hopefully, he won't miss another game for 3 years... which is probably why we gave him a 3-year contract. It's curious why we don't give him a 5 year one... which ironically, Tenn declined to take the 5th year option on his contract. They have 27 million cap space.
hopefully, their doctors know something ours don't.
?? I don't understand your comment. You hope we missed something?
I just mean that I hope that there is nothing wrong with him and he isn't a short term rental.
Blocking those who argue to argue, eliminates the argument.
It's always a risk to give FAs big money. We all know that. I could be dead wrong, but I think this is a risk worth taking.
I'd rather fill a position of need in FA than reach for a guy in the draft while passing on a player who is higher on your board.
I agree, I really want him to work out. I'm just curious to see a 3 year contract hours after tampering.
it makes me wonder if everyone knows he's taken the needle to the knee a too many times... including him.
hopefully, he wanted a good 3 year show me a deal followed by a 5 year and a 3 year to close out his career.
They wanted a 3 year deal to keep in inside the "window" when it is time to sign again. At that point he will be 28-29...then he will look for a 5 year deal.
yeah, I read a lot of players are looking to do that. With his 2 season-ending injuries, I was just concerned that it was because they don't think he can stay on the field.
Blocking those who argue to argue, eliminates the argument.
with the price we are paying him, I would see if he wants to be our LT first. He started the last 9 games as a Freshman, all Sophomore and Junior year at Michigan St at LT. 35 OF 38 games as their LT.
Do the Browns sign another RT that has some starting experience, but is cheap, and plug that Guy in at RT. That way... with the 10th pick in the draft, it is Browns draft Best Player available, instead of LT.
No. There is little difference between left tackle and right tackle at this point (in pay and on the field). You don't pay a guy this much to switch positions.
I agree.
The major risk heading into FA and the year was making good selections to plug the holes at both tackle spots. I think it's safe to say we got a good RT. Take the win and focus on drafting a stud at LT.
The way I see it, even if we whiff on our LT, we've nailed one of the tackle spots. That was the bare minimum in terms of checking boxes this offseason.
There is no level of sucking we haven't seen; in fact, I'm pretty sure we hold the patents on a few levels of sucking NOBODY had seen until the past few years.
Just because you can find that he started the game doesn't mean that he finished the playoff game where he tore his ACL against NE.
Bottom line...
- He had a season-ending injury in 2017 (torn ACL) - He missed the first 3 games of 2018 because of said torn ACL - He had a season-ending injury (knee) in 2018 week 14
Blocking those who argue to argue, eliminates the argument.
I live in Nashville. Nobody here is happy about his departure. You can wordsmith it any way you like. But the man played a full 16 game season 3 out of four years. The way you make it sound, it sounds like he missed time in multiple seasons. That simply didn't happen.
The Titans had to sign Tannehill and franchise Derrick Henry. They had a host of players hitting the FA market that they will either have to re-sign, or sign replacements for.
I don't feel it really had anything to do with not wanting to keep Conklin.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
It's always a risk to give FAs big money. We all know that. I could be dead wrong, but I think this is a risk worth taking.
I'd rather fill a position of need in FA than reach for a guy in the draft while passing on a player who is higher on your board.
I agree, I really want him to work out. I'm just curious to see a 3 year contract hours after tampering.
it makes me wonder if everyone knows he's taken the needle to the knee a too many times... including him.
hopefully, he wanted a good 3 year show me a deal followed by a 5 year and a 3 year to close out his career.
They wanted a 3 year deal to keep in inside the "window" when it is time to sign again. At that point he will be 28-29...then he will look for a 5 year deal.
Plus the front loaded money makes it so they can sign Myles, Chubb and Baker when their time comes. Ward also
I live in Nashville. Nobody here is happy about his departure. You can wordsmith it any way you like. But the man played a full 16 game season 3 out of four years. The way you make it sound, it sounds like he missed time in multiple seasons. That simply didn't happen.
The Titans had to sign Tannehill and franchise Derrick Henry. They had a host of players hitting the FA market that they will either have to re-sign, or sign replacements for.
I don't feel it really had anything to do with not wanting to keep Conklin.
Yet, it's still factual that he had 2 season-ending injuries. 1 torn ACL 2017 1 knee injury 2018
Regardless. I'm excited for the move and I think he could be a great fit. I only wondered about the short term contract.
Blocking those who argue to argue, eliminates the argument.
I live in Nashville. Nobody here is happy about his departure. You can wordsmith it any way you like. But the man played a full 16 game season 3 out of four years. The way you make it sound, it sounds like he missed time in multiple seasons. That simply didn't happen.
The Titans had to sign Tannehill and franchise Derrick Henry. They had a host of players hitting the FA market that they will either have to re-sign, or sign replacements for.
I don't feel it really had anything to do with not wanting to keep Conklin.
Yet, it's still factual that he had 2 season-ending injuries. 1 torn ACL 2017 1 knee injury 2018
Regardless. I'm excited for the move and I think he could be a great fit. I only wondered about the short term contract.
The player has a say in his contract, you know that right?
Could be multiple reasons, one could be that players are opting for shorter contracts with the new CBA because they can get larger sums when the next increase hits.
Rock solid, we were putrid on the edges. From what I know Stepahski wants to run a lot of outside zone and I believe Conklin excels at it. Not just good to get a tackle but also the correct fit.
RT has become as important as LT these days. Teams put strong pass rushers over RTs all the time now. Signing Conklin and drafting one of the top LTs in this draft should set the Oline up good.
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
RT has become as important as LT these days. Teams put strong pass rushers over RTs all the time now. Signing Conklin and drafting one of the top LTs in this draft should set the Oline up good.
I think the gap has closed, but 11 Personnel is run a ton in the NFL and since most teams are right handed, the TE lines up next to the RT in that particular Personnel grouping.
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
RT has become as important as LT these days. Teams put strong pass rushers over RTs all the time now. Signing Conklin and drafting one of the top LTs in this draft should set the Oline up good.
I think the gap has closed, but 11 Personnel is run a ton in the NFL and since most teams are right handed, the TE lines up next to the RT in that particular Personnel grouping.
Since Conklin can hold his own, do you think it would be possible to move the TE to the left side to help what could be a rookie LT?
RT has become as important as LT these days. Teams put strong pass rushers over RTs all the time now. Signing Conklin and drafting one of the top LTs in this draft should set the Oline up good.
I think the gap has closed, but 11 Personnel is run a ton in the NFL and since most teams are right handed, the TE lines up next to the RT in that particular Personnel grouping.
Since Conklin can hold his own, do you think it would be possible to move the TE to the left side to help what could be a rookie LT?
I believe Conklin got help quite a bit in pass protection last year.
RT has become as important as LT these days. Teams put strong pass rushers over RTs all the time now. Signing Conklin and drafting one of the top LTs in this draft should set the Oline up good.
I think the gap has closed, but 11 Personnel is run a ton in the NFL and since most teams are right handed, the TE lines up next to the RT in that particular Personnel grouping.
Since Conklin can hold his own, do you think it would be possible to move the TE to the left side to help what could be a rookie LT?
We could. Let me explain a couple of things and then I'll say what I think we may do.
Historically, teams are right-handed because the qb is right handed. The LT protects the blind side and was typically more agile and better at pass blocking.
The LG was also more agile and used to pull, trap, get to the second level, etc.
The RB was typically bigger and stronger and more of a road grader type.
The RT was typically not as good w/his feet against the pass rush and usually more powerful than the LT.
Teams would line up their TE on the right because they wanted to run to the right more often and to help the RT w/pass blocking.
The game is changing. Evolving. It's not a fact yet that there is "no difference between a LT and a RT," but the gap is narrowing due to how defenses are using edge rushers.
When a right-handed qb drops back, it's easier to see the right side of the field. You have to adjust your drop to equally see the entire field.
One of the great things about having a great LT is that you leave him on an island. The Browns had that for years w/Joe Thomas. You put him out there and helped other players. Joe would take care of the blind side. That is a huge advantage for an offense. It's comparable to having a corner who can completely shut-down one receiver on his side of the field.
I think the Browns will run more 12 personnel than before. That is, having two TEs in the game at the same time. It really helps in the running game, but takes away some of the dynamics that an extra WR can bring.
However, bringing in a guy like Hooper is a good move because he can also be pretty dynamic in the passing game. Guys like Kelsey, Ertz, and Kittle are good examples of that.
The Browns addressed a major need on the offensive line by adding one of the best available at the position.
Jack Conklin, who served as a cornerstone right tackle for the Tennessee Titans over the past four years, has signed a three-year deal with the Browns.
"I'm pumped to get started and be a part of this great organization," Conklin said. "Going through the process, Cleveland definitely became what I felt as the main suitor. To have a team like Cleveland be so excited about me, that was the biggest part for me and my family. We wanted to go somewhere where a team was super excited and that was going to be a huge key to help the team and be a big part of the community."
The No. 8 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Conklin made an immediate impact as a rookie and carried that momentum into a strong four seasons in Tennessee. He was named first-team Associated Press All-Pro in 2016 and went on to start 57 games, all at right tackle. He didn't miss a game during the 2016, 2017 and 2019 seasons, starting all 16 in each, and appeared in nine during the 2018 season, which was hampered by multiple injuries.
"He's a really smart, tough football player," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. "From what I have heard about him and talked to former coaches and teammates, he's all about ball. I think he's going to really fit in with that offensive line group led by Coach (Bill) Callahan. I think those guys are the pulse of your football team, the guys up front on the offensive and defensive lines.
"I think Jack represents everything we want to be as a team."
Conklin joins a Browns offensive line that boasts two-time Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio and center JC Tretter, who recently signed a contract extension and has started 48 consecutive games since signing with the team in 2017.
Conklin's signing is a big step forward, but the Browns will continue to attack their weaknesses on look to upgrade the offensive line through all the available areas of player acquisition.
"When you're talking about being a productive offense, certainly you have to play in a cohesive manner from the front to the back," Stefanski said. "Adding pieces along the offensive front really allows you to do different things schematically, and Jack's a big piece of that."
Nathan Zegura interviews Jack Conklin about signing with the Cleveland Browns. Jack talks about his link to Joe Thomas, and his first experience entering Free Agency.
Mike Vrabel may regret Jack Conklin’s escape to Cleveland
By Steve Doerschuk Posted Mar 21, 2020 at 2:22 PM
Tennessee offensive tackle Jack Conklin (78) blocks during the second half of a game at Jacksonville, Dec. 24, 2016. (Reinhold Matay-USA Today Sports)▲ Jack Conklin’s dad was so desperate to get him a scholarship that he sent a Big Ten coach a water skiing video. Jack soon proved the college football world was all wet, and now he’s a key man in Cleveland.
The days when Jack Conklin's dad resorted to water skiing to get a football coach's attention are long gone.
Everybody knows his name now, and Browns fans mostly are saying "cheers."
Remember how smug Mike Vrabel sounded before his Titans came into Cleveland as a heavy underdog for the 2019 opener, in advance of shellacking the Browns 43-13?
Vrabel was party to a 2019 decision on Conklin that allowed him to become a free agent and jump to Lake Erie. Vrabel knows all about free agency, having jumped from Pittsburgh to New England when the Steelers let him walk after his first four seasons out of Ohio State.
Vrabel's Titans allowed the free agency door to blow open for Conklin, the No. 8 overall pick of the 2016 draft. The first four years of Conklin's rookie contract called for an average of $4 million a year. To guarantee keeping him for a fifth year, the Titans needed to promise him $12.9 million to play the 2020 season.
Their verdict on the fifth-year option, delivered last spring when he was coming off his injury-plagued 2018, was thumbs down. This made him a free agent after the 2019 campaign.
Conklin played 19 games in 2019, starting with the blowout at Cleveland and extending through three postseason games. In the playoff wins that got Tennessee to the AFC finals, he manned up at right tackle while Derrick Henry rushed for 182 yards at New England and 195 yards at Baltimore.
That's laugh-out-loud stuff for Browns fans who have seen one playoff game since 1999, in which William Green ran 25 times for 30 yards at Pittsburgh.
The Browns as much as announced Conklin had something to do with Henry destroying the Patriots and Ravens by giving him a contract worth an average of $14 million for 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Meanwhile, the Titans weren't the first to give Conklin a thumbs down.
When he was coming out of high school, Wayne State, a Detroit-based NCAA Division II team, offered him a partial scholarship. Joe Thomas' alma mater, Wisconsin, told Conklin he would get an offer if two other recruits turned down the Badgers.
Western Michigan, 12 miles north of Conklin's high school, welcomed him to walk on. This was chafing in that one of Jack's grandfathers, Ron Jackson, was a great Western Michigan athlete who became a 6-foot-7 first baseman for the Chicago White Sox in the 1950s.
Jack's father, Darren Conklin, played for Michigan under Bo Schembechler as a walk-on. Darren, who was Jack's head football coach at Plainwell High School, refused to see his son as a walk-on.
"I couldn't get anybody to listen to us," Darren Conklin told USA Today when Jack was on the rise Michigan State. "I couldn't get anybody to listen to us."
Darren Conklin found out Ron Zook, then the head coach at Illinois, was an avid water skier. He sent Zook a video of Jack water skiing as a cute gimick to help prove the lad was both large and athletic.
Zook didn't bite.
Jack went to Michigan State as a walk-on, sat for a year, then took off.
Conklin started throughout Michigan State's best three-year run ever — all on the left side the final two years — when the Spartans combined for a 36-5 record and beat Ohio State twice when the Buckeyes were ranked No. 2 in the country. His play led to Hall of Fame personnel man Gil Brandt ranking him as the 10th-best player in the 2016 draft.
NFL Network analyst Lance Zierlein used an un-named NFC scout to characterize Conklin: "That is a dude right there. He was busting up Ohio State in the fourth quarter not because he was more talented, but because he just wanted it more."
Zierlein himself wrote a report reflecting why the Titans drafted Conklin at No. 8:
"Showed Oregon's DeForest Buckner what time it was by bouncing him around at the point of attack. Impressive power in his hands. Works well with guards in combination blocks. Solid technique. Has exactly the field demeanor O-line coaches want."
Conklin was a smash hit as a 2016 Titans rookie, making first team All-Pro for a team that went 9-7 after a 3-13 finish the previous year. In 2017, he again started every game, this time including a playoff win at Kansas City. Then, in the second round of the playoffs at New England, he blew out a knee.
Surgery to repair a torn ACL led to missing the first three regular-season games in 2018, Vrabel's first year as head coach. After Conklin played several games, he landed in concussion protocol. His returned again and made four starts before leaving a Dec. 6 game at Jacksonville with a knee issue.
He spent the last three games on injured reserve, setting the stage for the "thumbs down" on his fifth-year option.
At $14 million a year, Conklin joins the Browns as a pricey right tackle. Thomas, the Browns' former All-Pro left tackle, averaged $12 million across the final seven years of his Cleveland run.
The Browns had the cap room. They own a No. 10 overall draft pick with which they can fill a hole at left tackle. They seem intent on acquiring the help that can get Baker Mayfield back on his game.
This past year, Conklin was the second-best offensive lineman available in free agency according to Pro Football Focus. No. 1 was left tackle Anthony Castonzo, who will turn 32 in August and has opted to remain with the Colts.
Conklin, who will turn 26 in August, drew high marks as a zone-run blocker from PFF, whose overview also said:
"The best right tackle on the market, he ranked 12th overall and fifth in run blocking among all tackles. He ranked just 49th on true pass-protection sets over the last two seasons, and he's on the higher end among tackles receiving help (double teams, chips, etc.). He's been one of the league's better right tackles since he was drafted."
His last two seasons were quite different; 2018 convinced the Titans he was expendable; 2019 made the Browns want to pay him.
Thumbs up?
Reach Steve at 330-580-8347 or steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com
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