The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Bitonio, Wills taking steps to improve line
The offensive line was one of the best in the NFL last season, but Joel Bitonio says he and Jedrick Wills can be even better.
The countless hours synchronized swimmers spend in the pool preparing for the Olympics have nothing on offensive linemen working as a unit in training camp to get ready for the regular season.
There is also the time linemen spend away from the field that helps form a special bond.
Left tackle Jedrick Wills, the Browns first draft pick in 2020, and left guard Joel Bitonio are in their second year together. The Browns’ offensive line was one of the best in the NFL last season, but Bitonio says he and Wills can be an even better tandem than they were last season when they helped Nick Chubb rush for 1,067 yards.
“When you have someone new, there are times when you step on each other’s feet a lot more,” Bitonio said before practice July 30. “You’re tripping over each other a lot more and getting used to how they play and how they communicate. Now you can get into the finer details of things and really fine-tune your technique.”
This is the first time since 2015 that Bitonio has had the same center (JC Tretter) and same left tackle alongside him. Getting used to playing next to a rookie last year, whether Wills or someone else, was more challenging than normal because the novel coronavirus forced cancellation of offseason programs. Coaches had to teach remotely.
On top of that, all preseason games were cancelled because of the pandemic. The first game action Wills experienced was the season opener in Baltimore. The Browns were crushed, 38-6.
“There’s a ton of communication that goes on along the line from left tackle to left guard,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Obviously, everything runs through the center. With those guys, one more year under their belts, a bunch of practices, walkthroughs — there is so much communication that over the course of time, you acquire knowledge about each other and you can use that when the season comes around.”
Offensive linemen gathering for weekly feasts has been a tradition for decades. That, too, disappeared with the pandemic, but it is returning, Bitonio said. Just as practicing together results in familiarity, spending time together off the field tightens an important bond.
“We’ve been talking about it,” Bitonio said. “It sucked last year for everybody. We were blessed to go out on the field and play when everything else was shut down. But it sucked not having fans.
“Even in training camp, you have meals with the guys. You laugh in the meeting rooms. Practices are tough. All those things make playing the game even better. Maybe it matters a little more when you’re playing with a friend. It’s more than a teammate; it’s somebody you really care about. We haven’t decided where our first (dinner) stop is going to be, but we’re going to put it back on the docket, for sure.”
Offensive linemen do not miss many meals. Bitonio weighs 320 pounds. Wills checks in at 307, Tretter at 307, right guard Wyatt Teller at 315 and right tackle Jack Conklin weighs 308 pounds.
Notes
The Browns hired former Giants general manager Bob Quinn to be a senior consultant in football operations…General manager Andrew Berry said more than 90 percent of Browns players are vaccinated. He said 100 percent of the coaches and support staff are vaccinated…Defensive end Takk McKinley became ill during practice and walked into the fieldhouse with a trainer.. Safety Ronnie Harrison walked off the field with a trainer for an undisclosed reason…Wide receiver Derrick Willies was placed on the reserve/retired list… Safety Grant Delpit, working his way back from an Achilles injury, practiced in team drills for the first time since being injured last August…Stefanski opened his press conference by wishing Indians manager Terry Francona a speedy recovery. Francona is stepping away from his job for health reasons.