/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/33501123/20140124_kkt_al2_806.0.jpg)
Every year, Jimmy Kempski of Philly.com generates a list of the average age of every team in the NFL, ranking them from the oldest to the youngest. Last year, the Browns were listed as having the 25th oldest offensive line with an average age of 27 years.
This year, he has the Browns leaping all the way up to having the 9th oldest offensive line in the NFL with an average age of 27.2 years of age. Something did not seem right with that figure, so I dug into how Jimmy calculated the ages for Cleveland: he confesses that he bases his calculations on the depth charts listed at Ourlads.com. Ourlads currently lists the Browns' starting offensive line as follows:
Player | Age | |
LT Joe Thomas | 29 | |
LG Jason Pinkston | 26 | |
C Alex Mack | 28 | |
RG John Greco | 29 | |
RT Mitchell Schwartz | 24 | |
136 | 27.2 |
I would make the strong argument that Joel Bitonio will replace either Greco or Pinkston, and right now, I'm guessing that he'll replace Pinkston. If we take that into consideration, the Browns' average age falls to 26.4 years of age:
Player | Age | |
Joe Thomas | 29 | |
Joel Bitonio | 22 | |
Alex Mack | 28 | |
John Greco | 29 | |
Mitchell Schwartz | 24 | |
132 | 26.4 |
An average age of 26.4 years would put the Browns are the 20th oldest team on the list. Of course, there is always the possibility that the age gets even younger (if Pinkston or Garrett Gilkey start over Greco) or older (if Paul McQuistan starts over Greco or Bitonio). If the average age of 26.4 years holds, though, it's clear that Cleveland has a great combination of veteran machines and youth for at least the next two years (which is when it will be decision time for Mack).