5 role players Cleveland Browns should consider extending

4. OL Chris Hubbard

Chris Hubbard is probably the player on this list least likely to be extended, and that’s because there already appears to be a succession plan in place for his role, though it will be hard to fill it as effectively as he did last season.

Rookie James Hudson seems to be the swing tackle of the future, and second-year man Alex Taylor also oozes potential. Hubbard was originally signed in 2018 away from the Pittsburgh Steelers, and had a solid first campaign with the Browns. He struggled mightily in 2019, however, leading the team to give Jack Conklin a Brinks truck full of cash, an investment that certainly paid off.

Even though he was a backup, Hubbard still started five games and appeared in 11 before getting hurt. He filled in for Conklin and right guard Wyatt Teller, and even got some snaps at left tackle. He was the team’s primary backup at four separate offensive line positions, and there is a good argument to be made that he was the most valuable and effective OL in the entire league.

Now 30 years old, Hubbard is in the final year of his deal, and will likely have offers from other teams to start in 2022. But if he were willing to stay in Cleveland for perhaps the rest of his career and function as the swing backup, that would be invaluable for a team that understands the importance of OL depth, especially with the injury history of the starters.