A position-by-position rundown of the Cleveland Browns as the offseason heads toward the combine and free agency:
Guard/center
Under contract: John Greco, Alex Mack, Joel Bitonio, Paul McQuistan, Karim Barton, Nick McDonald, Ryan Seymour.
Free agents: None.
The good: This is a solid interior core. Greco, Mack and Bitonio are all hard-nosed, hard-working players. Bitonio was far and away Ray Farmer’s best draft pick. He stepped in like a natural from Day 1 — to the point that Pro Football Focus named him the fifth-best guard in the league. This is a player who looks like he will be going to multiple Pro Bowls. He’s not the only highly ranked player at the position, though. PFF named Greco the 11th-best guard. Mack is considered among the best centers, so the interior core of the offensive line is a decided strength.
The bad: The Browns have to do a better job of providing depth. The entire 2014 season took a turn south when Mack broke his leg. The team wound up using guys who hadn’t been on the field for more than a year or who had never played center before. The results were predictable. The Browns' attempt to provide depth for 2014 team involved signing McQuistan, but he started one game before the coaches decided he should not start. Providing depth is not easy, but it’s an important responsibility of a front office that decides the 53-man roster.
The money: The deal Mack signed with Jacksonville as a restricted free agent that the Browns matched allows Mack to void the final three years of his deal after the 2015 season. The choice is Mack’s. He has said and done all the right things since the Browns retained him, but if Mack goes through another long and losing season, it’s better than a safe bet he’ll put himself on the open market — and if he does, he will not have any restrictions as far as the Browns matching the deal. Mack would have to consider that the 2016 offseason provides him his last, best chance for a big payday. Mack has grown into one of the best centers in the game, but he’s not known a winning season in Cleveland. His departure could be the fallout if 2015 does not go well.
Free agency need: Depth, depth, depth. Quality depth, not just bodies.
Draft priority: See above, the entry for “free agency need.”
