The Browns made a lot of changes to their roster, so how will the offensive line shake out for the 2018 season?
The Cleveland Browns rebuilt most of their roster this offseason. One of the areas that was remodeled by general manager John Dorsey was the offensive line.
One of the biggest reasons the Browns were forced to remodel their offensive line was because of the retirement of future Hall of Fame left tackle Joe Thomas. Thomas was a stalwart for the Browns, and typically the team had the left tackle position locked down in the offseason.
But with his retirement, it forced the Browns to make some changes along the offensive line while also adding depth to the starters.
Cleveland started off free agency by signing Chris Hubbard from Pittsburgh and Donald Stephenson from Denver.
Hubbard will be the starting right tackle for the Browns, taking over for last year’s starter Shon Coleman. Coleman is currently slated to be the team’s starting left tackle, but that could easily change during training camp and preseason.
Dorsey signed Stephenson to add depth along the offensive line. Dorsey is familiar with Stephenson, as Stephenson was in Kansas City for three years when Dorsey was the general manager of the Chiefs.
Having depth is something the Browns did not have last season, as evident when Thomas suffered a season-ending injury. Spencer Drango, who is much more comfortable as a guard, was forced to step in for Thomas and had a below average season.
The Browns also drafted Austin Corbett with the first pick of the second round in the 2018 NFL Draft. It is uncertain where Corbett will play, but even if he does not start, the Browns can use almost every where along the line.
With all that in mind, let’s take a look at the players that comprise the Browns offensive line.
Chris Hubbard
The Browns signed Hubbard to a five year, $36.5 million contract during the first days of free agency this offseason. The size of the contract surprised some around the league, but Browns offensive coordinator Todd Haley’s familiarity with Hubbard made the signing understandable.
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Hubbard played in all 16 games for the Steelers, starting ten of those games. He has experience playing all five positions on the offensive line, but most of his time came at right tackle.
Hubbard had a solid 2017 season, with Pro Football Focus giving him an overall grade of 69.6. But Hubbard’s season was better than what the score says of him. In 847 snaps last season, Hubbard only surrendered three sacks, 35 pressures, and only three penalties, according to Pro Football Focus.
Hubbard will help secure the right side of the line for the Browns as he will be the starting right tackle, which was a major issue for the team last season.
Shon Coleman
A third round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Coleman started all 16 games for the Browns last season at right tackle. But after a down season and the signing of Hubbard, he will be losing that starting job.
However, after the retirement of Thomas, Coleman is now slated to be the team’s starting left, although it is unlikely he keeps the starting job by the start of the regular season.
Coleman was miserable last season for the Browns, surrendering eight sacks on the season. He also was flagged ten times during the season, with seven of the penalties being holding, according to the Washington Post.
Although Coleman may feel more comfortable on the left side of the line, it is hard to see him managing to win arguably the most important starting position on the offensive line at left tackle.
Joel Bitonio
After Thomas’ retirement, Joel Bitonio is now the longest tenured Cleveland Brown on the offensive line. He has been the team’s starting left guard since 2014, and he played every snap last season for the Browns.
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Bitonio proved that when he is healthy, he is one of the league’s best guards. Pro Football Focus gave Bitonio an overall grade of 85.2, which was the sixth best grade of all guards in the NFL. Bitonio is a strong run blocker that has the athleticism to get to the second level and knock linebackers out of plays.
But Bitonio’s bread-and-butter is his pass blocking abilites. Pro Football Focus scored Bitonio with a 97.1 pass-blocking efficiency, which was top-20 at his position.
With him likely playing alongside a younger player at left tackle, his experience is going to be greatly needed next season. But maybe another strong season next to a tackle not named Joe Thomas will show to the rest of the NFL how talented Bitonio is.
J.C. Tretter
The Browns signed J.C. Tretter to a three year, $16.75 million contract last offseason to become the team’s starting center.
Tretter did not have the best first season in Cleveland, but it also was not a bad season. He started all 16 games for the Browns, and Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 70.6.
Tretter also only allowed one sack, and was called for only two penalties the entire season, according to the Washington Post.
After Alex Mack left the Browns and signed with the Atlanta Falcons after the 2015 season, the Browns needed to add a solid center. Although Tretter did not play like an All-Pro center, his play was good enough for the team to feel comfortable in keeping him as the starting center for 2018.
Kevin Zeitler
When the Browns signed Kevin Zeitler to a five year, $60 million contract during the 2017 offseason, they made him the highest paid guard in the league at the time. With that big of a contract in his pocket, it was going to be hard for him to live up to that standard.
But even though he was not the best guard in the NFL last season, he still had a very good season. He started all 16 games and allowed only 1.5 sacks and three penalties, according to STATS. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.1 last season, which was the tenth best among guards.
With a more steady right tackle playing alongside him, Zeitler should have a stronger season in 2018. And after a season of playing next to Tretter, the two should have their communication locked down heading into next season. It would not be a surprise to see Zeitler play’s return to the way he played when he earned his monster contract.
Austin Corbett
By the time the regular season begins, Corbett could be starting somewhere on the Browns offensive line, most likely at left tackle. He was the first pick of the second round so the Browns do have a good amount of investment in the lineman from Nevada. Although he does not have the typical physical traits of a starting offensive tackle, his good technique could help him transition well to the NFL.
Spencer Drango
Drango started at left tackle for ten games after Thomas went down with injury. He played admirably, but tackle is not where Drango is supposed to be playing. Drango surrendered 9.5 sacks last season according to the Washington Post, which is way too high of a number for playing only half a season. He will likely only be used in emergency situations at tackle, but he will be a good swing player for the Browns if he is being used mostly at guard.
Donald Stephenson
The Browns signed Stephenson to a one-year contract this offseason, likely only as an insurance policy with Thomas’ retirement. Stephenson has been a backup for most of his career, and although he has been said to be in the competition for the starting left tackle job, he will likely only be a backup tackle if he makes the team.
Austin Reiter
Austin Reiter made his NFL debut two seasons ago when the Browns needed a starting center after injuries. Reiter played well in his debut, but suffered a torn-ACL in that game, which ended his season. He was with the Browns last season, and will likely be the team’s backup center in 2018.
Anthony Fabiano
The Browns claimed Anthony Fabiano in May after he was waived by the Colts. Fabiano played four games for the Browns in 2016, starting in one game at center. Fabiano has experience at center and both guard positions, and he will be battling to make the Browns roster. His versatility and Hue Jackson having coached him once before could help him earn one of the last roster spots.
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Roderick Johnson
Cleveland drafted Roderick Johnson in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Johnson has the physical traits to be a solid NFL player, but needs a lot of work on his technique to be able to crack the lineup. He missed all of last season because of a knee injury. It is hard to say what his role will be, but if he has cleaned up some of his technique problems, there is a chance he makes the roster as a backup tackle. But it is likely that he lands on Cleveland’s practice squad.