Browns still don’t know what offensive line contingency plan they’ll need to go with v. Ravens
You must have an active subscription to read this story.
Click Here to subscribe Now!
Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Takeaways from Browns practice and interviews …
The brushfire at the Browns’ left tackle position has spread, and could affect -- at worst -- three positions on the offensive line.
The key to everything starts with rookie Dawand Jones, whose availability for Sunday’s game in Baltimore now is uncertain after missing a second day of practice with shoulder and knee injuries.
If Jones is able to man his right tackle spot Sunday in Baltimore, changes would be kept to a minimum. In that case, sixth man James Hudson likely would come off the bench and make his first NFL start at left tackle to replace Jedrick Wills, who was placed on injured reserve this week with a high-degree sprain of the MCL in his right knee.
If Jones is unable to play, things could get dicey.
Offensive line coach Bill Callahan is considering at least three contingency plans to fill the Browns' vacancy at left tackle this week. (TheLandOnDemand)
“[Offensive line coach] Bill [Callahan] is working, trying to get our five best guys out there and we’ll kind of see how that plays out,” said left guard Joel Bitonio.
If Jones can’t play, Hudson probably would start at right tackle, where he has made seven career starts and has taken most of the reps this week.
Then what happens at left tackle?
Two options appear to be under consideration.
Option 1 could be to start Geron Christian at left tackle. Who?
Christian, 27, was added to the Browns’ practice squad on October 31 after stints this season with the Dolphins and Texans. He was signed to the 53 roster on Tuesday.
How did Christian rise so rapidly into consideration? He was a third-round pick of the Washington Redskins in 2018 when Callahan was Washington assistant head coach and offensive line coach. Christian suffered a knee injury his rookie season. After he recovered, Callahan tabbed him as the heir-apparent to Trent Williams at left tackle. Sure enough, when Washington traded Williams to the 49ers in 2020, Christian was promoted to the starting position.
In fact, Christian started six games that year before suffering another knee injury. Since then, he has bounced to the Texans, Chiefs, Dolphins, Texans again, and now has been reunited with Callahan with the Browns.
But it’s no lock Christian will get the call. If not, Option 2 could be moving Bitonio to left tackle. Bitonio confirmed he is part of the contingency plan.
“Yeah, It’s always a contingency plan,” he said. “I think – I don’t know how many it would be -- but the third or fourth tackle on game days is usually me. So I’m always ready if I have to go out there in a pinch, you know, on game day.”
The problem with moving Bitonio to left tackle is that it would affect a third position – left guard. In that case, natural center and part-time fullback Nick Harris would be first candidate to start at left guard.
So the Browns are looking at breaking in one new starter at left tackle; or two at left tackle and right tackle; or three at left tackle, left guard and right tackle.
All of which would come against a stout Baltimore defensive line that has produced 21 of the team’s league-leading 35 sacks.
“If you had the full, healthy O-line out there, it’s still a challenge,” said offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. “That’s a good defense, and the edge rushers are special. So yeah, it’s always a challenge, and that’s part of football. We got to find a way to make it work.”
Callahan will make the final call.
Lovin’ the long ball
Van Pelt offered the most reasonable explanation of why Deshaun Watson looks more accurate throwing long than short in the wake of his rotator cuff injury.
“As a thrower, it’s a longer motion,” Van Pelt said. “You’re putting more body into it. Your legs are involved more, as opposed to the shorter ones where you may not get your full body into those throws and rely more on just the shoulder strength. But that’ll continue to grow.”
Against the Cardinals, Watson laid in two deep balls to Amari Cooper, one of 34 yards that Cooper extended to a 59-yard gain and another of 49 yards that Cooper was still reveling about on Thursday.
“It was perfect,” Cooper said. “It was right on the money. I don’t think I caught a more perfect deep ball than that.”
“Deshaun loves to throw that deep ball,” Cooper went on. “So, it’s obviously very beneficial to us to have a connection there. The deep ball obviously flips the field, gives us a great opportunity at not just getting three, but six. So, it’s really important.”
Van Pelt added, “The long balls were indication of where we’re heading. We’re really happy.”
The Ravens have to respect the fact Watson’s deep passes are a threat. That alone should soften the underneath coverage in the intermediate areas.
Leading by example
You hear coaches talk of “leading by example” and there may be no better personification of that coaching cliché than Denzel Ward.
Ward is as soft-spoken as they come, but second-year cornerback M.J. Emerson illustrated an example of Ward’s leadership without him saying a thing.
“One day I was watching him for the whole day and I realized that he always kept his helmet on in walk-through,” Emerson said. “Everybody’s at walk-through and he’s the only one with his helmet on. Just a little thing like that, his attention to detail.”
I asked Emerson if he asked Ward why he wore his helmet in the casual, literal “walk-through” of plays in the game-plan.
“Naw. But guess what I did? I started doing it. Most definitely ever since.
“You get locked in, ready. Focused. You take your helmet off, you might get lax a little bit, talk a little more.”
Ward said he started wearing his helmet at every walk-through when he came to the Browns from Ohio State.
“I play the game with my helmet on and so I wear my helmet just to kind of stay locked in and focus on my job and assignment and what I got to do and just going through where I’m supposed to start at, like just going through the calls, going through what I’m seeing on the play calls and everything,” he said. “So, I think it’s just a representation of me just trying to lock in and focus on the job at hand.”
By the way, Ward, a two-time Pro Bowler, is having his best season in his sixth year with the Browns.
Brownie bits
Emerson said that video review of the Arizona game confirmed that he was not targeted a single time by the Cardinals in the 27-0 win by the Browns. “That was crazy,” he said. “I want that to stop. I need some plays. That happened to me at [Mississippi State]. My junior year, 1.7 percent of the [opponents’ targets] were at me. It’s crazy.” …
Since defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was badgered about the defense’s lack of turnovers, the Browns have nine takeaways in their last three games. “Yeah, well, you guys brought it to our attention, so we decided that we were going to try to get takeaways,” Schwartz drolled …
I like what I heard from safety Grant Delpit when I asked him if the defense has added juice for this game after getting waxed by Lamar Jackson, 28-3, in the October 1 meeting in Cleveland. “I come out there with juice every week, you know that,” he said. “I try to fly around, make plays, man. I know our guys will be fired up just based off where we could be and stuff that we put on tape [last time]. That’s not us, man. We got to keep improving every week. We are riding off a good win last week and we’re going to keep that same energy.”
