The Browns on Thursday made one thing clear: They’re committed to the heart of their offensive line.
Within hours, the Browns signed ascending left guard Joel Bitonio to a five-year extension, locked up similarly promising center JC Tretter -- formerly of Green Bay -- and agreed to terms on a deal with the highest-rated guard on the market, former Bengal Kevin Zeitler.
The short- and long-term future of an offensive line that dealt with a barrage of injuries and inconsistency in 2016 suddenly looks much, much brighter.
“It got me really excited,” Zeitler said.