The Browns may be saying goodbye to Wyatt Teller
, but could they be keeping their long-time veteran guard in place when it comes to Joel Bitonio?How and When They Joined the Browns
Bitonio was a second-round pick by the Browns back in 2014, and has spent his entire 12-year career with the team.
Productivity Level Last Season & What the Browns Should Do
It may have seemed like Bitonio struggled last year, and it’s true that he is not quite the player he was in his prime. However, he still remained a solid pass and run blocker, one who probably would have stood out similar to his Pro Bowl caliber
self had he not been on a historically inept offense.
There was a void date in mid-February for Bitonio, and people thought it had passed, which would make it impossible for the veteran to return to the team. However, word then spread that the team quietly pushed that void date back. I speculated at the time that it could give the team flexibility to spread his dead cap hit over two seasons if he eventually decided to retire. If you recall, he considered retirement last offseason, before giving it a go. Had he known the offense would be as bad as it would be, and that the head coach would be fire midseason, he probably would have called it quits.
Despite that, the Browns have actually made it clear that they’d like him to return. Here is what head coach Todd Monken said recently about Bitonio:
“He came up to the office a few weeks ago and we tried to talk him into it right then. I mean, but he was not in that position yet to say he wanted to come back. I’m for really good football players, and I’m for really good football players that are wired like Joel. There aren’t many wired like Joel. Like what he says, how he carries himself, how he prepares.”
Then, you had GM Andrew Berry talking about Bitonio at the Combine. Berry indicated that Bitonio has earned the right to take his time to make a decision, whether that be retirement or returning to play. It’s a vastly different tone than the team took last year, when similar questions would arise on if they wanted to bring Nick Chubb back. There is a genuine interest in retaining Bitonio.
If Bitonio decides to return, I think it makes sense to re-sign him on something like a 1-year, $14 million deal. However, I could truly see this going one of several ways. He could mull retirement again, and if he’s still not quite ready to hang it up, returning to the Browns, rather than starting over with a new organization and moving, can make sense on the right deal. I think he’d also like to entertain free agency, though, and could be interested in a select number of teams — like the 49ers or Patriots — to try a contending team for one year before hanging it up.
Let us know in the comments below whether you think the Browns should re-sign Joel Bitonio.
