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2009 Offensive Line Analysis - Cleveland Browns

2009 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Joe Thomas
Left Guard: Eric Steinbach
Center: Alex Mack
Right Guard: Rex Hadnot / Floyd Womack / Ryan Tucker
Right Tackle: Ryan Tucker / John St. Clair / George Foster

2008 Injuries:
G Eric Steinbach: Weeks 3 and 10
G Rex Hadnot: Week 1
T Ryan Tucker: Weeks 1 to 5 and 7 to 17

2008 Statistics:

ALY (Adjusted Line Yards): It is an alternate measure for yards per carry developed by Football Outsiders that takes into account various factors including down, distance, situation and opponent.
Source: www.footballoutsiders.com

Overview:
Big things were expected from this offensive line in 2008 after allowing only 19 sacks and after the running game averaged 4.3 yards per carry in 2007. Unfortunately things were not so great in 2008. Pass protection was pretty good all year long despite the inconsistency at the quarterback position but the running game was well-below the league average with only 3.9 yards per carry.

At left tackle, the Browns are in excellent shape for years to come with 2007 draft pick Joe Thomas who will only improve as he continues to gain NFL experience. Thomas is an extremely athletic lineman which makes him one of the best pass blockers in the NFL. He is not the most powerful blocker so he still has plenty of room to grow as a run blocker but his athletic abilities allow him to block to the outside. Despite being selected to a second Pro Bowl in as many seasons, Thomas had somewhat of a disappointing season in 2008 but there is no reason why he cannot bounce back this year. Opposite of him will be a very interesting competition between three veterans: Ryan Tucker, John St. Clair and George Foster. Tucker has dealt with a number of injuries and has only started 18 games in the past three years. He is probably the most talented player out of these three but he is now 34 years old and probably cannot be relied upon to play all 16 games. St. Clair started 16 games for the Bears at left tackle last season but struggled all year long in pass protection. He is a powerful run blocker and the right tackle position will be a much better fit for him but he will still be a liability in pass protection. Foster is the youngest of the three at 29 years old and has started 57 games in the past five seasons but has been disappointing since being traded from the Broncos to the Lions in 2007.

Starting at left guard for the third consecutive season for the Browns will be Eric Steinbach. Steinbach will be 29 years old when the season begins and is currently in the prime of his career. He has the abilities to be one of the best run blockers in the NFL and is also very good in pass protection. However, Steinbach lost some strength last season and the new coaching staff wants him to get bigger because he was getting overpowered at times last year. His excellent run blocking abilities combine very well with Joe Thomas’s great pass blocking abilities and the two of them could be one of the strongest left sides in the NFL. Steinbach had to deal with injuries to his shoulder and ribs all season long so we expect him to be much better this year. Similar to the battle at right tackle, the battle at right guard will also be between three veterans: Rex Hadnot, Floyd Womack and Ryan Tucker. Hadnot started 15 games at that position last year and ranked 11th amongst right guards with only 1.5 sacks allowed. He has started 70 games in his first five NFL seasons but he seems to be underrated by many. He will never be a great guard but Hadnot is at the very least an average guard and should earn the starting job this year. Floyd Womack was brought in after starting 14 games for the Seahawks last season but he has never been able to stay healthy in his career. Ryan Tucker could also compete for this job if he does not start at right tackle but if he loses that battle, it is unlikely that he can dislodge Hadnot at right guard.

The Browns drafted Alex Mack with their first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft and he is expected to take over for Hank Fraley as the starting center. Fraley started all 48 regular season games for the Browns in the past three years but started slowing down in the past year and will turn 32 this year. Mack is a very hard worker and an intense player who will play to the whistle on every play. He has pretty good technique for a young player but still has plenty of room to improve. He is equally good in run blocking and pass protection and should be the starting center for the Browns for a number of years. Fraley provides very good depth and will have no problem stepping in if Mack disappoints in his rookie year.

2009 Outlook:
The Browns line will have a new look in 2009 and should be quite interesting to watch. The group of Thomas – Steinbach – Fraley – Hadnot – Shaffer played 12 games together last year and the running game averaged 3.6 yards per carry and allowed 19 sacks in those 12 games. Steinbach should be better now that he is healthy, Mack is an upgrade over Fraley and the right tackle position should be slightly better with three players competing for it. The Browns are in excellent shape when it comes to depth. Eight of the nine offensive linemen that will start or compete for a job this year for the Browns started at least nine games in the past two seasons in the NFL. Overall, we believe this line will be better than it was last year in run blocking and both run blocking and pass protection should be above average this year.

See all of our 2009 Offensive Line Analysis Articles