Here is a nice column from Browns beat writer Tony Grossi, who dug in a little deeper on one of the strongest areas of the team—the offensive line. You don’t often think about how good the Browns’ offensive line is if you’re on the outside looking in, but they have two pretty legitimate Pro Bowl caliber players in Joe Thomas (LT) and Alex Mack ©, and there are high hopes for second year player Shaun Lauvao and Tony Pashos. Says second year quarterback Colt McCoy:
“They are the strong point on our offense,” said McCoy. “They are the foundation of what we need to do. Those guys are playing well.”
Fans will get to see this unit in action for a full quarter in the team’s first pre-season game according to Mary Kay Cabot, along with the rest of the Browns’ first unit. I had never gotten to see a lot of Browns football until last year when I got the NFL Sunday Ticket, and I have to say, I was consistently impressed with the play of their offensive line.
There is a reason why Peyton Hillis had a breakout year last year for the Browns, and it’s not just because he is a stud. Hillis was running behind a top of the line offensive line, and he did the same in 2008 when he broke out for the Denver Broncos.
As Colt McCoy stated, the offensive line is going to provide the foundation for this team going forward, an extremely important building block for a young team with a new head coach. This unit could make the transition between coaching staffs not only bearable, but they could help keep the Browns in the thick of things in the hard-nosed AFC North.