It’s not too late. Before pushing the big Orange and Brown panic button, fans should remember of course that this is merely the first preseason game. A lot can still happen. But as of right now, John “The Turnstile” St. Clair is still your starting right tackle.
Last year I sat down to watch the season opener and became instantly concerned with the man the Browns had chosen to replace Kevin Shaffer-
I am concerned about St. Clair. It doesn’t appear to me that we have solved the right tackle problem at all. I hope that I am wrong, but it seems like our new tackle is a lot like the old one (Shaffer) in that he will struggle against the speed rush from the edge.
The rest of the season did little to change that point of view. St. Clair earned the dubious nickname of “The Turnstile” from me, which in case you are wondering is not good for an offensive lineman. In our “Holmgren reports” during the winter I implored the Browns to make a move at the RT spot-
St. Clair got beat every way imaginable this season. Speed rushes, double moves, spins. You name it. He is a much better run blocker than pass protector. I will give him credit for running downfield and making blocks fifteen yards away from the line during Harrison’s magical game. But that alone isn’t enough to give him the starting spot on this team…Womack is worth keeping for depth purposes. I’m really not a fan of St. Clair’s work. I would make right tackle a decent priority if I were Holmgren. Conventional wisdom says you don’t draft a right tackle. Let’s be unconventional. I’m not saying draft a tackle in the first round, but I would certainly identify someone for the third through fifth round that you like. Otherwise, we’ll be bringing in yet another discarded tackle. You don’t want to make the offensive line a patch-work position every year. It just doesn’t work. Since Fraley and Womack are both free agents after this season I would say finding a guard in the draft would be a wise move.
Here’s the thing. I never would have imagined that the Browns would even consider entering this season with St. Clair starting again. The Browns did draft a guard- Shawn Lauvao. They also picked up a tackle in free agency- Tony Pashos. The prevailing thought was either Pashos would win the job, or Lauvao would win the RG spot, moving Womack over to tackle. But Pashos has missed time during camp due to food poisoning and hasn’t been able to take hold of the job. rookie Lauvao is learning, and may end up starting by the time regular season rolls around, but for now he is still a rookie and not in the starting five.
St. Clair is not a horrible run blocker. But he is below average in pass protection. Hopefully Pashos and Laovao make this article irrelevant by the time the season starts for real.
(Photo Credit: Joe Rubino)