Jedrick Wills Jr. was passable during his first few years with the Cleveland Browns. He never lived up to the billing of a No. 10 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he was at least a playable lineman.
The past two years, though, Wills was often injured and not particularly effective when he did take the field. He played just 13 games for Cleveland the past two seasons, and remains unsigned well after most impact players have found new homes.
Wills will probably get a contract somewhere before training camp stars; teams are always in need of o-line help. But the lack of noise surrounding his free agency is a pretty clear indicator that his perception around the league isn't in great shape.
I can't really blame teams for not wanting to sign a guy who will likely be a backup and has had some attitude questions in the past, namely when he said he made a "business decision" not to play in a game last season, then was promptly benched.
What can Jedrick Wills Jr. provide for a team in 2025?
At this point, not much more than offensive line depth. Wills will likely sign a "prove it" deal with some team that needs an extra body on its offensive line, with the hope of proving that he still belongs on an NFL offensive line. Miami has reportedly been in contact with Wills, and the Jets just seem like a team that would take this chance — though that's nothing more than a gut feeling.
If Wills can't prove it, his career could be on its backend already. At 26 years old and a former blue-chip prospect in Cleveland, that would be a pretty abrupt ending to Wills' football journey. Some of that could be attributed to injury, some to situation, but a lot falls on Wills' shoulders, unfortunately.
Cleveland, for the record, shouldn't even think about bringing Wills back. Fans, teammates and the front office have all seen what Wills provides on the field and there's no reason to fix a relationship, especially because — even if fixed — the ceiling on what Wills provides is pretty low right now. This was a bad draft pick. It happens. (This hurts a little more considering Tristan Wirfs was selected three picks later, but I digress.) Andrew Berry needs to cut his losses and look elsewhere if he wants an extra body on the line.