The Cleveland Browns need help with their offensive line for the upcoming season and they recently signed a player to help with that.
The Browns have signed Germain Ifedi, a former first-round offensive tackle, according to the team’s official website. Germain Ifedi, who last played for the Buffalo Bills.
, has a history of making starts at right tackle and right guard, according to ClevelandBrowns.com. ClevelandBrowns.com mentioned this signing on April 17. Last year, Ifedi was mostly on the Bills’ active roster but did not actually play in any games.
The Seattle Seahawks selected Ifedi as the No. 31 overall pick in the 2016 draft, where he spent the first four years of his career. He then played for the Chicago Bears for a couple of seasons and the Atlanta Falcons in 2022.
.
GettyThe Cleveland Browns struggled with health and performance issues at the tackle positions throughout last season, particularly with left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr.
Ifedi, who will be 30 years old next season, has not been a regular starter since the 2021 campaign. However, he could be important as a backup option for Cleveland, considering the team’s problems with tackle positions in terms of both consistent play and consistent health.
Jack Conklin, the starting right tackle, suffered a major knee injury during the team’s Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals and missed the rest of the season. Conklin was named to the first-team All-Pro in 2015, his first year in Cleveland, but he has missed a significant number of games in the past few regular seasons. Cleveland’s starting left tackle, Jedrick Wills Jr. , had performance struggles for the majority of the 2023 season before sustaining a season-ending MCL injury in November that kept him out for more than half the year (nine games). He will be entering a $14.2 million fifth-year optionon his rookie contract in 2024, which now seems like an excessive payment from Cleveland's side.
Wills is playing for his future with the Browns in 2024, as he has no years left on his current deal following the upcoming season. Dawand Jones, a fourth-round rookie, was a bright spot at the tackle position for the Browns last year. He stepped in for Conklin and performed well, despite facing a steep learning curve while playing for a playoff team. However, Jones suffered a season-ending knee injury during practice in early December, sidelining him for the team’s last five regular-season games and their loss to the Houston Texans during the Super Wildcard Weekend.
The Browns’ Pro Bowl guards have each missed two games in one of the previous two years.
Offensive guard Wyatt Teller of the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland hopes they won't have to use Ifedi much, but recent history suggests he will likely see playing time if he remains on the roster. While Ifedi has primarily played as a tackle in his 102 NFL appearances, he has also seen significant time at guard, especially in the latter part of his career. The Browns have Pro-Bowl caliber guards available as well.
Joel Bitonio Wyatt Teller Bitonio didn't play two games last season
last season and
GettyTeller missed two contests the year before
Ifedi’s versatility in different positions could lead to him playing if the Browns' offensive line faces serious injuries during any regular-season game in 2024.
The Cleveland Browns need to complete the offensive line for the upcoming season and took a step towards that earlier this week. Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller, though Bitonio missed two games last season and Teller missed two contests the year before.
Ifedi’s positional versatility could mean action for him if the Browns’ offensive line finds itself in dire straits due to injuries amid any regular-season game in 2024.
