Cleveland Browns: Wyatt Teller must be extended ASAP

Question mark turned star

Cleveland made it their mission to improve the offensive line this offseason. They signed right tackle Jack Conklin to a three-year $42 million contract and selected right tackle-turned-left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. 10th overall. The early results have been very good, and Teller is a major reason why.

Per Pro Football Focus, Teller has surrendered only two hurries on 94 pass-block snaps. He’s also shown a consistent mean streak as a run blocker, and probably leads the NFL in pancakes through three weeks. He’s more likely to get his man on the ground than he is to lose a rep.

Teller currently has an 87.6 overall PFF grade, which ranks second among pure guards, with only Ali Marpet of the Tampa Bay Bucaneers ahead of him. His 80.4 pass-block grade, which has improved each week, ranks 10th, and his 88.8 run-block grade is ranked first.

Teller’s massive improvement is a testament both to how hard he has worked, and to how good of a coach Bill Callahan is. Cleveland’s offensive line and assistant head coach has made a massive impact, turning Teller into an elite player and aiding in Wills’ difficult transition to left tackle, especially in a shortned offseason with no face-to-face contact.

Last year, the Browns hired James Campen as OL coach, who had earned a reputation as one of the best OL coaches in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers. The line’s performance under him failed to live up to expectations, which is why it’s so refreshing to see Callahan do what he’s always done.