The Cleveland Browns returned to CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, Ohio on Sunday for their first open practice after spending their first week of camp at The Greenbrier in West Virginia. The Browns have two open practices this week on Tuesday and Thursday. Afterward, they will host the Green Bay Packers on Saturday at 4:25 P.M. ET. in their first preseason game.
The Browns had a competition for the backup center job for the first week of training camp to find a replacement for Nick Harris who signed with the Seahawks. They brought in a Super Bowl champion.
The Cleveland Browns signed a Super Bowl champion
The Browns signed Brian Allen in May. Allen, a fourth-round pick from 2018, spent his first six seasons with the Rams. He started 32 out of 50 games.
Allen took over as the starting center in 2019. However, he battled many injuries, which caused him to miss 34 games between 2019-2022. As a result of his injuries, he lost the starting center job to Coleman Shelton in 2023, and the Rams released him in 2024.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t avoid the injury bug.
Brian Allen suffered a calf injury
Allen exited Day 3 of practice on Saturday with an apparent calf injury. The Browns placed him on injured reserve on Monday and released him on Sunday with an injury settlement. His time in Cleveland has come to an end.
Who will replace him?
Luke Wypler is currently the only backup center on their roster right now. Wypler, a sixth-round pick from 2023, was inactive for most of his rookie season. He played five games and started Week 18 at center.
The Browns can afford to sign a veteran to compete with Wypler.
Notable free-agent centers available
The Browns have $29 million in cap space and can afford to sign a player to a team-friendly deal. There are a few borderline starting-caliber centers left, including one who recently played for a division rival.
One possible solution is Mason Cole. Cole spent the last two seasons with the Steelers and started every game in 2022 and 2023 before getting released this offseason. He has six years of experience, with 73 career starts.
Other possible solutions include Connor McGovern, Scott Quessenberry, and Tyler Larsen.
