The Cleveland Browns have made a number of changes to their defense in the offseason but their offense is expected to have all 11 starters returning. The Browns also expect to have many of their same backups returning as they had in their very successful 2020 season.
The future is a little murkier than the 2021 season with guard Wyatt Teller and running back Nick Chubb currently set for free agency. Their contracts and extension talks, along with those of Baker Mayfield and Denzel Ward have been the top subject since the end of the NFL Draft.
Now that training camp is less than a month away, the focus will return to on the field while contract talks simmer on the back burner. Teller, for his part, is excited about the continuity starting with his offensive line coach:
“It’s crazy going into Year 4 in the NFL and this is the first time having the same offensive line coach for two years in a row,” he said. “I’m doing my work and I’m trying to get better.”
Of note, this will also be the first time Mayfield will have the same offensive system two years in a row.
Teller’s excitement doesn’t stop with his own coach but extends to the players on the field:
“We have 11 guys on offense returning, which is insane — I’ve never heard of that,” he said. “We’ve got the guys in the backfield who can do it at a high level … and if the best D-Line I play is our own team, I’ll be very, very happy.”
Not only will the Browns have their 11 starters returning but a lot of guys who played on the team last year. At a base level, only Anthony Schwartz, James Hudson and Greg Senat are new to the team and expected to compete for roster spots. The rest of the offense was in Cleveland for all or part of the 2020 season.
Continuity is a huge ingredient to a winning team and the Browns have that on the offensive side of the ball. Teller’s excitement is telling of how important it really is.