as their LT-RT combo since 2020. Wills enters a crucial season, as his rookie contract expires after the 2024 campaign. These issues all come as Deshaun Watson completed a recovery from a shoulder surgery, which kept him off the field during preseason play.

Additionally, Stefanski said Jordan Hicks will return to practice Tuesday. The recent free agency acquisition missed most of this month with an undisclosed injury. Teams do not need to disclose injuries until game week, but the veteran linebacker has a decent chance of debuting for his new team in Week 1.

Browns Place Nick Chubb, Jedrick Wills, Jack Conklin On PUP List

July 24th, 2024 at 11:00am CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns entered their wild-card game without Nick Chubb and both their starting tackles. Although Deshaun Watson has returned after missing the stretch run, Cleveland remains without its Pro Bowl running back and tackle tandem.

Chubb joined Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin on the Browns’ active/PUP list to open training camp Wednesday. Neither Wills nor Conklin participated in Browns minicamp, working off to the side. Conklin, however, said this month he expected to be a training camp participant. That will not take place at the outset. Chubb is coming off two knee surgeries, making his placement on the camp injured list unsurprising.

Players stationed on the active/PUP list can be activated at any point during camp, as teams do not have to make decisions pertaining to the reserve/PUP list — which sidelines players for at least four games — for a few weeks. Chubb can be considered a candidate for that list, but it would surprise if Conklin or Wills did not return to practice soon. Conklin sustained ACL and MCL tears in Week 1 of last season, while Wills went down with an MCL sprain in December.

Now in a contract year, Wills will need to bounce back to earn a lucrative deal — either via a Browns extension or as a 2025 free agent — after missing nine games last season. Given the nature of the former first-rounder’s injury, it is a bit surprising he remains out of the mix regarding full work. Wills’ MCL issue did lead to surgery, however. The 2020 draftee has started all 53 games he has played in Cleveland, joining Conklin — a 2020 free agency pickup — as the team’s starters in that span.

Conklin, 30 in August, has seen knee injuries play a regular role during his NFL career. He went down midway through the 2018 season with an ACL tear — a setback that contributed to the Titans declining his fifth-year option — and missed 10 Browns games due to a torn patella tendon in 2021. The knee maladies are piling up for Conklin, whom the Browns extended late in the 2022 season. But the former first-round pick is expected to man Cleveland’s RT post again soon.

Given a substantial pay cut this offseason, Chubb is attempting to make his way back from two knee surgeries performed last fall. Chubb did not sustain a full ACL tear, though he did tear an MCL fully, in Week 2 of last season. But the Browns are expected to be cautious with the perennial Pro Bowler. It is not yet known when Chubb will be unleashed this season, and it would not surprise to see the team stash him on the reserve/PUP list. Though, that would create questions at running back for the AFC North club.

In addition to Chubb, the Browns have free agent signing Nyheim Hines rehabbing a major knee injury. The former Colts and Bills RB landed on Cleveland’s active/NFI list, as the injury he sustained while on a jet ski in 2023 has sidelined him for over a year. Hines is aiming for a return during camp. The Browns, who added D’Onta Foreman as RB insurance, also placed DT Dalvin Tomlinson on their active/PUP list with a knee issue. Greg Newsome landed on Cleveland’s active/NFI list with a hamstring injury. Safety D’Anthony Bell is also on the Browns’ PUP list.

Browns RT Jack Conklin Set To Participate In Training Camp

July 11th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns were decimated by injuries at multiple spots last year, offensive tackle among them. Jedrick Wills, Jack Conklin and Dawand Jones each suffered season-ending injuries at various points in 2023, making their collective rehab progress a storyline worth monitoring.

Conklin went down in Week 1 with what turned out to be ACL and MCL tears. The 29-year-old underwent surgery and missed the remainder of the campaign, making 2023 his second Cleveland season during which he spent considerable time sidelined through injury. The two-time All-Pro missed OTAs and minicamp while rehabbing, but he recently revealed on Instagram that he has now recovered.

As a result, Conklin is on track to suit up for training camp this summer as he looks to re-claim his starting right tackle role. The former first-rounder should be considered the favorite in that regard, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal confirms. Jones – who performed admirably filling in for Conklin during his rookie campaign and was healthy for spring practices – would return to backup status in the event Conklin were able to practice at full strength in advance of the 2024 season.

The Michigan State alum inked a four-year, $60MM extension in 2022 tying him to the Browns for the foreseeable future. Much of Conklin’s compensation in 2025 and ’26 consists of non-guaranteed base salaries, however, putting his post-2024 Cleveland future in doubt. His health and performance this fall will go a long way in determining how the Browns proceed at right tackle.

Jones is attached to his rookie contract for the next three years. The Ohio State alum made 11 appearances and nine starts before suffering his own injury, and he could represent a successor to Conklin depending on how the coming season plays out. In any event, better health up front would be a welcomed development for Cleveland compared to how last season ended.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/12/23

September 12th, 2023 at 8:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Waived from IR: DL Tautala Pesefea Jr.

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Dogbe has found his next gig after getting waived by the Jaguars during final cuts. The former seventh-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with the Cardinals, appearing in 40 games. He took on a bigger role over the past two years, compiling 55 tackles in 29 appearances. He joined Jacksonville this offseason before earning his walking papers.

Myles Gaskin is back on an active roster following an unceremonious end to his Miami tenure. The running back had 1,818 yards from scrimmage across the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but he saw a limited role with the Dolphins in 2022. He joined the Vikings practice squad at the end of the preseason and was elevated to the active roster for their season opener.

Browns T Jack Conklin Suffers ACL Tear

September 11th, 2023 at 10:48am CST by Ely Allen

SEPTEMBER 11: Testing confirmed that Conklin did indeed tear his ACL and MCL, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes. As a result, he will undergo season-ending surgery. The news adds further to Conklin’s missed time in Cleveland, and will keep him sidelined until the 2024 campaign, the final one on his pact in which he is due guaranteed money. Jones will likely see full-time starting duties moving forward, but it will be interesting to see if the Browns look for experienced depth on the trade or free agent fronts.

SEPTMBER 10: Taking away slightly from the joy of a season-opening win in Cleveland today, Browns starting right tackle Jack Conklin went down with what appeared to be a serious knee injury. After seeing Conklin get carted off the field, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that there’s a possibility the injury could be season-ending for the veteran Browns lineman.

Conklin was a welcome addition to the offensive line in Cleveland three years ago. The team signed him to a three-year, $42MM contract and he rewarded them with a first-team All-Pro season. Since then, though, the Browns have had trouble keeping him on the field.

In 2021, after missing a pair of games, Conklin was placed on injured reserve with a dislocated elbow that would force him to miss three more games. Ten snaps into Conklin’s first game off the IR, Conklin left the game early again, this time with a torn patella tendon that would keep him out for the remainder of the season, limiting him to only seven games played that year and only four games from start to finish.

While Conklin did miss three games last season, he was much improved throughout the rest of the year, returning to the high level of play the Browns were used to seeing. As a result, Cleveland rewarded him with a four-year, $60MM contract extension that will keep him on the roster through the 2026 season.

With the extension coming late into the season last year, a season-ending injury in Week 1 would be an inauspicious start to his first season under the new deal. Head coach Kevin Stefanski spoke on the situation saying, “It doesn’t look good,” according to Browns staff writer Kelsey Russo. Stefanski continued, “I feel absolutely awful for Jack. The person that he is, the player that he is, and what he means to this team…He’s such a big part of what we are. We’ll hold out hope there.”

Massive rookie fourth-round pick Dawand Jones filled in for Conklin today after the veteran was carted off. The team will likely remain with Jones at the position as long as he can deliver in a starting role. At 6-foot-8, 375 pounds, the rookie could be a force once he gets some in-game experience under his belt. This is, once again, assuming that Conklin’s injury is season-ending. For now, though, things aren’t looking promising.

Browns To Extend RT Jack Conklin

December 23rd, 2022 at 11:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

This is turning into quite the morning for high-profile offensive line moves. Barely an hour after the Packers locked down Elgton Jenkins, the Browns agreed to a deal that will keep Jack Conklin off the market.

The Browns and Conklin agreed on a four-year, $60MM extension Friday, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Conklin’s deal includes $31MM fully guaranteed. Conklin, who arrived in Cleveland as a free agent in 2020, was set for free agency again in March. The Browns, as they have done at other O-line positions in the recent past, will prevent that from happening.

Like Jenkins, Conklin spent this offseason recovering from a major knee injury. The patella tendon tear Conklin suffered in November 2021 sidelined the former first-round pick until Week 3 of this season, but Cleveland’s right tackle has played in every game since that debut. After locking in guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller, the Browns will keep another upper-echelon blocker.

Conklin only made his way to Cleveland after the Titans passed on his fifth-year option and a free agency accord. Tennessee drafted Conklin in the 2016 first round; he was the first player recently fired GM Jon Robinson chose. While Conklin earned All-Pro honors as a rookie, he suffered a torn ACL in 2018. The following May, the Titans did not pick up his option. After he played a major role in the first of Derrick Henry‘s two rushing titles (during the 2019 season), the Titans — who had both Henry and Ryan Tannehill as free agents in 2020 — let him hit the market. That ended up being the Browns’ gain, and Friday’s extension will set up Conklin for a long-term Ohio stay.

Armed with extensive cap space in 2020, the Browns used a chunk of it to land Conklin on a three-year, $42MM pact. The short-term deal allowed the Michigan State product a chance to hit the market again before turning 30. Finishing up his age-28 season, Conklin ended up using that three-year accord to his advantage and will become the rare player to sign three lucrative deals in his 20s.

Although this $15MM-per-year extension does not place Conklin among the top five wage-earners at his position, the $31MM fully guaranteed sits fourth among right-siders. For AAV, Conklin’s deal checks in sixth at the position. The 2023 O-line free agent market is now considerably worse, with Jenkins and Conklin off the board. Conklin had said recently he wanted to finish his career in Cleveland.

Coming off the severe injury, Conklin sits just inside Pro Football Focus’ top 40 at tackle. PFF gave him top-20 assessments from 2019-21, and it stands to reason Conklin will be in better form as more time passes from the patella tendon setback. PFF rates the Browns’ O-line eighth overall, though the team’s center issues have dinged the unit a bit. The team will not have to worry about right tackle for the foreseeable future.

The Browns were unable to stay in the thick of the playoff race during Deshaun Watson‘s suspension, and the highly paid quarterback has not shown much of his Texans form since returning from the 11-game ban (and 17-game paid absence last year). But Nick Chubb booked a fourth consecutive Pro Bowl this week. The star running back has rushed for 1,252 yards and matched his career high in touchdowns (12) already. The Browns cut center J.C. Tretter this year, leading to his retirement, but have prioritized extensions for their O-line finds. Bitonio and Teller are signed through 2025, and left tackle Jedrick Wills‘ rookie deal — based on how the Browns handle his fifth-year option — can run through 2024. Conklin is now signed through 2026.

Browns Sign OL Joe Haeg

September 4th, 2022 at 9:59am CST by Rory Parks

The Browns are signing veteran offensive lineman Joe Haeg, as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network tweets. Haeg was released by the division-rival Steelers at the end of August.

Pittsburgh signed Haeg in March 2021, and the North Dakota State product wound up seeing action in 12 games (two starts) last year. His 307 offensive snaps represented his highest total since 2018, and he spent a little time at all O-line positions except for center.

It appeared as if the Steelers would keep Haeg around as a depth piece in 2022, but the club recently acquired fellow OL Jesse Davis in a trade with the Vikings, and that transaction cost Haeg his roster spot. He became a popular free agent upon his release, and he lined up visits with multiple teams, including the OL-needy Raiders, before opting to sign with Cleveland.

Browns RT Jack Conklin is working his way back from a torn patellar tendon, and as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets, head coach Kevin Stefanski has not yet indicated whether Conklin will be ready to suit up for the team’s Week 1 matchup against the Panthers next Sunday. Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal adds that Chris Hubbard — who played in just one game in 2021 due to a triceps issue — has not practiced in more than a week, so the Browns are clearly in need of some RT insurance.

Haeg, 29, can provide that, and he can also play guard if necessary. A fifth-round pick of the Colts in 2016, Haeg started 29 games over his first two years in the league, lining up at both RG and RT. He earned solid PFF scores of 67.9 and 64.1 for his work during those two seasons, but his play slipped a bit in 2018, and an ankle injury limited him to just eight games that year. In 2019, the final year of his rookie contract, he was used almost exclusively as a special teamer.

He hooked on with the Bucs in 2020 and earned a Super Bowl ring, though he was on the field for just 127 offensive snaps.

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