RG Wyatt Teller (5.22.24)
So, you’ve worked with Bill (Callahan) for so long. How different, weird has it been to have a different person at the front of the meeting room in the O-Line room?
“Yeah, no, it’s a transition. You know, I’ve had a lot of my friends send me Tennessee Titans videos of the heavy bag and all the toys we used to play with and before those guys, before it was viral, we were doing that and you guys all saw it. It wasn’t fun, but it was good work. And I know that he’s going to get those guys working down there in Tennessee. Here we’re working. I mean, sweating, it’s a good day, but it was a lot of work. I mean, techniques and stuff like that are slightly different, but at the end of the day, I mean, there’s so many, for lack of a better term, there’s so many ways you can skin a cat. It’s the same stuff. X’s and O’s are X’s and O’s, technique is going to change slightly.”
What’s it been like working with Andy (Dickerson) and Roy (Istvan) then and just your first impressions of them? It seems like Andy especially is pretty, like hands-on loud.
“Yeah, well, I would say Bill (Callahan) was pretty hands-on. He’d get in your face if you messed up, but no, very much so. It’s just a very different energy. You know, Bill, I don’t think Bill wasn’t – I mean, he would raise his voice, but he wasn’t the one who’s screaming. Usually he’d get coach (Scott) Peters to start screaming at us if we really messed up, but no, you know, Coach Andy (Dickerson), he’s awesome. You know, he’s getting after us, making sure we’re running, making sure that we’re going to the right places and everything like that. I mean, that doesn’t change from coach to coach. But, yeah, no, it’s a little bit of a transition. It’s different. But at the end of the day, he learned under Bill. So, a lot of his techniques, a lot of his jargon is Bill stuff.”
When you guys are looking at some of these changes that have been implemented with Ken Dorsey in control of that offensive coordinator position, what excites you the most about what this team could do this season?
“Yeah, I mean, we have, you know, what he did with Josh Allen. I mean, I was there with him for a year. He was the quarterback coach, not the OC, but (Brian) Daboll was. And, you know, the things that they were able to do there. I wasn’t a part of that team, I got traded here, thank God, but I got traded here and so I knew (Ken) Dorsey a little bit. But, yeah, no, I think that what he did in Buffalo is amazing. You know, I loved AVP (Alex Van Pelt), but, you know, that’s the way the NFL works. A lot of turnover and it is what it is. But, you know, I think that we’re doing great. I think that there’s a lot of studying because things are going to change a little bit. But like I said, the plays, you know, when I was young, learning what a duo block was, that was hard. Now it’s just like, okay, ‘What words are we using to define this play?’”
Seattle, he’s (Andy Dickerson) been there the last few years, but they were much like you guys. The team that liked to run the ball, power was sort of the name of their game offensively. When you watch what Seattle did and now what you guys do, you see similarities?
“Yeah, I mean, we’ve watched Seattle (Seahawks) films, so I’m guessing the plays are going to be similar. No, it’s one of those things that like, as you’re like, watching plays and stuff like that, you’re seeing that he has this film because that’s what he wrote down and he knows what’s on the play list. So, we’re going to watch those plays the same place we had plays like that. Instead of going through a million clips and being all right, these three – hey, I already know the clips from the game. But, yeah, I think that those guards, those tackles, they’re big guys. You know, I think that’s very, very similar to us. I’m not 340. Their guards were big, big boys for a long time. But, you know, they’ve always been good players, every single one of them. So you know, work’s cut out for us. We know we’re going to have to work, but we’re excited. I think that coach is getting us in the right direction.”
Wyatt, you and Joel (Bitonio) are some of the best in the game when it comes to the pull game and getting to the second level. Kevin (Stefanski) has talked about that’s going to stay in the scheme with Ken (Dorsey). So how excited are you that you know something you seem to really enjoy doing, those pancakes down the field. You’re still, even though some things philosophically are changing, that element is going to stay in?
“Yeah. At the end of the day, while our OC has changed, our offensive line coach has changed – our head coach is the same, and it’s his offense, right? So, like I said, the X’s and O’s haven’t changed. Now, the words we’re going to be using the way we’re going to be utilizing stuff, that’s the difference in the OC and stuff like that. But I truly believe that Kevin (Stefanski), you know, Kevin’s damn good at what he does, and I have full faith in him. You know, this offense, it’s going to be – just from the little glimpses, you know, it’s potent if we have the right people in the right places. So, I said this every single year, and I’ll say it again, if we execute, we’re going to be a really hard team to beat, right? If we don’t, you know, if we turn the ball over, which we’re all a part of it. You know, sometimes I wish that – I made a joke earlier today that I was like, ‘I just wish I was a little bit faster. Maybe I would have stopped one of the picks this year or something, whatever. Who knows if I was chasing after the ball or something.’ But we got to be a little bit more sound [of a] team.”
(Joel) Bitonio on a beach somewhere or something?
“No, he’s here. He’s training, but I think that he’s a smart guy. He goes, ‘I’ve played ten years in the league. I don’t care which coach it is. I’m going to stay away from the rookies coming off the ball,’ because so much of the NFL is how to be a pro, right? How to practice. Now, don’t get me wrong, don’t want to walk through practice. There’s also a time to be like, ‘Oh, I beat you,’ brother. This is a walkthrough. This isn’t a time to beat me. This is a time to just be like in your gap. Show coach that you know what you’re doing. I show coach that I’m doing it, and that’s called brotherhood. Good, good. We got it. We don’t need to smash each other’s head with no helmets on.”
You guys added an interesting guy in (Zak) Zinter. I’m just curious, your early thoughts on him. Versatile player who comes from a good program, et cetera.
“Yeah, no, great kid. My initial thoughts – works hard, you know, coming off an injury, can’t tell, which is good. You know, obviously he has a little sock over it, but he’s tough and I love that. I commend him on that. There’s a lot to learn. When I got into the league I was a fifth-round Draft pick, so he’s better than me. But he’s a great kid and I know he’s going to work hard.”
I know he’s going gator hunting in Florida, are you guys going to grab a drink while you’re there?
“AB (Andrew Berry) told me that I’m not allowed to put a gator on my back [laughing]. That wasn’t a Bill (Callahan) thing. That was an AB thing. But no gator hunting, no hog hunting this year. You know, having a baby at home really throws a wrench into that, you know, but I’ve got to go home a little bit and spend time with the baby.”
But just along those lines of learning how to be a pro and this part of the off season being important for that, like to have a young guy come in who can take those reps that the vets don’t need. And what’s most important for him (Zak Zinter), do you think, going forward?
“Well, not only that, I think he hit the nail on the head early when he was drafted. I think he said something along the lines of, you know, ‘I’m coming in behind two unbelievable players. You know, I have so much to learn from them’ and, you know, that it’s true at any time, I mean, with Joel (Bitonio) – he’s been an unbelievable player for so long without getting injured, then last year was a little bit of a bumpy year. I mean, same thing the past four years. I mean, there’s been two or three years that I haven’t been playing at the best. It’s amazing how injuries work. But no, it’s just one of those things that, you know, we have the ability to have guys step up and Michael Dunn’s an unbelievable player. He’s been able to do it. And now, you know, Zak (Zinter) being a young guy coming in, kind of learn from the older guys, but also like, you know, I could learn something from him, you know. Now usually, I’ll learn something like, ‘Hey, why do you put your hands like that or that?’ And he’ll be like, ‘Well, sometimes my hip gets open, and I’ll go like that.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s a great idea.’ You know what I mean? So, there’s always stuff you can learn from each other. Hopefully, the answer is right.”
# # #
***Visit the Browns Media Center for materials provided by the Browns communications department, including media schedules, press releases, quotes, photos, media guides, rosters, depth charts and more. ***