Wyatt Teller Has Become A Star For The Cleveland Browns

When then-Cleveland Browns GM John Dorsey acquired right guard Wyatt Teller from the Buffalo, he didn’t seem to know exactly what he was getting.

“It gives us some depth at the position,” Dorsey said during a halftime interview of the Browns’ preseason finale in 2019 right after Teller was acquired. “He started seven games in the NFL. He’s a younger guy and he has some upside. I liked him in college and you can’t have enough good football players.”

The Bills didn’t either apparently. All it took for the Browns to get Teller was fifth and sixth round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft. Teller was merely a solid last year, still making him good value for two late round picks. But this year, the 26-year-old, 6’4”, 315-pound Teller ascended to another level.

He pops on tape, even if you’re not necessarily looking specifically at guard play. Last week in the Browns’ win over the Philadelphia Eagles, for instance, he and center J.C. Tretter pull out ahead of Kareem Hunt. Tretter does his job and picks up on Eagles defender. But Teller whacks one back — No. 21, Jalen Mills, who Hunt that hurdles — and Teller moves onto another. And as Hunt leaps, Teller walls multiple Eagles off so Hunt has enough room to land in the end zone.

That’s beyond average, serviceable guard play. That’s top-of the-the position level play. Whether it’s in pass or run protection, Teller mauls opposing lineman. Even if he’s moving back, Teller generate so much power that he’s crushing opponents . And when Teller pulls, he’s a human wrecking ball that is going to create space to Hunt or Nick Chubb. He’s so effective what Kevin Stefanski schemes him pulling.

When Teller missed a few games this season, the Browns offense still had some moments. Chris Hubbard, his replacement, is a serviceable offensive lineman and a good piece for team to have if/when injuries happen. But he is not capable of what Teller did against the Eagles or what he’s capable of on a week-to-week basis.

For the Browns, part of the beauty of the Teller trade is that they have elite guard on a bargain of a contract through next season. Because he’s on a rookie contract for a fifth-round pick, he’ll make less than $1 million next season. If Teller keeps playing at or close to this level, that remains a steal.

Beyond that, an extension for Teller would make a lot of sense for Cleveland to pursue. When his rookie deal ends, Teller will only be 27 — well within what should be his prime years. If the Browns continue to build their offense around a strong run game and passing plays based on the threat of that, Teller is going to be an integral piece. It would make a lot of sense to lock him up and keep the current line — Jedrick Wills, Joel Bitonio, J.C. Tretter, Teller and Jack Conklin — in place. Aside from Teller, each one of those players is signed through the 2022 season.

What an extension for Teller would look like right now is hard to know exactly. For one, revenue losses from the coronavirus pandemic will surely affect spending in some way, even if that way isn’t clear just year. Secondly, Teller hasn’t played at a sustained elite level like Colts guard Quentin Nelson. Who, coincidentally, could hit free agency the same year as Teller.

Because of that, it might be a little too aggressive for the Browns to offer a top of the market deal at the end of the season. Per Over The Cap, that would be $15 million per year for a right guard. Teller, on the other hand, could choose to bet on himself and wait to sign a new deal. It would probably make sense for him to do so.

Regardless of what happens here, whether Teller sustains this level of play or not, he’s exceeded any realistic expectations that could have been set when Dorsey acquired him. Teller has become something much more than depth and a smart football player with some upside.