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One of the prime reasons for the Cleveland Browns' turnaround in the 2020 NFL season is due to their heavy investment in the offensive line.
First-year general manager Andrew Berry signed All-Pro right tackle Jack Conklin in free agency and then drafted Alabama's Jedrick Wills Jr. with their first-round draft pick to fill in space at left tackle. Wills was a right tackle during his college career and was protecting the blind side of Tua Tagovailoa, who happened to be a left-handed quarterback, but the rookie was asked to make the switch to the left side for the Browns in the NFL.
Along with the players, Kevin Stefanski managed to bring in Bill Callahan as their offensive line coach. The involvement of coach Callahan quickly showed the result as the Browns were able to establish a dominant offensive line that was capable of creating lanes and providing a clean pocket for Baker Mayfield.
With the help of coach Callahan, the Browns' offensive line became dominant. One of the most surprising factors in the rise of the Browns offensive line has been right guard Wyatt Teller. Teller, who joined the Browns from the Bills during the 2019 season via trade, quickly took over the role of the bruiser in the offensive line.
Under the coaching of Bill Callahan, Teller quickly gained knowledge of his position and worked on improving his techniques. Throughout the season, the Browns' run game was the most dominant on the right side, where Teller did most of his work to create lanes for the run game. He was often used as the puller to create running lanes on the other side too.
The rise of Wyatt Teller as NFL’s premium guard
The more game experience Teller got under his belt, the better he became. Teller took it upon himself to improve his play from the 2019 NFL season and earn a big contract with the team. In the 2020 NFL season, Pro Football Focus has ranked Wyatt Teller as the No.1 guard in the running game.
There are things he can improve on in the passing game, but it would be best for both the team and the player that they continue their partnership as the Browns build toward making their first-ever appearance in the Super Bowl.
Andrew Berry will be looking to make a comprehensive deal with the player to bring him back and keep the offensive line group together. It remains to be seen how Berry and his team will bring back the same amount of depth in the offensive line position as the 2020 NFL season.
