The Cleveland Browns need to go get a veteran guard

The Cleveland Browns need a veteran guard in training camp.

The Cleveland Browns are looking at a sticky situation for 2020. Namely, how is the interior line going to look? There is doubt over Wyatt Teller’s ability to keep pace with his much-improved line-mates, and if he’s unable to do his job, it won’t matter if the other four men play like Pro Bowlers; the team will suffer.

That’s the issue with the offensive line in the scope of pro football. It doesn’t matter if you have great guys across the board, one bad player sinks the whole group. The starting five in basketball, a major league rotation, heck, even the three-man units in hockey aren’t that dependent on one another. Yet the o-line is. If even one man blows his assignment or gets beat off the line, then the whole offensive play falls apart.

The need to make sure the right guard position is as up to par, at least on paper, as the rest of the line is not something to take lightly. With Drew Forbes sitting out for 2020, and Chris Hubbard the only real backup at the position, the Browns need to go get a starting-caliber guard, even if he’s a bit older. The Browns were horrible last year with their line play and the current plan is to now put a fifth-round rookie and two of the failed starters from last season’s team at the position and see what happens.

The team, even with Forbes, was in need of an upgrade at the position and the obvious name was Larry Warford. Warford just opted out of the season, however. That makes the rumors that Alex Boone is on the radar of some teams even more curious. Could the Browns be one of the teams pursuing the state of Ohio product? Sure, but should they? At this point who knows.

The spot is still up in the air, even if Teller is penciled in.

To be fair to Teller, it’s entirely possible he excels this season. It’s entirely possible that the Browns have crafted the greatest offensive line in the history of football. It’s also entirely possible and far more likely, that Teller and Hubbard play musical chairs throughout the season as head coach Kevin Stefanski tries to find the winning formula with the position.

Bringing in a veteran on a team-friendly deal is just prudent at this juncture.