Written by Dave Kolonich

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For the first time in nearly a generation of Browns’ football, the strength of the overall current team is without question the offensive line.  To understand the magnitude of that statement, just consider these following names: 

Joe Andruzzi
Chad Beasley
Brad Bedell
Lomas Brown
Cosey Coleman
Enoch DeMar
Jeff Faine
Melvin Fowler
Kelvin Garmon
Joaquin Gonzalez
Tre Johnson
Noel LaMontagne
Qasim Mitchell

Had enough?  I’m only halfway through the alphabet.  Let’s just end this…

Kevin Shaffer

Done.

 

For close to a decade, two and a half different Browns’ braintrusts completely ignored a basic truth of the NFL – which is simply, winning teams have quality offensive lines.  Regardless of the offensive style being played, or the level of talent surrounding the offensive lines, we have annually witnessed this NFL axiom ad nauseum in Cleveland. 

From Dwight Clark wasting two dozen draft picks to Butch Davis offering sloppy quick fixes and onto Phil Savage’s penchant for trying to spend his way out of a decade-old problem – the Browns’ offensive line during the expansion era has been utterly devastated by an utter sense of front office incompetence.

Look no further than the team’s record over this span. 

Finally, over the past few years, something resembling some common sense has begun to emerge in Cleveland.  First, after Phil Savage was talked out of trading an entire draft for JaMarcus Russell in 2007, the cornerstone of the line was delivered in the form of All-Pro Joe Thomas.  Add in a crafty veteran technician in Eric Steinbach and a rare young dynamic center in Alex Mack and the Browns are close to fielding one of the best offensive lines in the league.

What in the name of Paul Zukauskus is going on here?

Joe Thomas

There are many ways to refer to Thomas, such as All-Pro, best left tackle in the league, best draft pick of the expansion era, most valuable offensive player.  The list can stretch on for quite a while – feel free to add your own superlatives.  However, at the heart of Thomas’ value to the team is simply this:

Thomas is the one player on the roster that you never have to worry about.

In 2009, Thomas elevated his game to another level by improving his already solid pass protection.  Or, how about this stat?  Thomas gave up just two sacks in 2009 – mainly blocking for Brady Quinn, one of the more indecisive QB’s in the league.

In terms of run blocking, Thomas is merely devastating.  Look no further than the last month of the 2009 season, when the Browns’ run game exploded for over 600 yards.  Playing in some zone-blocking schemes, Thomas showed both his quickness and strength, not to mention some great upfield mobility.

Entering 2010, Thomas should easily assume the mantle of best left tackle in the league - at least depending on the overall success of the team, which is oddly how these things are determined. 

And some of you are worried about LeBron leaving?  Regardless of the King’s eventual fate, let’s hope that Cleveland’s other All-Pro gets locked up long-term…and soon.

Eric Steinbach

Steinbach, a two-time winner of Cleveland Reboot’s Projected Cap Casualty Award, continually proves that I annually underestimate the veteran guard’s impact on the team. 

After breaking in Thomas in 2007, Steinbach did the same with Alex Mack last season, helping to shape a great trio of athletic blockers.  While Steinbach is not physically superior to most of the opposing linemen he faces, he brings a solid technical aspect to the position, using basic leverage tactics to his advantage.

Much like Thomas, Steinbach benefitted from the team’s zone blocking schemes in 2009, which helped to capitalize on his natural quickness.  Entering 2010, the fruits of Steinbach’s past labor should blossom, thanks to the now veteran presences of Thomas and Mack.

Of course, since I’m not projecting that Steinbach will be cut this year, this must mean that he will be playing elsewhere in 2010.

Alex Mack

It’s quite unfortunate that some Browns fans will only view Mack as “not Mark Sanchez.”  Although such a comparison has many flaws in it, the Browns’ carnival of 2009 Draft Day trades that resulted in Mack turned out to be a great move.

Swimming upstream early in 2009, Mack settled into a demanding position and eventually showed signs of becoming a dominant NFL center.  Using some surprising strength and excellent quickness, Mack more than handled the likes of some of the AFC North’s best interior defenders. 

Much like Thomas’ rookie campaign of 2007, Mack made things look too easy at times in 2009.  It’s hard to fathom the difficulty that Mack faced starting all 16 games as a rookie, yet he emerged as one of the best young linemen in the league. 

Heading into 2010, with a season’s worth of experience and an increased emphasis on the running game, Mack could begin his ascension to a Pro Bowl level.

Floyd Womack

If all the above was the good news…now it’s time for the rest of the story.

While a Thomas/Steinbach/Mack trio is nothing short of sensational, the same can’t be said for the right side of the line.  Echoes of the earlier expansion era ring out when realizing that the 2010 Browns will have to rely on some veteran re-treads in order to continue their overall progression.

In Womack’s case, I guess things could be worse.  Although he struggled with injuries last season, Womack settled in nicely towards the end of the season….albeit at right tackle.

The question going forward with Womack is whether or not he is best suited to play right guard or tackle in 2010.  Skill-wise, he appears to be a better fit at tackle as compared to guard.  However, thanks to his versatility, it’s possible that Womack will basically play at the position where the starting talent is weakest.

Speaking of which…

Tony Pashos

I can never fault any Browns’ organization for signing an offensive lineman. 

Oh wait – yes I can. 

In my view – and hopefully in Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert’s going forward – building the lines is the key to team growth.  In this sense, adding Pashos was a solid offseason move. 

However, there has to be a great deal of concern regarding whether or not Pashos can actually survive a full NFL season.  Coming off a serious injury – one that derailed his 2009 season – it’s not clear just what Pashos can bring to the Browns. 

If healthy, certainly Pashos would be an upgrade over John St. Clair, but a second question becomes “just how much of an upgrade?” 

Much like Womack, it seems that Pashos’ best position will likely not be the one he actually lines up at.  Based on his build, strength and slow feet, Pashos seems like a better candidate to play right guard, as opposed to right tackle.  This is a critical point, as most Browns’ opponents will continue to load up pass rushers along the right side of the Browns’ line in 2010.

But again, he’s not John St. Clair.  This should be worth something.

Shaun Lauvao

I’ll admit that I’m a total homer for offensive linemen.  As for offensive linemen that are third-round draft picks?  Jesus – I think I need a moment to myself.

Lauvao has already received some great buzz during offseason practices and could be considered as a darkhorse to start in 2010.  Of course the tone of such praise is often inflated before training camp.  Regardless, Lauvao showed some great athleticism in college and with some added bulk could become a contributor down the road - if not in 2010.

Considering both Womack and Pashos’ recent injury history, we could easily see a 2010 scenario where Lauvao gets a shot at the starting lineup. 

John St. Clair

Of course, the dirty underbelly of my last comment also suggests that St. Clair could once again man the right tackle spot thanks to injury.  Although St. Clair had the unfortunate task of blocking an extra four seconds for the tentative Brady Quinn last September, it was obvious that the veteran tackle was no match for opposing pass rushers.

The major issue regarding St. Clair – besides his nagging tendency to make the Browns’ roster – is the idea that he plays upright and overly stiff.  Simply put, there is no bend to St. Clair’s body when he takes on opposing defenders.  Unless he immediately overpowers a defender, St. Clair is virtually lost.

On a related note, Elvis Dumervil truly owes St. Clair ten percent of his next contract.

Scott Kooistra

Kooistra could play a significant role in 2010 as a gap filler.  Considering the still limited depth across the line, Kooistra could fill in at either guard or tackle.  As a smaller version of Pashos, Kooistra does have some experience and could prove again to be a temporary salve in the event of injury.

Joel Reinders

Let’s just call this one for what it is.  Reinders is basically the offseason, offensive version of Kwaku Danso, meaning that his story coming from virtually nowhere is a compelling narrative.  Reinders does bring some great size to the Browns and thanks to his limited football background, could prove to be the easily coached project that Mangini would love to keep around.

This last point shouldn’t be easily dismissed, as Mangini proved in 2009 that he is very skilled in finding players among the nether regions of the league….or hemisphere, in Reinders’ case.

Billy Yates/Pat Murray/Paul Fanaika/Casey Bender

I don’t know much about any of these players – and neither do you.  Depending on how many linemen the Browns carry into the regular season, we could maybe see one of these players on the active roster or on the team’s practice squad.

Ideally

2010 could prove to be the year that the Browns’ offensive line finally gets some much deserved credit as being one of the best units in the league.  Ideally, Thomas plays at an All-Pro level, Mack progresses to the point of gaining similar accolades and Steinbach again serves as the glue that makes it all work.  Along the right side of the line, the Browns get solid years out of Womack and Pashos, while Lauvao lays the groundwork for an eventual starting role. 

And in the most ideal of terms possible, John St. Clair doesn’t see the field – which means we will be able to not see a Browns’ lineman give up four sacks in one game.

But Really

The only real downside to the 2010 offensive line exists in the form of injury.  Since Womack and Pashos are question marks heading into the season, it’s possible that either a raw rookie in the form of Lauvao or a bad fit with St. Clair are pressed into action.  If so, the Browns’ passing game will suffer, along with making the direction of the team’s rushing attack very predictable.

The Pick

Regardless of your personal opinions of Eric Mangini, the Browns’ offensive line has improved under his watch.  Adding Mack to a core of Thomas and Steinbach was easily the highlight of Mangini’s short tenure as czar.  Although the right side of the line features nothing more than gap-fillers, at least the quality of players has improved – at least compared to years past. 

If the Browns’ linemen can avoid injury in 2010, this entire unit could help to further elevate the team’s rushing attack, as well as provide Jake Delhomme some time to throw the ball.

But, in the end – with these blossoming stars up front – why would you ever want to do that?

 

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Check out Part One – Quarterbacks here, Part Two – Running Backs – here, Part Three – Wide Receivers here and Part Four – Tight Ends here.