3 contract decisions that will haunt the Cleveland Browns

1. Wyatt Teller extension

Adding Wyatt Teller was one of the more underrated moves John Dorsey made when he was the general manager. Originally a fifth-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2018, Teller was traded to the Browns in 2019 along with a seventh-round pick in 2021 for a fifth and sixth-round pick in 2020.

By Week 9 of his debut season with the Browns, Teller had taken over as the right guard. His presence made a huge difference, especially in the running game.

He continued to play well, even earning a spot on the All-Pro Team in 2020. That season, he earned the No. 1 ranking from PFF, securing a 92.2 rating. He followed that up with an 84.9, which was fifth-best at the position.

During the 2021 campaign, he wound up signing a four-year extension worth $56.8 million, locking him up through the 2025 season.

Teller and fellow guard Joel Bitonio were both extended that year as the Browns tied up a lot of money along the interior of their line. Then, they decided to go after Deshaun Watson and pay him a lot of money — which means they'll be switching to more of a pass-first offense.

This doesn't suit Teller's skill set, since he's a mauler known for taking over in the run game. As a pass protector, he's always been a little behind and to make things worse, he's been dealing with nagging injuries as of late.

Cleveland is unlikely to keep him for the duration of his deal and while they do have an out in 2024, they could still end up with some dead money to deal with.

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