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February 10, 2016The Cleveland Browns finished another disappointing and dysfunctional season in 2015, ending the season tied for the worst record in the NFL at 3-13. This past season brought on a lot of change, including a whole new front office led by Sashi Brown and Paul DePodesta and a new coaching staff led by head coach Hue Jackson. With the changes, the franchise has brought new hope to its fan base. (…Again.)
Over the course of the next couple weeks, I am taking a look at what the Browns have going into the really important offseason, examining through each position of the team. The next position in the series that we will take a look at is the offensive line.
Where the Browns stand series: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Tight Ends/Fullbacks | Offensive Line
Offensive Linemen on the Roster
- OT Joe Thomas
- OG Joel Bitonio
- OT Mitchell Schwartz (Unrestricted Free Agent)
- C Alex Mack (Can opt out of contract)
- OG John Greco
- OG/C Cameron Erving
- OG Austin Pasztor (Restricted Free Agent)
- OT Michael Bowie
- OT Dan France
- C Garth Gerhart
- OG Kaleb Johnson (Exclusive Restricted Free Agent)
- OT Erle Ladson
- OT Darrian Miller (Exclusive Restricted Free Agent)
- OG Conor Boffeli
Recap of 2015 Season
The Browns offensive line did not play up to its potential or hype this season. The Browns ranked 22nd in rushing yards this season, unable to sustain a consistent run game for most of 2015. The Browns also gave up 53 sacks, the second most allowed in the league. The line has some top individual talent, but the overall line play was not good enough.
The Browns offensive line has been anchored for the past nine season by left tackle Joe Thomas. Thomas was excellent once again this season. He was named to his ninth straight Pro Bowl and named to the AP All-Pro first team for the sixth straight year. The future Hall of Famer is the perfect example of consistency that the others on the team should aspire to. He is an elite pass blocker, facing the game’s most dangerous pass rushers week after week. Thomas is also a good run blocker, which makes him an all around great tackle.
Mitchell Schwartz was probably the second-best offensive lineman on the team this season. Thomas has overshadowed Schwartz, but this season Schwartz had his best season as a pro. His value was shown perfectly versus the Denver Broncos, as he gave up only one pressure and no sacks to Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller. The Browns would be very wise to re-sign this young right tackle.
Alex Mack did not play up to his usual Pro Bowl level this season, even though he received a Pro Bowl nod. After a season-ending leg injury in 2014, Mack came back a little off his game. He struggled to regain his form early on in the season. Late in the season, the Browns Pro Bowler started to look more like his true self. Mack can opt out of his contract and go into free agency this offseason. It would be a tough situation for the Browns to fill the center spot if he does leave. Cameron Erving would likely be his replacement if that happens, but he struggled as much as any Brown this year.
Joel Bitonio had an exceptional rookie season, but in his sophomore season he seemed to take a step back. A lot of his regression was due to the multiple injuries he dealt with during the season. He started only 10 games due to injury, and finished the season on injured reserve with a bad ankle. Bitonio has a bright future because of his excellent combination of size and athleticism.
John Greco is the lost name on the Browns offensive line, getting overshadowed by his bigger-name teammates. Greco did not play to the level this year that he did in 2014, but he was solid this season as the Browns right guard. He is an athletic lineman who plays his best in zone blocking schemes where he can get out and work on the move. This season should be interesting to see if he can fit in the power run scheme of Hue Jackson’s offense.
To say Cameron Erving had a rough start to his career would be a huge understatement. Erving struggled mightily when he was thrust into the starting lineup. Erving filled in at left guard and right guard, starting two games at each position for the injured Joel Bitonio and John Greco. Defenders overpowered him, showing the lack of strength that he must improve this offseason. Coaching and getting into the weight room will be huge for his development.
Austin Pasztor replaced Erving at left guard, playing better than the first-round draft pick. Pasztor started at left guard for the final four games of the season. He is a big bruiser with good strength and intensity. He is not technically sound, however, and overall he is just an average to below average lineman who is best suited as a backup. He played well for a stretch, but overall he was just not good enough to rely on.
OT Michael Bowie, OT Dan France, C Garth Gerhart, OG Kaleb Johnson, OT Erle Ladson, OT Darrian Miller and OG Conor Boffeli make up the rest of the current roster of offensive linemen on the Browns. Michael Bowie has potential value as an offensive tackle, but he has been unable to stay healthy.
The Browns offensive line was underwhelming this past season. Individually the Browns have some of the best offensive linemen in the league. But the line as a whole did not mesh this season, with much of the struggle coming because of the multiple injuries the line faced. When healthy, the Browns line has potential to be one of the best in the league.
This offseason will be critical for the offensive line. The Browns have two starting linemen who could hit free agency and leave for another team. Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz is an unrestricted free agent, while center Alex Mack could opt out of his contract. The Browns should do everything in their power to retain both of these players and maintain consistency at those positions.
2015 Season Grade: C+
Offseason To Do List
- Re-Sign Mitchell Schwartz and Alex Mack
Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz and center Alex Mack both could leave for another team this offseason. The Browns number one job for the offensive line should be to try their hardest to keep both of these players. Schwartz’s value was shown throughout the playoffs when teams struggled to block Denver’s Von Miller. Schwartz was able to limit the Super Bowl MVP to just one pressure in their matchup this season. Mack’s value was shown last season when he missed most of the season with an injury, causing the entire line to derail.
- Add more depth
The Browns’ problem over the past couple years has been the lack of depth on the offensive line. With injuries a likely possibility on most offensive lines, teams need quality backups to be able fill in at certain parts of the season. When the Browns faced this problem this year, the backups the Browns inserted into the open spots did not do a good enough job. Either through the draft or free agency, the Browns need to add depth to the position and find players who they can trust to fill in at certain situations.
- Get Cameron Erving some coaching and into the weight room
As I said earlier, Cameron Erving had a very rough start to his career. He struggled to control the powerful defensive linemen of the NFL. His rookie season showed that he has a lot of work to do. The first job he must do is get into the weight room and get stronger. He needs to add strength in order to matchup with the strong defensive linemen he will face. The second job is to find some coaching to help him refine and improve his overall game. It would be awesome to see him join up with LeCharles Bentley and work with him at his training facility. Erving needs a lot of work to fully utilize his talent and potential.
17 Comments
good job , Joe … imo , the O-line will be the FO’s biggest & most important job. yes, the defense needs an overhaul , but we’ll need a good O-line to execute Hue’s plan … i too think we need to re-sign schwartz & mack … at least schwartz , anyway. we could always draft a good center , i suppose.
i actually like the toughness that pasztor brought to the line late in the season … i think he may be worth keeping , even as a back-up . and i’m still waiting to see what bowie can do … he obviously has the talent to start at RT if he can get healthy.
I would have responded earlier, but Erving got pushed through my monitor and fell down on my keyboard.
You forgot #4 on the “To Do List”: Trade Joe Thomas for a wagonload of picks.
Sad but true.
LMFAO !!!
afraid Bowie has gone the Pinkston route of being a good OL who just won’t be able to be seen on the field.
Love it Joe. I don’t believe PFF when they say we had a Top 3 OL this past year as several guys took steps back as you noted correctly. But, we still had an above average OL with enough guys who could rebound to rise back into the elite (Top 7 or so) category.
And, Geoff Schwartz was cut today by the Giants. Getting a Schwartz right-side OL would be fantastic.
But, isn’t PFF at least loosely analytics driven?
Runs, and hides…
+100…but wait to pull the trigger until you make sure Tennessee doesn’t draft Tunsil.
hahahahaha…they are scout driven and put a number on it. when they had good scouts, they were great.
and, their data division still is (hence breaking down QBrating on plays to Haden, etc.). it’s just they have spread too thin on the scouting/film side and it shows.
Priority No 1 – Resign Schwartz
Priority No 2 – Resign Schwartz
Priority No 3 – Resign Schwartz
But this is the Browns, so they will resign Benji, Gipson, Bademosi and Robertson and Schwartz will walk, along with Mack. They will then draft a QB at No 2 who will run for his life for the next two years while they shore up the line, and likely ruin him in the process.
Erving is bust until he isn’t. Anyone planning on this guy contributing in 2016 is nuts.
This is why I am really beginning to hate this team. I mean really hate them to the point I can no longer support them. This is freaking no brainer stuff, absolutely no brainer. It’s like watching your three year old head for the electrical socket with a pair of tweezers. You stop him. You don’t rationalize that the wife can always have another one.
If Banner-Farmer (they were both idiots) were still here – I would say they’d let Schwartz walk without even talking to him. I’m crossing my fingers that these new guys at least try.
hi JPF … please stop with the “i really hate them to the point i can no longer support them” stuff , already … you will be here suffering with the rest of us until they turn it around. you won’t know how to root for someone else like you do the browns … take a deep breath & let’s give the new guys a shot … at least they are all intelligent guys.
hang in there …
And Benjamin would be following him out the door…
We do agree on this one. Like it or not, Haslam went a different direction here. To me, this may be progress. The new regime can’t do any worse than the old one. And farmer was in desperate need of being fired.
Lets give these guys a chance, and see what they can do. I like Hue Jackson way better than any head coach since the Browns were reborn.
With Armonty Bryant on his way out too or at least to suspension, maybe Josh Gordan can actually come back. And maybe we will keep some of the lineman…
Lets see what can happen…
I don’t quite think the line was as good as PFF says, but I do think they were a little better than their results last season. A combination of QB play and zero blocking from anybody not on that front 5 also contributed to problems. However, they did regress and I think underperformed for the talent level we had.
I’m not worried about Bitonio and Mack (if they can keep Mack) because their issues weren’t talent related. I think Mack will be back to his old self next year, and Bitonio will be healthy again. Schwartz needs to be resigned of course, and depth needs to be addressed. I don’t know if Erving and Pasztor are the answers there, although I do expect Erving to improve over time. If they could pick up a RG and bump Grecco to that versatile depth role it would be huge for the overall quality and depth of the line over the course of a season.
I don’t know if Mack’s subpar season will play into his decision whether to stay or go. His current contract pays him a lot of money and I don’t know that he’d get more than that in free agency, although he’d certainly be in demand. It sure would be nice if we didn’t need to draft any offensive linemen in this year’s draft, though. We already need a QB, WR, and a pass rusher for somewhere on the front 7, and those are generally premium positions.