CLEVELAND, Ohio – Within 24 hours, the Browns made massive contract commitments to … get this … a pair of guards!
They did it well before free agency. Smart? You better believe it.
Teams sometimes make the mistake of asking, “How much do I have to pay this guy to keep him – and is he worth it? Can I find someone cheaper?”
But when it comes to elite guards such as Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller, the Browns seemed to ask this question instead: “How much would it cost to replace this guys? How much will we miss them?”
The Browns would miss Bitonio and Teller A LOT. When it comes to replacing them, it would cost A TON.
That’s why signing the two guards in the prime of their careers to contracts keeping them under team control through the 2025 season was wise – even with the combined total cost of more than $100 million.
Of course, that’s not all guaranteed. Until we get the full contract information, just assume it’s less. But it’s still a major investment that many teams are not willing to make, especially with guards. Tackles? Yes. But guards sometimes are taken for granted.
“In the NFL, if you have guys who you think are good players, especially in the trenches, you want to try and keep those guys,” said Bitonio. “It’s hard to find those guys.”
While he didn’t say it, Bitonio meant guys like Pro Bowl-caliber guards.
KEEPING IT TOGETHER
Teller and Bitonio want to stay here.
Bitonio explained: “My agent went to the Browns this offseason and (said) ‘Hey, we want to be here. What do you think of Joel? We want to try to make something work.’ Those discussions take a long time. We had a couple of years left on the contract. … Honestly, once the season started, I told my agent, ‘I do not want to hear anything about anything. I am trying to play games.’”
The Andrew Berry front office was working on two negotiating fronts. They didn’t want to lose Teller, who was headed to free agency after the season. If a good player reaches free agency, he seldom returns to his original team.
Teller’s deal is a four-year extension worth $56 million with about $28 million guaranteed, according to overthecap.com. They also believe Bitonio is a great player, one of the guys who are part of the long-term heartbeat of the team. Bitonio’s extension is $48 million for three years. The details are not out yet.
The offensive line is now in great shape in terms on contracts and talent.
Teller and Bitonio are under team control through 2025. Left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. is signed through 2024. Right tackle Jack Conklin and center J.C. Tretter are signed through 2022.
Cleveland Browns general manager Ray Farmer (far right) and head coach Mike Pettine (far left) hold the jerseys of their first-round draft picks Johnny Manziel (center right) and Justin Gilbert to the media. Both were first-round picks in 2014. Joel Bitonio was picked in the second round. John Kuntz,The Plain Dealer
HOW THEY CAME TOGETHER
“I was with Johnny (Manziel) and Justin Gilbert when I got here,” said Bitonio.
That was the 2014 draft, a major first-round disaster with Manziel and Gilbert. But former GM Ray Farmer did select Bitonio in the second round. The Nevada left tackle was converted to guard and has put together a career Berry believes could eventually lead to the Hall of Fame.
“I was kind of overlooked and rightfully so,” said Bitonio. “You have two first-round picks. … Since I’ve been here, the people of Cleveland have always treated me with respect.”
Then there’s Teller. Before the 2019 season, former GM John Dorsey traded fifth- and sixth-round picks in 2020 to Buffalo for Teller and a seventh-round pick in 2021. It was a yawner at the time.
Now it’s a different story.
Tretter was signed as a free agent by the Sashi Brown front office in 2017. The Dorsey front office signed him to an extension. Berry picked Wills in the first round of 2020. He signed Conklin to a 3-year, $42 million deal before the 2020 season. At that point, Conklin became the NFL’s highest-paid right tackle.
WHY THEY LOVE IT!
“It’s truly is amazing,’” said Teller. “I’m thankful for the fans of Cleveland. Offensive linemen are loved and they are glorified here. That is just a special city.”
That is very true. Consider how future Hall of Fame left tackle Joe Thomas is revered. So is former left tackle Doug Dieken, now in the broadcast booth. For years, fans were mad when the Browns failed to keep linemen Alex Mack and Mitchell Schwartz.
You can go back to any Browns era, fans here love linemen and — yes — good kickers.
“Wyatt said it, they do love their linemen,” said Bitonio. “It is funny how much they support their linemen. They love their guys. I think they learned supporting some of their great linemen in the past – Joe Thomas and those guys – they kind of learned to love these guys. It has been very cool.”
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