Sportsnaut
Week 4 of the NFL season kicks off Thursday night, and at 1-2, the Cleveland Browns are off to a better start than many imagined. There’s a long season ahead, and it’s possible the Browns, who sit in third place of the AFC North, could still have a strong year. Of course, there’s also a strong possibility that the Browns end up in last place of the division for the second season in a row.
Yet, now that the Browns’ starting left tackle Dawand Jones has suffered a season-ending knee injury, there’s a glaring hole in Cleveland. Jones had started all three of Cleveland’s games thus far, including last week’s win over the Packers.
The Browns could certainly opt to try to replace Jones with what they already have on hand. Cornelius Lucas is set to start at left tackle on Sunday, where he’ll protect Joe Flacco’s blindside. Cleveland has also since signed Thayer Munford Jr away from the New England Patriots’ practice squad.
While the Browns have tackles Joshua Miles and Tyre Phillips on the practice squad, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says Cleveland is already “looking at options.”
For the record, Jones hadn’t been performing well, according to Pro Football Focus. They had graded him 99th out of 101 offensive tackles in 2025. That includes grading 85th in pass protection, where he has yet to allow a sack, and in last place as a run blocker. Jones committing five penalties surely hasn’t helped his grades either.
While Jones is still just 24, meaning there’s plenty of room for improvement, he won’t get the opportunity to gain more experience after his season-ending injury this year. That could lead the Browns to consider other options, aside from adding Munford.
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