Should the Cleveland Browns take a look at Bryan Stork?

The Cleveland Browns could use some help at the center position, but Bryan Stork, who was released by the New England Patriots, may not be the answer.

The Cleveland Browns are less than three weeks away from the opening of the 2016 NFL season and are still searching for answers at some key spots along the offensive line.

While second-year center Cameron Erving is showing signs of improvement after making the move to center, he is still struggling at times, most notably with shotgun snaps. There is also the reality that he only played a handful of games at the position while at Florida State, an inconvenient truth to some Browns fans, and still needs to be considered a project at the position.

That is why the news that the New England Patriots are reportedly releasing center Bryan Stork should at least peak a little bit of interest in Berea.

Stork has been the Patriots starting center for the past two years, including their Super Bowl win over the Seattle Seahawks, is only 25, and has shown he can play at a high level in the NFL.

Even if the Browns are confident that Erving is the answer at center, or at least confident that they can live with him while he masters the position, the options behind him have just as many questions. The unofficial depth chart lists Garth Gerhart, who has appeared in two career games, and Mike Matthews, an undrafted free agent.

The Browns could conceivably enter the season with Erving as the lone center on the roster, but that carries with it some unpleasant options. If Erving were to be injured during a game, right guard John Greco could slide over for the rest of the game, the way he did in 2014 when Alex Mack was injured, but that is not a longterm option.

Where the Browns to slide Greco to center, that would disrupt the the right guard position, and depending on who takes the role possibly the right tackle slot. While position flexibility is a nice thing to have, there isn’t an NFL coach alive who relishes the thought of shuffling 60 percent of his starting offensive line in mid-season.

Bringing in Stork would provide the Browns with a valuable and talented option in case Erving comes up short or is injured.

So what’s not to like?

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For starters, Stork’s injury history should be a cause for concern. He missed two games in 2014 after being diagnosed with a concussion and started the 2015 season on the injured reserve list/designated to return because of a concussion. He just recently returned to practice with the Patriots after missing a week with a concussion.

Stork disputed that his latest ailment was a concussion, but once a player suffers a concussion it can get increasingly easier to have another one, so Stork’s medical history is a red flag.

There is also a question surrounding Stork’s temperament. He was recently thrown out of a joint practice with the Chicago Bears after starting a fight with linebacker John Timu, was thrown out of a minicamp practice in June for fighting with Patriots defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton, and earned a costly unnecessary roughness penalty in the AFC Championship Game for head-butting Denver defensive lineman Vance Walker.

While toughness and aggression are admirable traits, especially in the AFC North, if you can’t rely on a player to keep his cool when things are not going his way then their value takes a dip.

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So while the Browns could certainly use some additional help at the center position, Stork’s injury history and other issues may combine to make him more of a risk than the team is willing to take.