PFF Most Improved Player No Surprise For Browns

In what should come as no surprise whatsoever, Wyatt Teller was named by Pro Football Focus as the Cleveland Browns most improved player for the 2020 season.

Pro Football Focus released their list of players from each team that improved the most per their grading this season and it's no surprise to see right guard Wyatt Teller get the nod for the Cleveland Browns.

When the Browns realized how problematic the position was after trading away Kevin Zeitler to the New York Giants for Olivier Vernon, then general manager John Dorsey was able to make the best trade of his tenure, getting Teller from the Buffalo Bills for a 5th and 6th round pick, getting back a 7th round pick in the deal. The Bills basically thought he was maxed out and had moved on to other options, despite Teller starting at left guard as a rookie, playing reasonably well.

Teller was put into a difficult spot as he had always played left guard and was asked to switch to the right side. He was inserted into the lineup halfway through the season and while he wasn't all-world or anything, he stabilized the line. The key with Teller was that he didn't give up ground in the passing game.

As a run blocker, he was able to do his job, winning with position, but he wasn't a source of any real power. Strange as Teller has always been in love with the weight room, it wasn't translating to the field.

This past offseason, that's all Teller worked to improve. The results made all the difference in the world and he went from stabilizing the right side of the line to dominating. Suddenly, he was arguably the best player on the line and the focal point of the running game for much of the season.

"Teller earned overall PFF grades of 60.3 as a rookie with Buffalo in 2018 and 56.7 with the Browns in 2019. All he did in his third season was finish the year as the highest-graded guard in the NFL. In particular, he was dominant in the run game, where his 93.6 run-blocking grade was the highest mark PFF has given out since 2013. Browns’ offensive line coach Bill Callahan deserves some serious credit for the work he did with Teller and the rest of that offensive line this season."

Teller was good enough that it will force the Browns to make an interesting decision this offseason. Entering the last year of his rookie deal, the Browns could try to extend him now in an effort to save money. He missed six games this season between a calf strain and ankle injury, but still received Second Team All-Pro honors. If they wait and Teller continues to dominate, he could potentially demand more money with increased leverage.

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