Joel Bitonio leading new look Cleveland Browns offensive line

Joel Bitonio is fashioning a new beard to go along with his role as leader of the new look Cleveland Browns offensive line room.

The Cleveland Browns will have a very different looking offensive line next season. They added right tackle Jack Conklin in free agency. They added left tackle Jedrick Wills in the draft. Right guard is being manned by Wyatt Teller early in camp. Plus, with J.C. Tretter having surgery, Joel Bitonio might be the only carryover from last season to this season on the offensive line.

That fact was not lost on him in his most recent media availability. Bitonio has gone from being a cog in a very good offensive line to the bearded sage doling out wisdom to all the newcomers.

The Browns offensive line had some serious difficulties protecting quarterback Baker Mayfield last season. In particular, the left and right tackle situations were tenuous. Hurting tackle play was the change in offense from the previous season. Hard to believe but it was true, then head coach Freddie Kitchens changed the way the offense operated.

In 2018, the offense under then offensive coordinator Todd Haley relied on long-developing passes, requiring longer protection times. Mayfield struggled under this system due to offensive line protection breaking down.

When all the coaching changes happened midway through the season, the offense shifted to relying on quick passing game with plenty of RPO’s. The protection schemes changed to keep everything in front of Mayfield to help him relax in the pocket. He had great success as a result.

Yet, despite this history, Kitchens went right back to the long-developing pass plays with a protection scheme that failed to do its job. The fact Kitchens changed a system that didn’t work in 2018, but then immediately went back to it in 2019 is mind-boggling. But even this decision has nothing on his incoherent idea of scoring twice before half.

Watching the line struggle led to this year’s rebuilding. Both tackles are different and the attempt to fill the right guard position continues. But through it all stands Bitonio. Now in his seventh season as the starting left guard, Bitonio has become the leader and bringer of stability to the 2020 offensive line that will have a lot of new pieces.

Most of Bitonio’s press conference was spent addressing the new pieces. Per Bitonio, Wills’ move from right tackle to left tackle is going well. Wills looks “smooth” in and out of his stances. But he does admit this is all without pads and a learning curve is still underway.

When asked about Tretter’s injury, Bitonio stated what is missed most with Tretter out is the experience. Tretter has seen a lot of NFL fronts over his six NFL seasons. With Tretter out, the onus falls on rookie Nick Harris to pick up the slack.

Bitonio conceded it is all hands on deck for Harris. It is a situation where Harris does not have the experience of Tretter or the knowledge base that experience brings. At this point, it is “all hands on deck” for the offensive line helping Harris. Bitonio, the seasoned veteran leader, even stated he could make the calls if necessary.

Bitonio’s role as leader is also expanding to the offensive itself. As quarterback Mayfield is the undisputed leader of the offense, it is Bitonio who will help hold Baker accountable to staying on focus, in the playbook and prepared for gameday.

Once the new kid on the block fitting right in with an established offensive line, now Bitonio finds himself leading an offensive line that will boast at least three and possibly even four new starters come Week 1 of the NFL season. Two of those four may be rookies.

Bitonio has come a long way since he was drafted. How far the Browns go this year may depend on how fast he can bring this new group along in a COVID-19 NFL season.