Offensive line coach Bill Callahan (10.8.21)
On how G Blake Hance and T James Hudson III have progressed at LT:
“All of those guys have worked considerably hard transitioning to that spot, and especially for a rookie like James Hudson, we have given him a lot of work not only on the left side but the right side. He has also had work on the inside positions, as well. He has come along good. He got a little work last week against the Vikings, which I thought was really positive. Any time a young guy can get on the field, it is invaluable. I think he has learned from that experience, and hopefully, he can build on it, as well. That is our plan for him. Of course, you look at a guy like Blake Hance who is an interesting guy. He is smart. He is dependable. He can get in all of the right positions. He can play across the board, and not many players can do that. He can play the tackle position. He can play the guard position and the center position. He is extremely versatile as an offensive lineman. Usually, those guys are stuck into a two-way position, but he gives us flexibility across the board, which is a real positive for us.”
On how difficult it for an OL with instability in the lineup, particularly at LT:
“I would not say it is instability. It is cohesion. As a coach, you are always preparing all of your players to start. I always go by the mantra that there is no such thing as backups. If you are in the line room, you are a potential starter, and you have to prepare like a starter and practice like a starter so that it is a seamless transition when you enter the game. That is how I feel. When those guys come in, I am not nervous. I am really confident that they are going to play hard, they are going to play well and they know what to do. That gives me great hope with these young guys. They want to play. They want to get out there and be their best. It is just a different mindset for us than maybe somebody else.”
On G Joel Bitonio making his 100th career start and former Browns T Joe Thomas saying Bitonio may be the best G in the NFL:
“How about that? It is awesome. It is awesome. No doubt, if not one of the best. He is fun to be around. He is one of those vets who learns every day. He has such a great thirst for the game, and he just loves sports. He is always around the game. He is following every sport around, whatever it is baseball or basketball. It is good dialogue in the O line room. It is good fun. As a pro, he is well prepared. He is smart. He is a great note-taker. He is an intense film looker. He looks at film day in and day out. He comes back in with questions. The dialogue between us is interesting because he will say, ‘Hey, did you look at this, Coach? Did you see this guy? Did you see where they put this end over me instead of on the outside in certain situations?’ The dialogue is really good, but his work ethic, I have never been around one of the hardest-working guards in the league, and he ranks right up there with some of the players that I have had in the past. From that standpoint, the work ethic, the smarts and of course the performance, all ties in.”
On if T Jedrick Wills Jr’s. performance has slipped at all while battling the ankle injury:
“I love the way that he has battled through. He practices hard. He pushes through. When you are injured, it is constant 24/7 rehabbing. Coming into the room, he has his ice bucket right in the room. He is continually rehabbing and addressing his injury to get better. He has made great strides so I really hope for him that he will be ready.”
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