Browns could use former Eagles OT Dennis Kelly due to numerous injuries
The Cleveland Browns pulled off a major surprise by signing veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, but that won’t matter much if they can’t keep him upright. A series of injuries has decimated Cleveland’s roster, and no unit has fared worse than the offensive line.
Both starting tackles – Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills Jr. – are out for the season with knee injuries. Rookie Dawand Jones, who replaced Conklin in the first half of his first NFL game, is also on injured reserve for the remainder of 2023 because of a torn ACL.
In the midst of a competitive AFC playoff run, the Browns have no choice but to scan free agency and add at least one serviceable tackle to the roster.
Bleacher Report’s NFL staff suggested on Monday, December 11 that Cleveland would bring in Dennis Kelly for the final four games of the season.
“Geron Christian has tried to fill the role in place of Wills, but he has already given up two sacks and has a PFF grade of 57.4 in his first four games,” Bleacher Report wrote. “Dennis Kelly has been a swing tackle in the league for a long time and might be worth considering.”
Offensive tackle Dennis Kelly, former Philadelphia Eagles, plays in an NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys.Kelly is an 11-year NFL veteran who has played in 131 career games, including 54 starts.
He played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets. The offensive tackle signed his last major contract—a three-year, $17.25 million contract with the Titans—in March 2020. He re-signed with the Eagles in July before joining the Jets.
He appeared in one game with New York, playing exclusively on special teams, before the franchise released him on Nov. 22.Kelly will turn 34 in mid-January and has not played regularly since 2020.
However, he has played a total of 26 games over the last two seasons, seven of them as a starter, and could add depth to a Browns offensive line that desperately needs it. James Hudson III will start alongside Christian, while Leroy Watson IV is the only backup tackle currently on the active roster.
Brown’s injuries could cost the top defense a year and the revival of Joe Flacco Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco warms up before starting an NFL game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in December 2023.
The Browns offensive line remains solid up the middle, but is vulnerable to the pass rush due to all the injuries. Flacco found money in Cleveland, helping the Browns to an 8-5 record after leading the team past the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 14.
Cleveland will host the Chicago Bears on Dec. 17, who have won three of their last four games but continue to struggle to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The Bears currently rank 31st in the NFL with 21 sacks.
The Browns may be able to get away with a lack of experience along the offensive line next week, but the defense will be tougher after that. Cleveland finishes the year with games against the Houston Texans, New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals.
The Browns need to address the tackle position somehow before the final period or they risk losing a return year of Flacco and one of the NFL’s best defenses in recent memory.
Max Dible covers the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns and Golden State Warriors for Heavy.com.
He covered local and national news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and was news director for BigIsland Now.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More information about Max Dible
