Danny Shelton bought his family a house in Washington
July 31, 2015Indians trade Marc Rzepczynski to San Diego for Abraham Almonte
July 31, 2015Training camp has begun with the 2015 Cleveland Browns taking the field in Berea. It is a great time for football fans with excitement for the season building each day. Over the last many weeks, I have examined many of the Browns position groups. I previewed every group on the defense and looked at the running backs and tight ends/fullbacks on the roster, also. We now head to the trenches to take a gander at the Browns offensive line unit. So, let’s take a look at the offensive line group of the Cleveland Browns.
2015 Browns Position Previews: Safeties | Cornerbacks | Inside Linebackers | Outside Linebackers | Defensive Line | Tight Ends/Fullbacks | Running Backs | Offensive Line
Offensive Line
Additions
Cameron Erving (Draft – First Round from Florida State)
Joe Madsen (Free Agency – Green Bay Packers)
Darrian Miller (UDFA – Kentucky)
Eric Olsen (Free Agency – Tennessee Titans)
Erle Ladson (Free Agency – Orlando Predators) ((Arena Football League
Subtractions
Nick McDonald (Waived – Unsigned)
The Starters: LT Joe Thomas, LG Joel Bitonio, C Alex Mack, RG John Greco, RT Mitchell Schwartz
When healthy, the Browns offensive line is one of the best in the league both in passing and rushing situations. But last season, the line struggled because of the injury to Alex Mack, causing the team to rely on less than average players to replace him. The unit was never the same and played at a lower level. But, with the line at full strength and additions of depth, this unit could be the best or one of the best in the league. Pro Football Focus gave Joe Thomas a plus-33.5 grade, Joel Bitonio a plus-22.4, John Greco plus-14.2, Alex Mack plus-6.9, and Mitchell Schwartz plus-0.5 grade.
Joe Thomas has been a stalwart at the left tackle position for the Browns ever since being drafted in 2007. His Pro Football Focus grade ranked third highest amongst all tackles last season. He has been to the Pro Bowl in each of his eight seasons in the NFL. Thomas is an excellent pass blocker, using his athleticism and technique to keep the best pass rushers in the league at bay. His play last season may have been his best yet because of his improved run blocking. The switch to a zone blocking scheme utilized Thomas’ excellent athleticism and footwork. His play this coming season should only improve with another season under offensive line coach Andy Moeller.
Joel Bitonio immediately produced at left guard after being drafted in the second round in 2014. The Browns immediately inserted Bitonio into the starting lineup last season and never looked back as he played extremely well next to Joe Thomas. Bitonio played well in both pass and run blocking, and his PFF grade was fifth highest amongst all guards. He showed off his impressive combination of athleticism and size in his play at left guard. His switch from a being a left tackle at the University of Nevada to a left guard in the NFL was seamless. Bitonio has solidified the left side of the offensive line with Joe Thomas for years to come.
Alex Mack’s true value showed its head after Mack was lost at the beginning of the 2014 season. The entire line played a lower level of performance after losing Mack for the season. Even with just playing five games last season, he graded out as the 10th best center in the NFL, per PFF. He is the leader of the offensive line, making the pre-snap calls for the entire line. He has good athleticism and intelligence that makes him a Pro Bowl level center. The Browns will need a healthy Mack in order for the offensive line to reach its highest potential. This could be the last season for Mack as a member of the Browns, as he has the option to void his contract next offseason and become an unrestricted free agent.
John Greco might be the most unheralded player on the entire Browns roster. Greco’s positive 14.2 grade by Pro Football Focus ranked as the eleventh best grade amongst all offensive guards last season (He actually was graded at 15.6 at guard, but was downgraded for his poor play at center). The Youngstown native fit in perfectly with the Browns new zone blocking running scheme. It utilized his ability to move well in space and his strength to move defenders out of the way to make holes. Greco is a solid pass blocker, but he is best known for his run blocking pedigree.
Mitchell Schwartz is probably the weakest link of the Browns offensive line. PFF rated him 33rd amongst all offensive tackles. Schwartz was inconsistent throughout the year, playing well in one game and than disappointing in the next. He is a solid pass blocker because of his size and length to get to the defenders on the edge. But with the switch to a zone blocking scheme caused his run blocking to suffer because of his slower feet and lack of athleticism. He would be the one player on the line who I would look to replace.
Overall, the Browns 2015 starting offensive line is one of the best in the league when healthy. The key will be health and being able to keep the same starters in throughout the whole year. The left side of the line is set with Thomas and Bitonio. Alex Mack is also a steady force in the middle of the line when healthy. In my opinion, John Greco is a good starting right guard and should earn a starting spot. The biggest question mark will be with the right tackle spot with Mitchell Schwartz. He must play more consistently in order to keep his job. But with just one spot in semi-question, the Browns offensive line should be the backbone of the offense and allow the team to run their plays without letting pressure into the backfield.
Contributing Offensive Linemen: T Michael Bowie and C/G/T Cameron Erving
The Browns have two other players who could see some snaps in 2015. Michael Bowie and Cameron Erving both have a shot to play and even overtake someone in the starting lineup. Both will at the very least add depth to a group that needed more last year.
Bowie was picked off waivers last preseason from the Seattle Seahawks, but missed the 2014 season with a shoulder injury. Bowie played in ten games for the Seahawks in 2013, grading out with a plus-2.8 grade by Pro Football Focus in 2013. He is an interesting player with a good combination of size and athleticism. He has shown that he could be a starting tackle in the league, but he must show in the preseason that he can regain his form after missing the whole season last year. Bowie could overtake Mitchell Schwartz as the starting right tackle this season.
Cameron Erving was the Browns second pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He is a player with great versatility to play pretty much any position on the line. His best fit is center, but with Alex Mack already there, Erving will be competing at right guard and perhaps at right tackle. Erving has great athleticism, which will fit nicely in the Browns zone blocking scheme. His role this season could just be as a versatile backup who can replace virtually anyone on the line.
Strictly Special Team Contributors: None
The Browns will not have a strictly special teams contributor from their offensive line group.
Other Offensive Linemen on Roster: G/T Vinston Painter, G Karim Barton, C Joe Madsen, T Andrew McDonald, T Darrian Miller, G Eric Olsen, T Erle Ladson and G/C Ryan Seymour
The Browns will at the very most have one more spot open for one of these eight players. The team could go with as few as seven linemen because of the versatility of Cameron Erving, but it is likely one of these other players will make the squad. The best options to make the last spot are probably Vinston Painter or Ryan Seymour. Painter, a guard/tackle, and Seymour, a guard/center, are two athletic offensive linemen who fit well in the Browns zone blocking scheme. One of the other six players could emerge this preseason and earn a spot as a backup on the Browns.
Biggest Strength: Starting Lineup
The Browns will have one of the best starting lineups on the offensive line in the entire NFL. Joe Thomas, Joel Bitonio, and Alex Mack might make up the best trio of offensive linemen on one team in the NFL. These three players are all near the top of their respective position groups in the entire league. John Greco is a lesser publicized player, but he has played at a high level at right guard. This just leaves one spot, right tackle, as a position that is without a certain answer. Mitchell Schwartz is the returning starter, but Cameron Erving and Michael Bowie can threaten his starting spot with a good showing in the preseason. With just one question mark, the Browns offensive line is in good shape because of the starting unit.
Biggest Weakness: Depth
The Browns lack of depth on the offensive line was the downfall of the unit last season. After losing Alex Mack for the season, the Browns could not find an option to fill his spot at center and this knocked the rest of the line out of whack. Depth is so important on the offensive line due to the tough physical toll the position warrants from the players. With the addition of Erving and the return of Bowie, the Browns look to be deeper than last season. The Browns will need those two to show that they can be contributors this season if needed. But until we see them on the field, the depth will still be a question mark.
Biggest Position Battles: Mitchell Schwartz vs. Michael Bowie vs. Cameron Erving
In my opinion, the right tackle position will contain the biggest battle of the preseason for offensive linemen. Schwartz is the returning starter at right tackle, but his performance last season does not solidify his spot in the lineup. Bowie probably has the best shot of displacing Schwartz as the starting right tackle. Bowie fits the run blocking scheme better, possessing good athleticism for the position. Erving is best suited inside, but he could have a shot at right tackle if he can show the coaches he is able to play there. I believe that Mitchell Schwartz will win the spot because of his familiarity with the line and his experience playing the last three seasons with his fellow offensive linemen.
Grade: A
The Browns offensive line is the strength of the offense this coming season. It is tough to find a better five linemen than Joe Thomas, Joel Bitonio, Alex Mack, John Greco, and Mitchell Schwartz. The group has experience playing together and should only get better with another year in the zone-blocking scheme. This scheme fits most of the linemen very well because of their athletic ability to move in space. The only question mark is at right tackle with Mitchell Schwartz, but he is not a liability to the unit. The play of the offensive line this season will be a huge key for the success of the offense. This group will need to make the running game the backbone of the offense and keep the quarterback upright. It will be fun to watch this unit play at full strength, especially with how they started the season last year.
All stats (unless noted otherwise) are from ESPN.com
2 Comments
I don’t see Erving at RT but who knows I heard he might get some time at LT on days Thomas gets a day off. Personally I am hoping Erving is at RG myself with Greco being the sixth man. But with Greco and Erving the Browns have awesome depth and versatility. Next year Erving will start at center IMO.
The Browns approach to the o line is the greatest attribute of this organisation. After losing Mack, the FO should receive big kudos for signing him to the big contract. We certainly saw the difference without him. As far as I am concerned they can keep burning 1st and second round picks on the o line as needed. Even with the Schwartz pick, grading middle of the pack on all tackles, given the emphasis on LT , is still a decent result.
Assuming Thomas will be around another 2 to 3 years may be a mistake. I hope he is a 12 year all pro but chances of that are small. Wouldn’t surprise me to see his heir apparent taken in round 1 next year.