Bitonio Elite? - 08/20/15 12:14 PM
Browns expect ‘elite’ label to fit second-year guard Joel Bitonio, who’s eager for preseason test vs. Buffalo Bills
By Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal sports writer Link
The Browns aren’t afraid to significantly raise their expectations for left guard Joel Bitonio because they’re confident he’ll be able to meet the challenge in his second NFL season.
Coach Mike Pettine has publicly identified Bitonio as the Browns player most likely to break out during the upcoming season.
“I think he showed flashes of it as a rookie, and the way he has prepared himself for this season, I just think he is ready to take that next step,” Pettine said Tuesday after the Browns’ second and final training camp practice with the Buffalo Bills at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, N.Y. “... Our breakout players — we are building through our lines, and we think he is ready to take the next step.”
The “next step” for Bitonio would be to “put himself in the conversation to be among the elite” players at his position, Pettine said recently in an online video interview with Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer.
So what better way for Bitonio to prepare for the task than to test himself against a top-tier defensive line?
Bitonio and his partners on the offensive line received the opportunity during the recent joint practices, and they’ll get another taste when the Browns face the Bills in the second preseason game for both teams beginning at 8 p.m. Thursday at FirstEnergy Stadium. It will be televised nationally by ESPN.
“This year, we’re playing some real studs on the D-line,” Bitonio said. “[The Bills have] one of the best [defensive lines] in the league, so anytime you get some extra work with them, work some different moves you’re not used to seeing at practice, it’s going to help us out tremendously.”
The matchup should give the Bills an excellent trial run as well because the Browns have what is widely considered one of the best offensive lines in the league when healthy. Pettine said he expects most of his starters to play between 15-25 snaps.
In ProFootballFocus.com’s 2014 O-line rankings, the Browns finished sixth, even though two-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack missed 11 of 16 regular-season games with a fractured left fibula.
PFF ranked Bitonio fifth among 78 guards in the NFL last season. Eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas was ranked third among 84 tackles, Mack 10th among 41 centers, right guard John Greco 11th among 78 guards and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz 33rd among 84 tackles.
The Browns also drafted versatile offensive lineman Cameron Erving 19th overall in this year’s draft. So far, he has primarily worked as a backup right guard and left tackle.
“The whole group is a bunch of Pro Bowlers on both sides,” Bills coach Rex Ryan said of his defensive line squaring off against the Browns’ O-line. “Iron sharpens iron. You go against the best, and that is one of the best offensive lines in the league and certainly against one of the best if not the best defensive line in the league. When you get that kind of quality work against each other, that can only help.”
The Bills’ defensive line finished last season fourth against the run and first in pass rushing, according to FootballOutsiders.com’s 2014 D-line rankings. PFF ranked individual defensive linemen but not each team’s position group last year.
PFF ranked four-time Pro Bowler Mario Williams ninth and Jerry Hughes 14th among 59 defensive ends who played in a 4-3 scheme last season. The website ranked two-time Pro Bowl selection Marcell Dareus fourth and four-time Pro Bowler Kyle Williams in a tie for seventh among 81 defensive tackles.
“[The defensive line is] the strong point of their team,” Browns projected starting quarterback Josh McCown said. “It’s a good test and good matchup for us, for our guys.”
Everyone knows the Browns’ O-line is led by Thomas and Mack, but Bitonio has become a key cog since the franchise drafted him last year in the second round (35th overall) out of the University of Nevada. Pettine recalls Bitonio performing “like he’d been playing in the league for five years” right off the bat during his rookie season.
The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Bitonio went on to start all 16 regular-season games at left guard and play every offensive snap. He was the only offensive rookie selected to the Professional Football Writers of America’s All-AFC team.
“He is a guy that is very passionate and loves football, very competitive, very coachable,” Pettine said. “I would be shocked if he doesn’t take a big step forward in year two, which is saying a lot for a guy who played as well as [he did as] a rookie. He is all about football.”
Now the Browns are pushing Bitonio, 23, to reach an even higher level.
“For a young guy last year, he did not give up a lot of bad plays or make a lot of mistakes,” offensive line coach Andy Moeller said. “He’s even got to be more consistently good, and he was real good last year as a rookie. And that’s the challenge when you’re pretty good or good at something — it’s harder to get better. What’s the good thing about not being very good — well, there’s great opportunity to get better, right?
“So that’s going to be a challenge for him. But I reminded him right after the season, by no means has he arrived. He’s got to look across the league at the peers at his position, and if he wants to be something special, he’s got to play better than any of those guys.”
Bitonio has heard the message loud and clear.
“I think as a rookie, it was a real solid year for me,” Bitonio said. “I got lucky playing next to Joe, and Alex is back now. I think for me in year two, it’s just the little details.
“It’s just getting better at the details every little step. And Coach Moeller has really been on me this camp about perfecting the technique and perfecting things where last year he was like, ‘Oh, that was a good block.’ ”
Greco is convinced Bitonio has embraced the coaching staff’s demands.
“Joel, a guy that had a phenomenal rookie season, so far this camp,” Greco said, “I think he’s been really impressive doing everything he can to take that next step in his career.”
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ and on Facebook www.facebook.com/abj.sports.
By Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal sports writer Link
The Browns aren’t afraid to significantly raise their expectations for left guard Joel Bitonio because they’re confident he’ll be able to meet the challenge in his second NFL season.
Coach Mike Pettine has publicly identified Bitonio as the Browns player most likely to break out during the upcoming season.
“I think he showed flashes of it as a rookie, and the way he has prepared himself for this season, I just think he is ready to take that next step,” Pettine said Tuesday after the Browns’ second and final training camp practice with the Buffalo Bills at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, N.Y. “... Our breakout players — we are building through our lines, and we think he is ready to take the next step.”
The “next step” for Bitonio would be to “put himself in the conversation to be among the elite” players at his position, Pettine said recently in an online video interview with Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer.
So what better way for Bitonio to prepare for the task than to test himself against a top-tier defensive line?
Bitonio and his partners on the offensive line received the opportunity during the recent joint practices, and they’ll get another taste when the Browns face the Bills in the second preseason game for both teams beginning at 8 p.m. Thursday at FirstEnergy Stadium. It will be televised nationally by ESPN.
“This year, we’re playing some real studs on the D-line,” Bitonio said. “[The Bills have] one of the best [defensive lines] in the league, so anytime you get some extra work with them, work some different moves you’re not used to seeing at practice, it’s going to help us out tremendously.”
The matchup should give the Bills an excellent trial run as well because the Browns have what is widely considered one of the best offensive lines in the league when healthy. Pettine said he expects most of his starters to play between 15-25 snaps.
In ProFootballFocus.com’s 2014 O-line rankings, the Browns finished sixth, even though two-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack missed 11 of 16 regular-season games with a fractured left fibula.
PFF ranked Bitonio fifth among 78 guards in the NFL last season. Eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas was ranked third among 84 tackles, Mack 10th among 41 centers, right guard John Greco 11th among 78 guards and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz 33rd among 84 tackles.
The Browns also drafted versatile offensive lineman Cameron Erving 19th overall in this year’s draft. So far, he has primarily worked as a backup right guard and left tackle.
“The whole group is a bunch of Pro Bowlers on both sides,” Bills coach Rex Ryan said of his defensive line squaring off against the Browns’ O-line. “Iron sharpens iron. You go against the best, and that is one of the best offensive lines in the league and certainly against one of the best if not the best defensive line in the league. When you get that kind of quality work against each other, that can only help.”
The Bills’ defensive line finished last season fourth against the run and first in pass rushing, according to FootballOutsiders.com’s 2014 D-line rankings. PFF ranked individual defensive linemen but not each team’s position group last year.
PFF ranked four-time Pro Bowler Mario Williams ninth and Jerry Hughes 14th among 59 defensive ends who played in a 4-3 scheme last season. The website ranked two-time Pro Bowl selection Marcell Dareus fourth and four-time Pro Bowler Kyle Williams in a tie for seventh among 81 defensive tackles.
“[The defensive line is] the strong point of their team,” Browns projected starting quarterback Josh McCown said. “It’s a good test and good matchup for us, for our guys.”
Everyone knows the Browns’ O-line is led by Thomas and Mack, but Bitonio has become a key cog since the franchise drafted him last year in the second round (35th overall) out of the University of Nevada. Pettine recalls Bitonio performing “like he’d been playing in the league for five years” right off the bat during his rookie season.
The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Bitonio went on to start all 16 regular-season games at left guard and play every offensive snap. He was the only offensive rookie selected to the Professional Football Writers of America’s All-AFC team.
“He is a guy that is very passionate and loves football, very competitive, very coachable,” Pettine said. “I would be shocked if he doesn’t take a big step forward in year two, which is saying a lot for a guy who played as well as [he did as] a rookie. He is all about football.”
Now the Browns are pushing Bitonio, 23, to reach an even higher level.
“For a young guy last year, he did not give up a lot of bad plays or make a lot of mistakes,” offensive line coach Andy Moeller said. “He’s even got to be more consistently good, and he was real good last year as a rookie. And that’s the challenge when you’re pretty good or good at something — it’s harder to get better. What’s the good thing about not being very good — well, there’s great opportunity to get better, right?
“So that’s going to be a challenge for him. But I reminded him right after the season, by no means has he arrived. He’s got to look across the league at the peers at his position, and if he wants to be something special, he’s got to play better than any of those guys.”
Bitonio has heard the message loud and clear.
“I think as a rookie, it was a real solid year for me,” Bitonio said. “I got lucky playing next to Joe, and Alex is back now. I think for me in year two, it’s just the little details.
“It’s just getting better at the details every little step. And Coach Moeller has really been on me this camp about perfecting the technique and perfecting things where last year he was like, ‘Oh, that was a good block.’ ”
Greco is convinced Bitonio has embraced the coaching staff’s demands.
“Joel, a guy that had a phenomenal rookie season, so far this camp,” Greco said, “I think he’s been really impressive doing everything he can to take that next step in his career.”
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Browns blog at www.ohio.com/browns. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ and on Facebook www.facebook.com/abj.sports.