When you mention leaders of the Cleveland Browns, Joe Thomas, Donte Whitner, Karlos Dansby and Joe Haden come to mind.
But around the Browns locker room, the opinion of eight-year veteran John Greco is held on a similar level among teammates.
Greco stopped by Cleveland Browns Daily on Tuesday with Nathan Zegura and Matt Wilhelm and addressed an assortment of topics.
Greco, who finished in second place for the Dino Lucarelli "Good Guy" award – is a gifted communicator. He's been in constant contact with his teammate Alex Mack and had positive news to report on the Pro Bowl center's leg injury.
"Alex is doing well. I speak with him a lot," Greco said. "He's busy out in California. He's trying to get his leg back to 100 percent. I have no doubts that he will be ready to go when we start up…and he'll be back better than ever."
The Browns will be installing a new offense in 2015 under offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, but Greco said there will be little hesitation from his unit. Outside of the Browns' secondary – which boasted three Pro Bowlers – Cleveland's offensive line is among the most solid in the league.
Offensive line coaches Andy Moeller and George DeLeone are back for 2015, meaning there will be continuity in an already strong classroom.
'It's nice to have the familiar face because they are used to us and we're used to them," Greco said. "We have a good group. We have smart guys in our room. I think we'll be able to hit the ground running."
While DeFilippo may add more passing elements to the Browns' playbook on offense, he's made it clear that running the football will be a priority. And that's why Greco is amped to play under the new system.
Running backs Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West ran well throughout their respective rookie seasons. Both players have the potential to make this offense even better on the ground.
"I'm excited to see what they will do in their second year," Greco said about Crowell and West. "They have a season under their belts – they'll be smarter. The game will slow down for them a little bit."
As for the offseason, Greco has been holding down the fort in Youngstown, while also taking some weekend getaway trips to Miami and California. But Greco said he's already getting to the point where he's ready for OTAs to begin in April.
Last year, the Browns had nearly 100 percent participation in those voluntary workouts. Greco believes Cleveland has the right people in place.
"I think that speaks volumes for the character of our team," Greco said. "Guys want to be around. Guys want to be in the building." Three interesting NFL headlines
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