The Cleveland Browns offense is undergoing a rehaul. From the offensive line to the wide receiver room, the entire unit is in need of a facelift. The unit finished towards the bottom in most statistical categories, mainly due to the lack of talent but the glaring weaknesses were evident week in and week out. Most, if not all fans want the team to trade for a wide receiver (i.e., Chris Olave, Marvin Harrison Jr.), draft a wide receiver with their sixth overall pick (whether it’s Ohio State’s Carnell
Tate or USC’s Makai Lemon), or pay for one in free agency (Alec Pierce, Romeo Doubs types).
Yes, the team lacks talent in the room, but if the Browns want to rebuild their offense, the offensive line is something that needs to be handled first. Cleveland GM Andrew Berry started the process with the trade for OT Tytus Howard.
It’s something that has been preached throughout the course of history when it comes to football. It starts up front. The past two Super Bowl winners, the Seattle Seahawks and the Philadelphia Eagles, were able to reach the Super Bowl not only because of their defenses, but their offenses played a part as well. Aside from the quarterbacks and talented skill positions, their offensive lines played a crucial part. The Seahawks offensive line was not nearly as dominant as the Eagles offensive line, but the team had two quality starters at both tackle spots (LT Charles Cross and RT Abe Lucas), a talented rookie guard (LG Grey Zabel), and competent starters along the interior (C Jalen Sundell and RG Anthony Bradford). Charles Cross was taken in the 9th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft to be their cornerstone left tackle, while Abraham Lucas was taken two rounds later in the same draft.
This isn’t to say that the Browns should draft and start two rookies on their offensive line, but we’ve seen how teams that have won the Super Bowl invest in the offensive line. Ignoring the offensive line and instead focusing on building the skill positions is how you end up like the Cincinnati Bengals. Yes, the Bengals have quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but their offensive line has been an issue since Burrow was drafted, and the team hasn’t necessarily fixed it (despite the team reaching the Super Bowl once, but the offensive line was a glaring weakness throughout the years, postseasons).
For Cleveland, rebuilding the offense starts with fixing the offensive line first. Howard is a start, but the team has more work to do in terms of that unit. Veteran Joel Bitonio still hasn’t made his decision whether to retire or play another year, and center Ethan Pocic and right guard Wyatt Teller are free agents. The Browns have two first-round picks in this upcoming draft, but it’s possible that the team takes an offensive lineman with their sixth overall pick. Who the team picks is the biggest question.
With free agency starting this week, center Tyler Linderbaum will be highly coveted but is likely going to receive a massive payday. However, there are other options to consider if Linderbaum is off the market. Rebuilding the wide receiver room is something that needs to be fixed, but rebuilding the offensive line should be the main priority for the Browns this offseason.
