Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Jack Conklin might not be long for the team, as rumors across the league believe he could be a popular trade target. Injuries ended Conklin’s 2023 before it truly began, as he played just 22 snaps before tearing his ACL in Week 1. With rookie Dawand Jones playing well and effectively securing the starting right tackle job, Conklin could be on his way out of town.
While this would be an unceremonious end for a reliable starter, this sort of thing is not uncommon in football. The Browns will probably look to trade Jack Conklin, and Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine believes the Kansas City Chiefs should go after the veteran.
Chiefs, Browns Connected In Jack Conklin Trade Talks
As things currently stand, the Kansas City Chiefs have Wayna Morris and rookie Kingsley Suamataia battling for the starting left tackle job. While these players hold some long-term promise, they’re both anything but proven commodities. Morris struggled in limited work last year, while Suamataia is completely untested and might need time to adjust to NFL speed. Some teams can allow rookies to learn at their own pace, but the Chiefs are not one of them. Kansas City is looking to win their third Super Bowl in as many seasons, and a Jack Conklin trade will help them accomplish that goal.
While Conklin is a right tackle by trade, he should be able to flip over to the left side. In the short term, Conklin can protect the blind side before moving back to the right in 2025 once the Chiefs can afford to cut Jawaan Taylor. At this point, one of Morris or Suamataia should be ready to handle the left tackle position. A Jack Conklin trade would be perfect for Kansas City, but they won’t be the only teams interested in acquiring one of the game’s better tackles.
Other Potential Spots
New Orleans Saints
On paper, the Saints have a reliable right tackle in Ryan Ramczyk. In reality, however, the right tackle is coming off a serious injury and might never be the same. New Orleans already has one of the worst offensive lines in the league and it could be a complete disaster if Ramczyk can’t suit up in 2024. Derek Carr’s struggles against pressure are well-documented, so a Jack Conklin trade could be the only thing keeping this offense afloat in the upcoming season.
Las Vegas Raiders
This hypothetical comes down to how much the Raiders believe in former seventh-round pick Thayer Munford. Thrust into a starting role last year, the second-year veteran responded with a respectable season that earned him a 74.1 PFF grade. If he can keep it up in 2024, the Raiders will have no reason to trade for Jack Conklin. However, if they’re not convinced he can keep it up, then they could go after the veteran. The underwhelming duo of Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew will need all the help they can get, after all, and Conklin should keep the duo upright.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers fortified their interior offensive line with big-name free agent signees Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. While these players provide some much-needed stability, Carolina seems content to run it back with 2023’s starting tackle duo of Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton. Moton is a reliable right tackle, but Ekwonu is more of a question mark. The former first-round pick took a step back following a promising rookie season, and a Jack Conklin trade would provide some insurance in case he fails to improve in the offseason program.
Baltimore Ravens
Would the Browns ever trade Jack Conklin to a division rival? Probably not, but the fit is too good to ignore. Baltimore traded Morgan Moses to the New York Jets, leaving a wide-open vacancy at the right tackle position. While second-round pick Roger Rosengarten will battle for the starting job, Conklin can ensure elite play at the position. Baltimore is on the shortlist of Super Bowl contenders and adding Conklin will only increase their odds of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
Main Photo: Jeff Lange – USA Today Sports
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