Every camp battle the Cleveland Browns need to determine
By Chad Porto
Center and the Catch-all offensive linemen spot (aka Chris Hubbard’s position)
The Cleveland Browns‘ offensive line is the lifeblood of this team. They only go as far as the offensive line does. There are two openings on this team and they’re both getting covered here for simplicities sake.
First up is the center position, which did belong to J.C. Tretter, one of the best players at his position last season. He was cut to clear cap space, and now the team has to replace him. A lot of people just default to Nick Harris being the guy, but I think he’s just as likely to be cut as anything. See, Harris hasn’t impressed many with his play. So they brought in some talent around him.
Now, signing a guy or drafting a guy to back up Harris would make sense. The team needed some depth. Yet, signing a guy who used to start and then spending a draft pick at the position sure says to me that the Browns don’t trust Harris. Ethan Pocic or Dawson Deaton may very well push for the spot. There’s also Brock Hoffman too.
He’s not the only spot up for grabs. Chris Hubbard is the team’s sixth o-linemen. He can play just about any position needed. The team will want someone who can do that in 2022 but Hubbard may no longer be the best candidate for the Hubbard Spot, as I’m calling it. He’s 31 and coming off a major injury. With the Browns only carrying four or five reserves on the line, and guys like Blake Hance, James Hudson, Michael Dunn, Drew Forbes, Dawson Deaton, and others vying for a spot, there’s no guarantee Hubbard reclaims that spot. He very easily could be cut.