Eric Steinbach: The Left Guard Holds the Key

Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson? That seems to be the question on the minds of Browns fans heading into the first week of the preseason. As significant as the quarterback may be, he alone will not hold the keys to how the Browns perform in 2009. Those keys are held by the guards. Cleveland chances to experience any sort of success this year will rest on the broad shoulders of Eric Steinbach, Rex Hadnot, Ryan Tucker, and Floyd Womack. It’s funny to think the guard position would impact anything—much less the welfare of the entire offensive unit. Like left field in baseball or the sixth man in basketball, no one grows up dreaming of playing guard in the NFL. Guards are usually composed of reject offensive tackles or centers who struggled making protection calls up front. In other words, guards as a whole are failures. This brings us to the Cleveland Browns. It only seems fitting that a position synonymous with disappointment will play a key role in reviving a city known for ...