@ithika said:

the AFC north is full of talented linemen. birk, mack, and pouncey are all very good

you also have to look at guys from the east like mangold for the jets, jeff hangartner from the bills, and dan koppen from the pats

then shift to the south where the up and coming titans and texans both have talented centers in eugene amano who took over for mawae and chris meyers who is helping to block for one of the top rushing attacks in the league

in the west you got guys like nick hardwick and casey wiegman who started for the broncos the past few seasons and now starts for the best running team in the league and the surprise team in the league the chiefs

and i havent even mentioned the talented centers in the NFC........o'hare, goodwin, faine(who is hurt right now), baas etc....and thats just to name a few

like i said.....i cant put mack in the top tier yet....but i do think he is in the next tier of centers in the league and he is still young with a lot of room to improve

@ithika said:

i know you guys like to think that im not paying attention the the browns just because im a saints fan

most of the time i have the saints game on my computer and next to me on TV is the browns game

i know you mean offense even tho you pretend like you dont and everybody here acts like i dont know anything about what im saying

in fact i do pay attention and i am a browns fan as well as a saints fan.....regardless of my first affiliation i am an avid football fan and i can appreciate all the teams in the league even if i dont follow one as much as the other

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writ...ards/index.html

C Alex Mack

Cleveland Browns

Some thought the 21st pick was too high for Mack in 2009. Now, he's a franchise player.

@ithika said:

off the top of my head i can name a few centers that are better than him and thats why i cant put him in the top 10 just yet

i know he is good and it wont be long before you group him in with the birks and mangolds but in his second year i just think its too early

im not saying hes the 15th best center....im saying that he is within the top 15 without question but its debatable to put him in the top 10 IMO

@cantonlegend said:

hank fraley was above average but mack is quickly becoming one of the better centers in the league

i wouldnt say top 10 yet but he is a top 15 and is getting better and better

it helps to have steinbach next to you but he isnt getting a whole lotta help from the right side

Theres 32 teams in the NFL being the 15th best Center would make him average, that he is not my friend. Top 5 and probable the 2nd or 3rd best center in the AFC is what Mack has been. Also look for him to make the pro bowl as an alternate behind Mangold. Are you serious about the right side of the line? Have you watched the last two games? Ever since Sh!tclaire got hurt and Womack moved to right tackle and with the emergence of Yates at right guard crushing people, its been pretty solid, in fact the NFL network did a playbook show this week with a snipet of how well Billy Yates and the line had been playing! No offense but you're a Saints fan who knows very little about this team advice to others is not recommended if you don't know what you're talking about bro.

Heres an article to what John Madden thinks about this Oline..

http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/articl...1c-f3b701322c12

John Madden recognized the Browns offensive line as the Madden Most Valuable Protectors for Week 9.

CINCINNATI, OH (November 10, 2010) – For the second straight game, the Cleveland Browns offense used a poised, confident and physical ground-oriented attack to take down one of the league’s elite teams, earning an impressive 34-14 victory over the New England Patriots Sunday afternoon. The Browns offensive line now joins the list of this year’s contenders for the 2nd annual Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award, presented by Prilosec OTC. The award honors the NFL’s best offensive line and will be presented during the week of Super Bowl XLV which will be played on February 6, 2011 in North Texas.

The Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award recognizes the fundamental role offensive linemen play in their teams’ success by providing consistent and reliable protection day in and day out, just as Prilosec OTC provides 24-hour heartburn protection when used as directed. For more information on the Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award presented by Prilosec OTC, visit www.MaddenProtectorsAward.com.

The Cleveland offensive line is anchored by tackles JOE THOMAS (Wisconsin) and FLOYD WOMACK (Mississippi State). Guards ERIC STEINBACH (Iowa) and BILLY YATES (Texas A&M) provide the interior blocking while center ALEX MACK (California) is in his second season. Rookie guard SHAWN LAUVAO (Arizona State) also saw action Sunday. GEORGE WARHOP is in his 2nd season as the Browns offensive line coach.

Two weeks ago, Cleveland used solid defense and offensive trickery to defeat the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, 30-17. Sunday, running back PEYTON HILLIS (Arkansas) bulldozed his way to a career-best 184 yards on the ground on a career-high 29 carries to help the Browns defeat the New England Patriots, who entered the contest with the league’s best record. Cleveland’s offensive line was particularly impressive in the second half, with Hillis carrying 18 times for 111 yards and a 35-yard touchdown. Browns quarterback COLT McCOY (Texas) was 14-for-19 for 174 yards and did not commit a turnover. McCoy efficiently directed his team to scoring drives in each of the four quarters to help Cleveland record their most impressive victory of the season. The Browns offensive line was sound throughout the game helping achieve season highs in points (34), first downs (22), total yards (404) and dominate the time of possession (38:08 to 21:52). The Browns offensive line did not allow a sack Sunday and committed just one penalty. Cleveland scored rushing touchdowns in each quarter and added field goals on their first drives of the first and fourth quarters.

“Cleveland’s offense is starting to click now as the line is creating the space needed for Peyton Hillis to pick up big chunks of yards at a time,” said Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach JOHN MADDEN. “You can tell how much the Browns offensive line is growing together and becoming more physical and confident with each passing week in both their run blocking and pass protection.”

@ucraider said:

mack looks to be exactly what the browns were looking for in a center

hank fraley was above average but mack is quickly becoming one of the better centers in the league

i wouldnt say top 10 yet but he is a top 15 and is getting better and better

it helps to have steinbach next to you but he isnt getting a whole lotta help from the right side

Mack has looked really good he is definitely all pro material!

This sunday the jets think sione pouha is going to manhandle alex mack, i think mack finds a way to render pouha ineffective..

Now that Hadnot could be out of the picture, What if the best combo is Fraley, Mack at C, RG.

Right now my guess is Thomas, Steinbach, Mack, Tucker, St. Clair, but I was just wondering about Mack at guard.

@medicineman said:

I hope we cut Hank because Hadnot can also play center

@kosar_for_president said:

We still need a RT for the future

• Rookie C Alex Mack had a nice pancake block on DL Shaun Rogers

http://cle.scout.com/2/885018.html

@ucraider said:

I am a huge Cal Berkeley fan and I am pretty pleased Mack ended up in Cleveland. I think he will be the center you guys were expecting from that kid from New Orleans a few years back.

They guy is absolutely awesome in both the run and pass. He is a big reason why Cal's running game has been so strong. He plows holes big enough for me to gain five yards a rush! Okay, maybe not that big...

Has he been anointed the starting center or is he battling for the spot? Have they tried sticking him at guard?

Looks like we are playing again this year. 🥷

Hey, I didn't delete anything- good to see you back. I'll be surprised if Mack isn't the starting center by opening day.

@kosar_for_president said:

As expected, Mack has struggled a bit but had a solid practice today. I haven't seen him in any of the groupings as a guard. I think the feeling is he has enough on his plate learning to calls the center position.

@jadbf said:

Good lord I am begining to hate technology....

Dude, nobody is upset or worried, its just some camp stuff. No biggie. We get it.

Per OBR Tweets from the camp.

?????

@solon16 said:

If he stays healthy, there is no reason he should not dominate. He is a powerful run blocker who should open huge holes for your backs. He played in the zone blocking scheme in college, what system does Cleveland run?

The only weakness in his game right now is, when he hits the 2nd level, he tends to drive himself to the ground with the defender instead of staying on his feet. He's an extremely intelligent kid and he has developed through hard work as he is not the greatest athlete around. His technique is top notch and he was far and away the best center to come out in years.