Dawand Jones

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

The Browns locked up Dawand Jones with solid value on this four-year, $4.6M extension that earns a C+ CVI — a fair deal that slightly favors Cleveland given the minimal guaranteed money and bargain-basement AAV. At just $1.2M per year, Jones represents one of the cheapest starting-caliber offensive tackles in the league, making this contract a low-risk proposition even if his development stagnates. The 23-year-old former third-round pick has shown flashes of becoming an above-average starter, and locking him up now before he potentially breaks out was shrewd roster management by Cleveland's front office. With only $0.8M guaranteed, the Browns can easily move on if Jones doesn't progress, but the upside is tremendous if he continues his trajectory from promising rookie to reliable starter. This deal gives Cleveland four years of cost certainty at a premium position while betting on a young player's continued development, and the financial structure heavily favors the team in what amounts to an extended prove-it contract.

Performance Analysis

Dawand Jones is, by any honest assessment, performing at a replacement-level tier among NFL offensive tackles right now, and his F performance grade reflects a third-year player who has yet to make a credible case for a starting role. The most telling data point in his profile is the one that isn't there — with only three games of current-season production on record, Jones simply hasn't logged enough snaps to demonstrate reliability at the position, let alone establish himself as a foundational piece along Cleveland's offensive line. Durability and availability are the baseline requirements for any starting tackle in this league, and right now Jones isn't clearing that bar. His Contract Value Index (CVI) holds steady at a C+, which is perhaps the most generous read on his situation — at a $1.2M AAV on his rookie scale contract, the financial exposure is minimal, but a low salary alone doesn't offset the absence of on-field production. The media framing surrounding Jones is essentially silence, which at the professional level speaks loudly: he's operating as a depth piece rather than a player generating legitimate competition for a starting assignment. At 24 years old and entering his third NFL season, the developmental window is narrowing — this is the year Jones needs to force the Browns' hand and prove he belongs in their long-term offensive line calculus, or risk being defined permanently as a late Day 3 project that never fully materialized.