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Preseason game No. 2 for the Cleveland Browns served as an opportunity for the depth to get some run and the young guys to prove their worth against the Minnesota Vikings. With the Browns on the losing side of this one, that loss could feel even worse with the injury news.
Cleveland is now incredibly thin at the offensive tackle position. In this game alone, offensive tackle James Hudson (ankle) offensive tackle Germain Ifedi (hand), and offensive tackle Hakeem Adeniji (knee) all exited with injuries. While Kevin Stefanski said that there will need to be testing done, the injuries are very concerning.
“Yeah, I don’t have a ton to add,” Stefanski said on the injuries after the game. “James (Hudson III), dealing with an ankle injury. These are all things that we’ll get tests on. (Hakeem) Adeniji, knee, get tests on that and then Germain (Ifedi) has a hand, finger injury.”
The Browns already have Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin both on the PUP. Dawand Jones is the only healthy starting-caliber tackle at the moment and now the Browns have extreme worries about their depth. Hudson had been starting at left tackle with Jones at right tackle for much of training camp. With Afedi and Adeniji both hurt, the Browns are left with just Lorenzo Thompson and international pathway player Roy Mbaeteka at the position.
At this point, if you are a quality depth piece at offensive tackle, you are not sitting out there as a free agent without a plan. There are a couple of interesting free agents out there, but they’re mostly holding out for the right situation, perhaps a chance to start. Cleveland may be forced to make a trade for a tackle depending on the severity of these injuries and that’s a fact. Cleveland could target a team with an extra tackle that they find suitable.
More information will be provided at a later time by Stefanski on the injuries and until then, the Browns have major questions at offensive tackle that await to be answered. Injuries riddled the Browns last season and they have to hope that isn’t the case in 2024.
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