Joel Bitonio - Pro Football Rumors

Browns, G Joel Bitonio Agree To Extension

March 9th, 2017 at 10:00am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns are signing guard Joel Bitonio to a “monster” extension, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Bitonio doesn’t turn 26 until October and he is among the league’s most talented interior linemen when healthy.

Schefter reports Bitonio’s deal is for five years and worth $51MM (Twitter link), meaning the NFL now has four guards who make $10MM per year. That list is expected to expand soon once Kevin Zeitler makes a decision on his landing spot. Bitonio’s contract will include $23MM in guaranteed money. The 25-year-old Bitonio will join Kelechi Osemele, Kyle Long and David DeCastro in the eight-figure-AAV guard club.

Last year, Bitonio appeared in only five games due to injury. In the year prior, he played in only 10 contests. However, in his rookie year, he was present for all 16 games and finished out with a strong 87.8 overall score on Pro Football Focus. This year, that mark would have placed him in the top five amongst all guards, ahead of Osemele, Richie Incognito, Zeitler, T.J. Lang, DeCastro, and other notables.

Bitonio helped the Browns compensate for the departures of standout free agents Mitchell Schwartz and Alex Mack last season, and although Cleveland went 1-15, its offensive front wasn’t devoid of talent. The Browns over the past several years have been able to develop quality blockers, and they’ve decided to invest in Bitonio to team with Joe Thomas in his NFL twilight years. The former second-round pick had one year left on his rookie contract.

This could impact the Browns’ pursuit of Zeitler, although they could use both at guard and could afford each. Veteran John Greco started at right guard last season, but he also ventured to IR to end the 2016 slate. Cleveland and New Orleans are believed to be the Zeitler finalists.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report.

Browns G Joel Bitonio Done For Season

October 18th, 2016 at 10:40am CST by Zachary Links

Browns guard Joel Bitonio had surgery on Monday to repair the Lisfrance injury in his right foot, ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon tweets. The surgery rules Bitonio out for the 2016 season but he should be able to take part in all of the team’s offseason work prior to the 2017 season.

Bitonio was placed formally placed on IR last week. A late-season return was on the table thanks to the new IR rules, but it’s not possible now after the offensive lineman went under the knife. Of course, when your team is winless through six games, there’s not much incentive to rush back and risk further injury.

In other Browns news, safety Jordan Poyer has been placed on IR, per a team announcement. Taking his place will be fellow safety Ed Reynolds who was promoted from the practice squad. Poyer suffered a lacerated kidney against the Titans on Sunday and had to be transported to a hospital before halftime. Through six games, Poyer recorded 37 tackles, matching his career high set in 2015.

Browns Place Joel Bitonio On IR

October 14th, 2016 at 10:01am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have placed left guard Joel Bitonio on injured reserve with a mid-foot sprain, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets. To take his place on the roster, fullback Dan Vitale has been signed off of the Buccaneers’ practice squad (link).

Bitonio’s injury is likely season-ending, though the new IR rules could technically allow for him to return. If Bitonio was to come back, he would not be eligible to play for another eight weeks.

Last year, Bitonio was placed on IR in December when an ankle injury forced him out of action. He was rated as the No. 33 guard in the NFL by Pro Football Focus when he was shut down last year. This year, through five games, PFF rated him as the ninth-best guard in the league (tied with Mike Iupati of the Cardinals). In 2016, he earned an overall grade of 83.3 with roughly even scores for his pass blocking and run blocking.

Vitale was a sixth-round pick of the Bucs this year. At Northwestern, Vitale racked up 135 catches for 1,427 receiving yards from 2012-15. He only carries the ball six times in college.

Browns OL Joel Bitonio To Miss Time

October 12th, 2016 at 12:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Browns guard Joel Bitonio has a mid-foot injury and will be out for an extended period of time, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets. Bitonio has been playing through the injury for some time, but that has only exacerbated the issue.

Last year, Bitonio was placed on IR in December when an ankle injury forced him out of action. He was rated as the No. 33 guard in the NFL by Pro Football Focus when he was shut down last year. This year, through five games, PFF has him rated as the ninth-best guard in the league. He has earned an overall grade of 83.3 with roughly even scores for his pass blocking and run blocking.

The Browns have had terrible luck with injuries so far this season and Bitonio is just the latest starter to go down. It remains to be seen how long the 25-year-old will be sidelined for.

Browns Place Joel Bitonio On IR

December 7th, 2015 at 4:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns absorbed another blow in a grueling season, placing starting left guard Joel Bitonio on injured reserve, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter).

In a corresponding roster move, the team claimed second-year center Gabe Ikard after the Bills cut him.

A 2014 second-round pick, Bitonio attempted to make a return from an ankle injury that sidelined him for the Browns’ previous two games but couldn’t make it past the first quarter before leaving the game. First-rounder Cameron Erving replaced him but was quickly benched in favor of UDFA Austin Pasztor.

The 24-year-old Bitonio started the first 26 games of his career. Pro Football Focus rated the former Nevada lineman as its 33rd-best guard this season after he enjoyed a standout rookie campaign.

Bitonio remains a critical part of the Browns’ future, with Pro Bowl center Alex Mack able to opt out of his Jaguars-created contract at the end of this season.

Browns Sign Second-Rounder Joel Bitonio

June 22nd, 2014 at 1:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns announced they have agreed to terms with their second-round pick, offensive lineman Joel Bitonio (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). According to our draft tracker, Bitonio’s signing means there are only six draft picks who remain unsigned, including one of Cleveland’s first-rounders, cornerback Justin Gilbert.

Bitonio, 22, was selected with the No. 35 overall pick out of Nevada. Though he started 38 games at tackle while in college, he is expected to serve as the left guard on the Browns’ offensive front, where he will line up between All-Pros Joe Thomas and Alex Mack. In this scenario, John Greco, who played the majority of snaps at left guard for Cleveland in 2013, will likely shift to the right side, replacing the departed Shawn Lauvao.

According to Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, Bitonio is in line for a four-year deal with a total value of ~$5.462MM, with a signing bonus of approximately $2.292MM, and a 2014 cap hit of about $993K.

Pauline On Manziel, Bucs, Bortles, Raiders

May 7th, 2014 at 3:17pm CST by Zachary Links

NFL executives widely believe that if Johnny Manziel is selected in the first eight picks tomorrow, it will be by decree of the owner rather than the scouting department or GM, writes Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. One source told Pauline that it feels like a lot of GMs are hoping Manziel is off the board before it’s their turn to pick so that there’s no discussion or distraction of selecting the signal caller. This is especially the case in Tampa Bay where Buccaneers owners are pushing for Manziel but coach Lovie Smith is after defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Here’s more from Pauline’s column..

Consistent with what we’ve already heard, the Browns like Manziel but not enough to use the No. 4 pick on him. The name that Pauline hears often connected to Cleveland is receiver Mike Evans and Blake Bortles is a dark horse possibility.
If Bortles slides past the Vikings at No. 8, look for the Cardinals to try and move up for him.
The Raiders are shopping their first round pick and while there’s been interest, no team has matched their asking price. Right now Oakland would like Khalil Mack, Mike Evans, or Sammy Watkins at No. 5. If they are able to trade down the pick is likely to be quarterback Derek Carr.
The Panthers have been known to like Joel Bitonio at No. 28 and Pauline hears the Chargers will also consider him at No. 25.
There’s a feeling the Panthers could attempt to trade up for a receiver or offensive tackle and the Dolphins are the obvious trade partner. Miami, Pauline hears, will entertain offers for the 19th pick if Zack Martin is unavailable. By doing that, the Panthers would assure themselves receiver Brandin Cooks or Marqise Lee, whichever is available. If that’s the case, Bitonio could then land with the Seahawks as the first round closes out.
The 49ers have let it be known they plan to be aggressive on draft day and use their arsenal of top 100 picks to move up. Right now, sources say SF has their eye on receiver Odell Beckham. The price to move up for Evans is a little steep and Beckham fills a need for them. Another plus to Beckham is that they’d provide a safeguard if Michael Crabtree‘s price tag in free agency next year is too high.

King’s Latest: Falcons, Manziel, Rams, Mack

April 28th, 2014 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

With teams reluctant to reveal any of their plans, the weeks leading up to the draft are often filled with a mix of real and false information on teams’ preferences and players’ stocks. Peter King of TheMMQB.com points to a Johnny Manziel rumor as one example of potential misinformation, noting that he heard from one reliable source that the Eagles are considering moving up to draft the young quarterback. However, King goes on to say that a second source, who would know even better, insists it “absolutely won’t happen.”

While it seems there’s nothing to that Manziel rumor, King cites it as an instance where a team may be trying to make a “misdirection play” and passes along several more draft-related updates that he considers to be more reliable. Here are the highlights from the latest MMQB column:

“Momentum is gaining” for the Falcons to trade up to No. 1 to draft Jadeveon Clowney, according to King, who estimates the odds of a deal are about 40% at this point. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com also reported today that the Falcons are exploring trade options, though he notes that the club hasn’t engaged in negotiations with the Texans for that first overall pick yet. In King’s view, it would take at least Atlanta’s 2015 first-rounder in addition to this year’s No. 6 overall pick to get Houston’s attention.
It’s a safe bet that Rams GM Les Snead will trade at least one of his two first-round picks, if not both, says King. The team currently holds the second and 13th overall selections.
An offensive coordinator whose team likely won’t be drafting a quarterback early, to King: “If I had the first pick in the draft, I’d take Manziel.”
King spoke to Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack, who is pushing to be the first player off the board and would love to play with J.J. Watt in Houston. Although Mack hasn’t yet gotten a sense of where he’ll be selected, King would be surprised if the linebacker lasted more than six picks.
King passes along the top 10 players on one team’s draft board, though he’s not sure of the order: Clowney, Mack, Manziel, Blake Bortles, Aaron Donald, Sammy Watkins, and four offensive tackles (Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews, Zack Martin, Taylor Lewan).
Nevada offensive lineman Joel Bitonio could be a top target for the Panthers in the second round if he’s still on the board at No. 60, says King.

Draft Notes: Whaley, Bills, Linebackers

April 27th, 2014 at 6:17pm CST by Peter Sowards

If the Bills want to draft Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins or Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews — who each have visited with Buffalo — they’ll likely have to trade up from the No. 9 slot to do so. And judging by comments made by general manager Doug Whaley, it’s a definite possibility.

“If we think this guy is going to get us over the hump and get us into the playoffs, which is our stated goal, why not make the deal?” Whaley said on radio station WGR-AM, according to Jason Butt of National Football Post.

The Bills are likely more than just a player away from making the playoffs in the AFC, but that won’t stop its GM from being aggressive in the upcoming NFL Draft.

More draft notes from around the league on a Sunday night…

Brent Sobleski of USA Today Sports ranked the top 10 linebackers in the draft, slotting Alabama’s C.J. Mosley, Ohio State’s Ryan Shazier and Wisconsin’s Chris Borland at the top.
Ranking the top 5 tackles was Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune‘s assignment, who likes Nevada’s Joel Bitonio as the No. 5 tackle behind the consensus top-4.
Indiana wide receiver Cody Latimer, who recently had a pre-draft visit with the 49ers, also visited with the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Latimer is one of the fastest rising prospects in the draft and projected to be a first-round pick.
Heading to the Browns in Jeff Schudel of The Morning Journal‘s latest mock draft are Sammy Watkins and Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr at the No. 4 and No. 26 spots, respectively.

NFC Notes: Orton, Draft Visits, Bears

April 25th, 2014 at 10:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Assuming Kyle Orton plans on playing out the final year of his contract in 2014, his salary will be decreased by $75K as a result of his missing the Cowboys‘ offseason workouts, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Taking into account Dallas’ recent additions of Brandon Weeden and Caleb Hanie, the offseason rumors about Orton’s potential retirement, and his absence from the workout program, the 31-year-old’s NFL future seems somewhat uncertain.

Here are a few more leftover Friday links from around the NFC:

Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link) adds offensive lineman Joel Bitonio to the list of players who visited the Giants this week. We heard yesterday that the Dolphins, Panthers, and Buccaneers were among the teams who might be eyeing the Nevada lineman.
The Lions hosted their final three prospects today, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com, who has details on today’s visitors: Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby, Eastern Illinois wide receiver Erik Lora, and Kent State running back Dri Archer.
In addition to having pre-draft visits with the Lions, Buccaneers, and Cardinals, as we heard last month, Bloomsburg defensive end Larry Webster worked out for the Cowboys, tweets Gil Brandt of NFL.com.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune fields a slew of Bears-related questions on the team’s draft needs and Alshon Jeffery‘s contract situation, among other topics.
North Carolina quarterback Bryn Renner, a potential late-round pick, visited the Vikings last week, a source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link).
In a series of tweets, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch provides the full list of seven prospects who participated in the Rams‘ local prospect day on Friday.