Nate UlrichAkron Beacon Journal
BEREA — Some teachers are so good at their jobs that you can't help but respect them, even if you don't like their personalities or agree with their philosophies.
Do you gain knowledge from them? Absolutely.
Are they popular with the entire student body? Not at all.
This analogy is one way to explain what the Browns had the past four seasons with Bill Callahan coaching their offensive line.
Old-school, tough and demanding, Callahan coaches with an edge and clashes with players at times. He also makes them better.
Playing for Callahan isn't particularly fun, but winning is enjoyable, and his offensive lines have a track record of success.
For the first time in the coach Kevin Stefanski era, the Browns won't have Callahan when they begin the season. The Browns allowed Callahan to make a lateral move to Tennessee after the Titans hired his son Brian as their head coach in January.
The loss shouldn't be dismissed as a minor development for the Browns, especially with quarterback Deshaun Watson coming off major surgery to his throwing shoulder.
In the first four games alone, Watson and the Browns are scheduled to face the Dallas Cowboys' Micah Parsons (14 sacks in 2023) on Sunday, the Jacksonville Jaguars' Josh Hines-Allen (17.5 sacks) and Travon Walker (10 sacks) on Sept. 15, the New York Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux (11.5 sacks) and Brian Burns (eight sacks) on Sept. 22 and the Las Vegas Raiders' Maxx Crosby (14.5 sacks) and Malcolm Koonce (eight sacks) on Sept. 29.
Callahan isn't just an O-line coach. He's one of the greatest O-line coaches of all time.
The Browns were right to let Callahan join his son's coaching staff. Whether they were wise to allow his right-hand man to leave Cleveland for the New England Patriots isn't as obvious.
Browns linemen routinely praised Scott Peters for his work since 2020 as Callahan's assistant O-line coach. They lauded his ability to teach techniques needed for combat in the trenches.
Browns brass, however, preferred Andy Dickerson, favoring his grasp of schemes and game planning coming off two seasons as the Seattle Seahawks O-line coach. In February, the Browns hired Dickerson as their new O-line coach.
The Patriots hired Peters to guide their shaky O-line, so he has reunited with Alex Van Pelt, Cleveland's former offensive coordinator who was swapped out this offseason for Ken Dorsey.
Roy Istvan is Dickerson's Browns assistant after holding the same position with the Philadelphia Eagles (2019-23).
Like Peters, Dickerson considers Callahan a coaching influence.
In 2011, Dickerson served as Callahan's O-line assistant with the New York Jets. Dickerson has spoken about Callahan and the big shoes he left behind at Browns headquarters in Berea. Dickerson knows he must be himself as he tries to replace a legend. His approach includes taking input from players and collaborating with them more than Callahan did.
In the infancy of Dickerson's tenure, the O-line did not have an ideal training camp.
Jack Conklin returns to practice as the Cleveland Browns await a comeback from Jedrick Wills Jr.
With Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin sidelined as they rehabilitated from 2023 knee surgeries, backups James Hudson III, Hakeem Adeniji and Germain Ifedi struggled while rotating at left tackle with the first-team offense. When it comes to pass protection, joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings on Aug. 14 and 15 were disastrous, and Stefanski had identified the sessions as the most important of camp.
Hudson is on the 53-man roster, Adeniji is on injured reserve (knee) and Ifedi is on the practice squad. Upgraded personnel could be the cure for what ailed the O-line in camp, but pre-snap penalties and communication issues plagued the unit with the Vikings in town, and those issues pointed to Dickerson needing to stabilize the group.
Last week, Conklin returned to practice and appears ready to give left tackle a shot while the Browns await the comeback of Wills, their regular starter at the position. Conklin played left tackle at Michigan State, starting 35 games there and three at right tackle during his collegiate career (2013-15). Yet, he has been a right tackle in the NFL and an All Pro in 2016 with the Titans and 2020 with the Browns.
As long as Conklin and Wills can combine to give the Browns a starting left tackle, Dickerson will have more than enough talent at his disposal to prove life after Callahan will be good on Cleveland's O-line. Six-time Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio, three-time Pro Bowl right guard Wyatt Teller and center Ethan Pocic are reliable veterans. Right tackle Dawand Jones had a promising rookie season in 2023.
Speaking of Teller, Pocic and Jones, they're examples of Callahan getting the most out of players. The Buffalo Bills traded Teller for late-round draft picks in 2019. The Seahawks let Pocic walk in free agency after the 2021 season. Jones fell to the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft despite elite talent and freakish size (6 feet, 8 inches and 374 pounds). Then the Ohio State product vomited at the beginning of rookie minicamp before hitting his stride in the regular season.
Joel Bitonio is used to Browns changes: New coaches, new scheme, no problem for Pro Bowl guard
How did Browns and Seahawks perform on the offensive line under Bill Callahan and Andy Dickerson from a Pro Football Focus perspective?
Wrecked by injuries, the Browns finished 22nd last season in ProFootballFocus.com's offensive line rankings. They were sixth in 2022, eighth in 2021 and first in 2020. In PFF's O-line pass blocking efficiency rating, the Browns were tied for 17th last season and finished 13th in 2022, 15th in 2021 and second in 2020.
Under Dickerson, the Seahawks were 28th last season and 27th in 2022 in PFF's O-line rankings. They tied for 27th last season and finished 23rd in 2022 in O-line pass blocking efficiency rating.
The Browns have a strong enough O-line roster to overcome a rough training camp and excel with Dickerson.
Still, whether it will happen is one of the main questions about the 2024 season.
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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
