Jones seems to have a great mindset this offseason
The Cleveland Browns undoubtedly have to solidify the offensive line this offseason, and the first step was bringing in new OL coach Mike Bloomgren. The second step is ensuring that Dawand Jones makes a smooth transition to left tackle, which appears to be going as planned.
Jones began his career on the right side and was very productive when healthy, which unfortunately has been a rather big problem for him. He’s been put on IR in both 2023 and 2024, most recently suffering from a fractured bone in his leg that required surgery to correct.
He also had a down year in terms of overall performance in 2024 due to weight management issues (he reportedly got close to 400 pounds), which was about 30-40 pounds heavier than his “normal” playing weight. It’s unclear as to why he got that heavy, but it looks like he’s in much, much better shape now.
There’s a lot less of Dawand Jones than there used to be.
Jones today said he needed to be leaner to play left tackle.
“Took care of my body better…lost a lot of body fat and I pride myself on that. I’m happy about that.” pic.twitter.com/FHswQWphbB
— Zac Jackson (@AkronJackson) June 4, 2025
“My main thing is just to take the challenge on,” Jones said on June 4th.
“I kept it as real as possible with AB. I personally don’t like playing left tackle like that, but I don’t care. I’m athletic. It comes with the nature of the game and I think if [Tampa Bay All-Pro left tackle Tristan] Wirfs can do it and he went from right to left, he struggled too and if he can do it, I know I can because he’s athletic enough, he’s big enough just like me.”
Jones’s attitude, along with his combination of weight-loss and natural athleticism, could mean that a huge season is in the works for him in 2025.
If everything continues to go according to plan, Cleveland could finally have the type of left tackle that they’ve been searching for since the great Joe Thomas.
Do you think Dawand Jones has what it takes to be the team’s permanent left tackle? Join fellow Browns fans in the comment section below.