Position Recap: Offensive line

01.18.2008

The following is the seventh in a series of features recapping the Browns' 2007 season position by position.

Overview: Some might say it began in March with the signing of Eric Steinbach as the team's marquee free agent signing in 2007. Others might say it started a year before with the acquisition of Kevin Shaffer and, later, Hank Fraley before the '06 season. While still others might say the turnaround for the Browns offensive line didn't truly come to be until the team drafted Joe Thomas third overall at the '07 draft. Either way, the improvement up front for the Browns offense in '07 not only was the team's most profound and notable change from '06 but from the club's previous eight years in Cleveland.

The offensive line went from being a weakness to a strength of the Browns offense. The line, featuring rookie left tackle Thomas, who was named to his first Pro Bowl two weeks ago, first-year Brown left guard Steinbach, center Fraley, right guards Seth McKinney and Ryan Tucker (each for eight games) and right tackle Shaffer, kept quarterback Derek Anderson upright all year long and helped Jamal Lewis rush for more than 1,300 yards.

Meanwhile, as is vitally important for any offensive line, the unit stayed virtually injury free with each opening-day starter starting all 16 games besides McKinney, who was placed on injured-reserve midway through the year with a shoulder injury. Tucker took over from there and was more than sufficient for the remainder of the season.

On the reserve front, center/guard Lennie Friedman led the way playing in all 16 games mostly on special teams but also was inserted in goal line situations. Backup tackle Nat Dorsey played in 5 games, while Isaac Sowells was inactive for 15 games and was active but didn't play in the other.

The team also finished the season with backup center and former Steeler Marvin Philip on the roster.

MVP: Thomas was named to his first Pro Bowl earlier in January but Steinbach was the big-name free agent signing for a reason and probably the biggest explanation behind the big turnaround up front. The 27-year-old lineman immediately made his impact felt on the field, while the Bengals were clearly missing him in Cincinnati during a disappointing 7-9 season.

Key Stat: Charlie Frye was sacked 5 times in the first quarter and a half against Pittsburgh in the season opener. After that, in 15-plus games Anderson was sacked only 14 times. In five games Anderson wasn't sacked at all and in eight of his starts he was sacked only once. The team finished the season with nine consecutive games allowing one sack or fewer.

High point: As it was a highlight for the offense as a whole, the offensive line helped the Browns score 51 points during a 51-45 win over the Bengals on Sept. 16. During the game, the line helped Lewis rush for 216 yards, while Anderson threw for 328 yards and 5 touchdowns and wasn't sacked.

Areas of concern: Depth could become a strength or a weakness heading into '08. It will depend on the whether the team brings back McKinney, who can become a free agent in March, as well as whether LeCharles Bentley returns to the mix. Bentley spent the season on the physically unable to perform list, still recovering from knee injuries stemming from a '06 training camp injury, and hasn't played a game since '05. Meanwhile, Friedman also is eligible for free agency.

What's ahead: Possibly the best part about the Browns' offensive line is that it's not going anywhere. All five players who finished the season as starters in '07 are under contract for '08, Thomas should only get better at the left tackle spot, and Steinbach is in the prime of his career.