Wyatt Teller Could be the Answer at Right Guard

The Cleveland Browns miss in drafting Austin Corbett was unfortunate and set the team back this year. Fortunately, general manager John Dorsey took the prudent action in trading for Wyatt Teller right before the season started. Now starting at right guard, Teller is showing signs he could be the team's long-term answer there.

When it became painfully obvious that Austin Corbett wasn't going to be playable this season, Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey traded for Wyatt Teller from the Buffalo Bills for the price of just a fifth and seventh round draft pick. Inserted into the starting lineup against the Denver Broncos, he's shown growth in the past two games and if that continues, he could find his way into being the long-term solution at right guard.

Eric Kush was an effective spot starter, but is ideally suited to be a swing player on the interior. He's a good pass blocker, but just doesn't offer much in the running game. Once Teller got comfortable in the Browns system and flipping over from left guard to right guard, it made sense to insert him into the starting lineup.

Teller is stronger, more athletic and six years younger than Kush. He's also an effective pass protector who needs to do more as a run blocker, but he has the tools to get there. And save for a miscommunication against the Broncos on a stunt, which was more a product of lack of reps with the rest of the line than lack of ability or awareness, he protected Mayfield effectively. Unfortunately, Teller and the entire offensive line struggled with run blocking in Denver.

This past week against the Bills, he was great in pass protection and was better in run blocking. He's still trying to get comfortable in how the Browns reach block, but he can move and he's able to get where he needs to go and execute his assignment. Teller was also able to do a nice job of helping on double teams, then come off and get to the second level.

The obvious issue for the Browns as a group was their inability to move the opponent off the ball at the goal line. That is one of the issues for offensive line coach James Campen to improve in Teller and really everyone. Nevertheless, the more comfortable Teller gets, the better he should play and if he can improve his technique, able to engage his lower body more effectively, he should generate more power at the point of attack and move opponents off the ball.

Even just with what Teller was able to do against the Bills, it helped Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt create yards in the running game. The Browns got the ball out at an incredibly fast rate in that game, something they should continue to do, but the times Mayfield did hold onto the ball, he had the space to step up in the pocket.

Trust is earned and Teller is going to have to perform consistently to earn the respect Kevin Zeitler had in pass protection, but if he can get there, Mayfield will be able to step up in the pocket, which became a staple of his play down the stretch last season. If he can do that and improve his run blocking, the Browns could have one more position locked down up front. He may never be Zeitler, but he's on a rookie deal as opposed to being the highest paid lineman on the team, which was a move the Browns had to make for the sake of their future salary cap.

Teller has seven games to make the case the Browns have their answer at a guard spot, thereby giving them back the offensive line setup, a strong interior, that enabled so much success in 2018. They still have to find answers to both tackle spots this coming offseason, which is a huge undertaking, but if Teller can take care of one spot, it would be a huge relief for the Browns and particularly Dorsey, who whiffed on Corbett. That would still be a big opportunity missed, but he would warrant credit for remedying the situation by trading for a player that can lock down that spot at a reasonably cheap cost.