Browns feel no need to be defensive about their offensive line

BEREA, Ohio -- Everyone knows the Browns are a young team with many unanswered questions. One of the questions may surprise you.

Could the offensive line be one of the best in the NFL?

"It's going to be a work in progress, but all the potential is there to be one of the best in the league. There's no doubt about that," said right tackle Tony Pashos.

Nobody doubts the quality of three-fifths of the starting unit -- left tackle Joe Thomas, left guard Eric Steinbach and center Alex Mack. The right side has been the problem. The Browns addressed that problem this off-season by ... doing nothing. Well, they did subtract veteran tackle John St. Clair and failed to re-sign free agent Floyd Womack. But, essentially, they stood pat as second-year guard Shawn Lauvao and Pashos came back from injuries.

Lauvao suffered a high ankle sprain a few days before the 2010 season opener. He was never right in a trying rookie season. Pashos tore a tendon in an ankle early in the first Pittsburgh game in October and was shut down for surgery.

As a result, the Browns suffered four different guard-tackle combinations on the right side.

"Last year we kind of lacked that cohesiveness and stability," Lauvao said. "At the same time, you want guys comfortable with each other."

Lauvao clearly was uncomfortable in his first rookie camp.

"It's definitely night and day with Coach [Pat] Shurmur compared to Coach [Eric] Mangini, just the way things are run and the way people are picking things up," he said.

Was it a culture shock for the third-round pick from Arizona State?

"Not necessarily culture shock," he answered. "But just kind of the atmosphere of what was expected. It was pretty physically demanding and it was frustrating my body didn't hold up the way I wanted to. People have different philosophies and views of things."

Pashos was out of sight and mind after his first season with the Browns was submarined by the ankle injury. It was the second NFL campaign in a row Pashos failed to stay healthy. Critics howled for a new right tackle in the draft or free agency, someone to depend on.

"I think my coaches and guys around me know I'm definitely that guy," Pashos said. "Now it's up to me to get back in the groove of things, set my feet and go. Hopefully I've got that [injury] bug out of me."

The starting unit has been intact for two weeks at practice. There is depth with versatile veterans Billy Yates, John Greco and Steve Vallos, and young up-and-comers like Branndon Braxton and Jason Pinkston. The line is one area of comfort for the new coaching staff implementing the West Coast offense, one less thing to worry about.

"They are the strong point on our offense," said quarterback Colt McCoy. "They are the foundation of what we need to do. Those guys are playing well."

Last year's offense was an unsolved Rubik's cube. Whatever was installed was eroded by multiple injuries at the quarterback position. But the one thing last year's Browns were able to do offensively was create a smash-mouth mentality running the ball.

Now that the Browns have joined the modern era and are attempting to throw the ball, you wonder if the gains made in the running game will carry over.

"Oh yeah," Pashos said. "You can't lose that. That's in the bank. That's the foundation now. That's stored away. Peyton Hillis ain't going away and neither is the running game.

"We have the ability to do what we're geared to do -- pound it and throw it when we need it. Peyton's a stud, you know that. Then when teams have to address that, then we can go to the outside."

McCoy points out, "For this offense to work, we've got to throw and catch the football. That's the bottom line."

McCoy is not concerned about weakening the running game by emphasizing the new pass offense in camp.

"I think the great thing about this offense is it plays to your strengths," he said. "Part of the West Coast is throwing and catching the football. But you've got a guy like Peyton in the backfield. You've got an experienced offensive line. And you've got coaches who've won a lot of games. So they're going to put us in situations based on what we do well and we're going to make it work."

Offensive line as a team strength? It can be if the right side comes through.

Original story:

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/08/cleveland_browns_feel_no_need.html