Entering Training Camp, Padded Practices, It's All About the Offensive Line

For the Cleveland Browns, the offense is supposed to be the engine of the team and most people feel pretty good about everything, but the offensive line is the major question mark.

Nick Chubb is great. Baker Mayfield should be better. Odell Beckham can't be worse. Jarvis Landry hopefully has a great season that's pain free. Austin Hooper should only help and Kareem Hunt gets to start the season as opposed to waiting until the halfway point.

The Browns offensive line isn't hurting on talent, but there's a sense of needing to see it to believe it. Joel Bitonio and J.C. Tretter are stalwarts. Jack Conklin should be a huge addition, but he has yet to be seen doing it in an orange helmet. Wyatt Teller hopefully seizes the right guard spot, improving on a difficult transition last year. Jedrick Wills is a rookie.

All the pieces are there for the Browns to be good up front and three of them should be great. It's a question of how good the other two can be. Teller was far better than given credit for last year but he has been an underwhelming run blocker who simply hadn't played right guard. For all the talent he has, Wills is 21 years old who will be tasked with blocking Myles Garrett and Adrian Clayborn in training camp before facing Matt Judon week one of the season.

Wills might be the worst player on the line this year and that could be the best case scenario for this team. That's the level of talent the Browns have. If Teller improves upon last year, the Browns will have a solid right side and simply waiting for Wills to grow into the league.

That doesn't mean Wills can go out and struggle, but it's a difficult position to come in and play at a high level. Joe Thomas was 23 in his rookie season when he earned a trip to the Pro Bowl. Wills celebrated his 21st birthday in May after the Browns selected him 10th overall.

Bill Callahan is a fantastic offensive line coach, so the offensive line and Wills in particular are in great hands. There's a significant emphasis on how Wills will translate to the left tackle spot and maybe that comes up from time to time in training camp when he suddenly has to protect Mayfield's blind side, but it's more a question of how he will be adjust to the physicality.

Wills is remarkably strong and showed tremendous power at the collegiate level. He's able to engage his hips and demonstrate excellent functional strength. Garrett is arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL and Clayborn is virtually identical in terms of his sheer size. It's a tall order and a trial by fire, which could be great for Wills, who will have to face the likes of Matthew Judon, Carlos Dunlap and Chase Young the first three weeks of the season.

It's disappointing that Andrew Billings won't be there. Not because he made a bad decision, because he didn't. He made the right decision for himself. It's disappointing that he won't be there to help the offensive line get better, trying to move him from the line of scrimmage or anchor against his size and power.

Sheldon Richardson is a tremendous player and Olivier Vernon should against Jack Conklin could be one of the best matchups in camp this year. The offensive lines should be well prepared to take on their schedule this year. That's important, especially on a truncated timeline to get ready to compete.

There are other positions that bear watching including linebacker and the secondary, but none of them will be as important to the success of the team as the offensive line. They must be a good offense if they are going to compete for the playoffs this year. The offensive line must be at least functional for that to happen.