The Cleveland Browns, similar to the other 31 NFL teams, have until Tuesday, August 27, to trim their crowded roster of 90 players down to 53 by 4 P.M. ET. The Browns will have to make challenging decisions for the next few days. One of the more difficult decisions is whether the team will activate players who haven’t practiced throughout training camp off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list or have them miss at least the first four games of 2024.
Suppose a player starts training camp on the active/PUP list. They can participate in team activities but cannot practice or play in any preseason game and remain on the PUP list because the team must activate them if they pass a physical or return to practice. If they aren’t quite ready for the start of the season, the teams will place them on the reserve/PUP list at the roster cutdown deadline and miss at least the first four games.
The Browns have many injured players, including their All-Pro offensive tackle.
The Cleveland Browns offensive tackle suffered a significant injury in Week 1 of 2023
Jack Conklin exited the first half of the Browns’ Week 1 24-3 victory over the Bengals. An MRI confirmed that he had torn his ACL and MCL, which caused him to miss the remainder of the season. His injury negatively impacted their offensive line.
Conklin missed offseason workouts, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp. The Browns placed him on the active/PUP list before training camp started, missing the entirety of camp and their three preseason games. However, he worked out with trainers last week, indicating an inevitable return to the practice field.
Jack Conklin passed his physical
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns will activate Conklin off the PUP list. He recently passed his physical, and they expect him to return to the practice field on Tuesday. This recent transaction suggests he could be ready for their season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
#Browns OT Jack Conklin, CB Greg Newsome II among players to be activated off their injury lists amid 53-man roster decisions: https://t.co/ThMyhb59Pm
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 26, 2024
Where will he line up?
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It’s unclear where Jack Conklin lines up in 2024. Starting left tackle Jedrick Wills is recovering from an MCL injury sustained last November, and he hasn’t practiced during training camp. However, the Browns will activate him off the PUP list, but he won’t return to practice on Tuesday.
Conklin could start at left tackle for Week 1 if Wills isn’t ready. Conklin hasn’t played LT since his college days with Michigan State. He did kick-step at left and right tackle while working with the trainers last week.
Conklin could also serve as the swing tackle. A swing tackle is a player who doesn’t start but can fill in at either tackle position in case of an emergency. Here’s what Kevin Stefanski had to say when asked about the possibility of him playing at left tackle:
“With really all of our positions, we’re not gonna set a depth chart,” Stefanski said Monday morning. “We’ll just work through all those types of things. I’m excited to get Jack back out there practicing and going through walkthroughs and that type of thing. We’re not going to get into specifics, per se.”
