So *now* Jim Harbaugh starts talking trash about Urban Meyer: While We’re Waiting
July 24, 2019Baker Mayfield: The modern-day Brett Favre
July 24, 2019The 2019 Cleveland Browns season is almost upon us with just one more day until the team hits Berea to start training camp. The Browns have had a very busy, exciting and newsworthy offseason. It saw the team make some big roster shaking moves, which has, in turn, catapulted the hopes and excitement of Browns fans into all new heights since the return of the franchise in 1999.
We have been getting you ready for the start of the 2019 season by examining each of the Browns’ position groups. The next position under the microscope is the Browns offensive line unit.
2019 Browns Positional Preview Series: Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Tight Ends and Wide Receivers
Biggest Strength
Combo of Joel Bitonio and J.C. Tretter
The Browns offensive line is led by the veteran duo of left guard Joel Bitonio and center J.C. Tretter. Both players are two of the better players in the entire league at their respective positions. The two interior linemen are athletic linemen who are at their best when they are pass blocking. But, they are complete blockers who can run block with the best of them. With Baker Mayfield under center, their success is key to giving Mayfield clean windows to find open targets. Bitonio and Tretter are the center pieces of the line and will lead the line going into the 2019 NFL season.
Biggest Weakness
Offensive Tackles
The Browns offensive tackles, left tackle Greg Robinson and right tackle Chris Hubbard, are the biggest question marks on the entire offense. Robinson had a solid season last year, but can he replicate it or even improve on it this coming season? Robinson was up and down all season, can he become more consistent from week to week? The depth at the position is pretty slim with Kendall Lamm being the only tackle on the roster with any sort of playing experience. So, if either Robinson or Hubbard struggles early on, there is no real backup plan for either tackle position. The Browns offensive tackles have a lot to prove this coming preseason.
Key Player
Greg Robinson
Robinson is the biggest key to the success of the offensive line. Robinson plays the most important position on the offensive line as the team’s left tackle. Last season, he showed solid play, but nothing that would cause the team to believe fully that he is the answer at left tackle. The question is whether Robinson can improve on last season or if he will revert to his struggles from his previous seasons. If Robinson can play at least OK, the line as a whole should be producing at a solid rate. Keeping Mayfield upright will be of the utmost importance for Robinson and the offensive line.
Key Loss
Kevin Zeitler
Kevin Zeitler was a Pro Bowl-level offensive guard for the Browns. He was a stalwart at right guard, forming a great interior line with Tretter and Bitonio. But, in order to get something, you have to give something up. In order for the Browns to get Odell Beckham Jr., the Browns had to part ways with Zeitler. I would do that trade every time. Beckham has so much more value than Zeitler. Nonetheless, the loss of Zeitler leaves uncertainty at the right guard spot. It is expected that Austin Corbett will fill in that position, but the question is whether he can develop into a quality starting guard. The loss of Zeitler is a pretty big loss for the offensive line unit.
Under-the-Radar Player to Watch
Kyle Kalis
Kyle Kalis is a name to watch this preseason. He is expected to compete with Corbett and Bryan Witzmann for the starting right guard spot. It would seem that Corbett is all but certain to take the job, but this offseason, Kalis has had his fair share of reps on the first-team offense as the right guard. He is a young player who is still developing his talent. He does not have a lot of experience during the regular season, so he is still an unknown on how he would perform as the starter. Could he outperform Corbett and the rest of the unit to win the right guard job? This preseason will determine this question.
Top Training Camp Battle
Austin Corbett vs Bryan Witzmann vs Kyle Kalis
Corbett is the front runner for the starting right guard position, but he is not a given. He will be competing with Bryan Witzmann and Kyle Kalis for the starting nod. Corbett has the lead given his pedigree as Dorsey’s draft pick, but it is far from a certainty that he will get the spot. He must take the job and perform well this preseason. Bryan Witzmann was a free agent signing this offseason. He has the most starting experience of the group with 20 starts over his past two seasons. Kalis, as I stated earlier, is the under-the-radar guy who could win this spot. He has already taken some starting snaps at right guard this offseason. Kalis is a young player who could come out of nowhere and steal this job. I think it will come down to Corbett and Kalis with Corbett ultimately winning the job.
Outlook
The Browns offensive line is probably the weakest position on the offensive side of the ball. But, it is far from a disaster. It is led by one of the best offensive guard/center combos in Bitonio and Tretter. These two will set the tone for the entire unit. Their presence should also help the linemen around them. But, the unit overall will be determined by the success of the offensive tackles, in my opinion.
Robinson and Hubbard have to be more consistent and overall better than last season. Robinson was OK, while Hubbard was up and down throughout last season. Can Robinson improve on the first OK season of his career or will he revert back to his former level of play? Can Hubbard stay more consistent and not have so many lows this coming season? If they play at an adequate level, the line overall is in a good place this season.
I believe in Corbett. Though Kalis may give him a good run in the preseason, I believe he will win the starting right guard job. I think he has the talent to be a really good interior offensive lineman. I think his rookie year was a learning year and that he will showcase the talent that led him to being chosen in the second round. In the end, I am more worried about the tackles than Corbett going into the season.
The offensive line unit has some nice veteran backup types in Eric Kush, Kendall Lamm, and Witzmann. These three should be solid enough backups to give the team confidence that if an injury happens, the line will not completely collapse. The other name to look at is Drew Forbes. He is a developmental type lineman at this point, but if he can quickly learn the NFL game and develop his game, Forbes could surprise and compete for more than a backup spot.
The Browns offensive line is concerning to me, especially at the tackle spots. But, I am eased for two reasons. One is the reason that Baker Mayfield is the quarterback. One of his biggest strengths is his pocket presence. He can feel pressure and move in the pocket to elude the pressure to give more time to find a target. The other reason is that Freddie Kitchens and Todd Monken are leading the offensive play calling. These two men are smart guys who place their players in the best position to succeed. They will lessen the pressure on the line with their play-calling like with quick passing. So, I feel OK about this group. The reasons above ease my worry, but many of these players in the unit have shown that they can play. There are not many givens in this unit. Time will tell.