CLEVELAND — It had been 169 days since the Cleveland Browns officially traded Kevin Zeitler to the New York Giants as a part of their package to acquire Odell Beckham Jr. and Olivier Vernon.
But as their final preseason game approached, it appeared as though the Browns had finally found their new starting right guard.
And it had nothing to do with what was about to happen on the field.
Just hours before they were scheduled to face the Detroit Lions in their preseason finale, the Browns completed a trade with the Buffalo Bills to acquire offensive lineman Wyatt Teller and a 2021 seventh-round pick. In return, Cleveland sent Buffalo fifth and sixth-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Considering the compensation, it's clear the Browns have high hopes for Teller's time in Cleveland.
“Let’s let him get here first and we will see," Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens said of Teller following Cleveland's 20-16 win vs. Detroit. "Everybody is a candidate."
While that may be the case, that Cleveland even felt compelled to make such a move so close to the start of the season tells you everything you need to know about the Browns' right guard battle.
In the months following the Browns' decision to deal Zeitler, many assumed that Austin Corbett would fill the void the veteran's departure left on Cleveland's offensive line. But after entering training camp as the team's starting right guard, the 2018 second-round pick turned in another disappointing preseason, which has left him closer to the chopping block than the starting lineup heading into Saturday's roster deadline.
By the time the Browns faced the Colts in their second preseason game, Corbett had not only been removed from the starting lineup, but from right guard depth chart entirely. With the Nevada product serving as a backup center, Cleveland turned its attention to Eric Kush, who it had signed to provide depth earlier in the offseason.
But while Kush's presence provided improvement, it wasn't enough to prevent general manager John Dorsey from looking elsewhere. As a result, Teller -- who appeared in eight games for the Bills as a rookie, starting in seven -- is on his way to Cleveland.
Officially, he doesn't have a starting spot yet.
"Eric is our right guard as we speak," Kitchens said on a conference call with reporters Friday. "We haven't seen Wyatt on the field yet."
Once they do, however, it may not be long before that changes.
