Browns right tackle Dawand Jones honored by PFWA on All-Rookie team

BEREA — Dawand Jones was not able to finish out his rookie season with the Browns due to a Week 14 knee injury. What the big right tackle was able to do before he was injured made a lasting impression.

Jones was recognized by the Pro Football Writers Association on Tuesday as a member of the organization's All-Rookie team. The team is voted on by members of the PFWA.

The 6-foot-8, 374-pound Jones was taken by the Browns in the fourth round (No. 111 overall) of last April's draft. The Ohio State product was originally seen as more of a project, especially after a difficult May rookie minicamp.

However, by the time the preseason games started in August, it was clear Jones had taken significant strides forward. He entered the regular season as Jack Conklin's backup at right tackle, but quickly became Conklin's replacement after the veteran sustained a season-ending knee injury in the opener against Cincinnati.

Jones played in 11 games, including nine starts. His first start was on Monday Night Football at the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he did not allow a sack and only allowed one hit and four hurries to the Steelers' T.J. Watt.

Injuries started to creep up for Jones at the midpoint of the season, starting with a shoulder injury in Week 8 that forced him out of a game in Seattle. The next week, he suffered a knee injury that prevented him from playing in Week 10 at the Baltimore Ravens.

Jones returned from that knee injury, only to sustain a season-ending MCL tear in his right knee on the Thursday prior to the Browns' Week 14 win over Jacksonville. He would eventually need surgery on the knee.

For the season, Jones only allowed three sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. He also allowed just three quarterback hits and 15 quarterbacks hurries.

Houston Texans QB coach Jerrod Johnson interviews Tuesday for offensive coordinator job

The third interview for the Browns' open offensive coordinator position took place Tuesday, as a source confirmed Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson was talking to team personnel about the job. Houston KPRC-TV's Aaron Wilson was the first to report the day the interview was taking place.

The Browns interest in Johnson emerged on Sunday, the same day it came out they had interviewed former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey for the same position. They spoke to Seattle offensive line coach Andy Dickerson last week.

Johnson's first year as a quarterbacks coach in the NFL produced impressive results from Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite C.J. Stroud. The No. 2 overall pick out of Ohio State led Houston to the AFC divisional round of the playoffs, throwing for 274 yards and three touchdowns in a wild-card win over the Browns in the process.

“Yeah, you can’t talk about C.J.'s success without talking about Jerrod, and what he was able to do, the relationship he had with him," Texans first-year coach DeMeco Ryans told Houston reporters Monday. "Just being there for him as a position coach. Teaching him, guiding him along the way — Jerrod is one of the reasons why C.J. had a successful year."

Johnson was previously the assistant quarterbacks coach in 2022 for the Minnesota Vikings, where he worked closely with quarterback Kirk Cousins as well as head coach Kevin O'Connell, who also serves as the Vikings' play-caller. He was also an offensive quality control coach for the Indianapolis Colts in 2020-21 under head coach Frank Reich.

Johnson's NFL coaching career started in 2017 with a Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship with the San Francisco 49ers. He held the same fellowship in 2019 with the Colts.

The Browns moved on from offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, running backs coach Stump Mitchell and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney last week. They're known to have interviewed former Carolina Panthers assistant head coach/running backs coach Duce Staley for Mitchell's position, for whom they are reportedly in a battle with the New York Jets to land.

Former Alabama offensive coordinator Tommy Rees is expected to fill McCartney's position. Rees and the Browns were working toward a deal on Monday.

Former Browns OC Alex Van Pelt reportedly a candidate for Raiders job

Van Pelt's name needed about a week to emerge on another team's radar after being let go by the Browns. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday afternoon he will be interviewing with the Las Vegas Raiders for their offensive coordinator position.

The Raiders recently took the interim tag off of Antonio Pierce's title, giving him the full-time job as head coach. Pierce went 5-4 after taking over for the fired Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas last season.

If Van Pelt were to get the job in Las Vegas, it would mean he would also get play-calling duties, something he didn't have in Cleveland. The only time he called plays was in the wild card win at Pittsburgh in January, 2021, when head coach Kevin Stefanski was sidelined with COVID.

Van Pelt previously had NFL coaching stops in Buffalo, Green Bay, Tampa Bay and Cincinnati before coming to the Browns. He was the offensive coordinator in 2009 with the Bills, along with being quarterbacks coach, the primary position he's coached in the league.

Another name interview for the Raiders' offensive coordinator job is former University of Akron quarterback Luke Getsy. Getsy was recently fired as the Chicago Bears' offensive coordinator.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns right tackle Dawand Jones honored by PFWA on All-Rookie team