Browns have a specific plan for Parker Brailsford and Elgton Jenkins at center originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cleveland Browns have a clear preference for how their offensive line comes together. Whether a fifth-round rookie makes it happen is the variable that determines everything else.
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According to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, the Browns “would love” Parker Brailsford to win the starting center job outright, which would allow two-time Pro Bowl lineman Elgton Jenkins to slide to his more natural position at left guard.
If Brailsford is not ready to start, Jenkins holds the center position until he is.
Brailsford, a 22-year-old out of Alabama via Washington, was selected 146th overall in this year’s NFL Draft. At 6-foot-2 and 290 pounds, he is undersized for an NFL center by conventional measurements, but the Browns’ evaluation of his game goes well beyond the numbers on his draft card.
“He’s an athletic center, and what he does really well is move in the run game,” said Browns Director of Player Personnel Adam Al-Khayyel. “He’s got tremendous range, great finish. To be honest, if you didn’t know his measurables on his card, you wouldn’t say he plays like a sub 300-pound player. He’s strong, firm. So, really like the skill set and really like how it fits with the offensive side scheme.”
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Head coach Todd Monken compared Brailsford to Las Vegas Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum, who recently signed the richest contract ever for a center in NFL history.
