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Austin Reiter may be next man up for Browns offensive line

By Thomas Moore

Aug 31, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle A.J. Francis (70) battles Washington Redskins center Austin Reiter (62) during the second quarter of a football game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 31, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle A.J. Francis (70) battles Washington Redskins center Austin Reiter (62) during the second quarter of a football game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Browns may be almost ready to turn to Austin Reiter at center while they wait for Cameron Erving to return from injury.

The Cleveland Browns have a problem bubbling up along the offensive line and may need Austin Reiter to help turn down the heat before things boil over.

The situation started to heat up when starting center Cameron Erving suffered a pulmonary contusion during the Week 2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, an injury expected to keep him out for around four weeks.

The Browns compensated by shifting starting right guard John Greco to center and moving Alvin Bailey into Greco’s old slot. That went well against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Things got hotter early Monday morning, however, when Bailey was pulled over by police and charged with OVI and failure to comply. Bailey made things worse by reportedly telling police that he had consumed “several whiskeys” on the return flight from Miami – a violation of league rules.

“You control everything. I like to make the calls. I like to know what is going on everywhere. I like directing.” – Austin Reiter on playing center

Needless to say, that did not sit well with head coach Hue Jackson and his plan to fix the culture surrounding the Browns.

“I’m not very excited about it at all,” Jackson said on Wednesday. “There will be consequences for it, but we have to follow league protocol as far as that is concerned. We will do what we feel is right.”

Jackson was non-committal about whether or not Bailey will be on the field this Sunday against the Washington Redskins, but with Bailey’s court date set for Oct. 6 the NFL will likely not levy any punishment this week.

Even if Jackson wants to lay down the law with Bailey, his hands may be tied by the fact that the Browns don’t have a viable backup plan at the moment.

Which is where Reiter comes in.

The Browns signed Reiter off of Washington’s practice squad last week (the move was a bit overshadowed by the media fawning over the signing of journeyman quarterback Charlie Whitehurst). Originally a seventh-round selection out of South Florida in 2015, the 6-foot-3 and 307-pound Reiter spent his first season on Washington’s practice squad.

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During the off-season he made a committed effort to add 12 pounds of muscle — what he described as the “right kind of bulk” — and then competed for the backup center spot during training camp this year before eventually landing back on the practice squad.

Now, just nine days later, Reiter could be line to start against his former team.

“There is a chance (he could start),” Jackson said on Thursday. “We could do a lot of different things as we get down to the end of the week. He has done a good job. He is a guy that has played center that knows how to play the position. I haven’t made any decisions just exactly which way we are going, but there is a chance he could play.”

If Reiter can show enough for the coaching staff to believe he is ready, it’s not too hard to envision a scenario where Bailey is benched on Sunday.

Even though he has only been with the team for a handful of practices, Reiter says he is ready for when the call comes.

“The guys have really helped me here. If I get that opportunity, I know I’m ready,” he said on Thursday. “I know they have a lot of confidence in me since I have been here. I know it has been a short time, but I think I have picked everything up pretty well. It is just a bunch of familiar faces over there so I prepare the same way.

“I’m pretty eager. I was inactive the first week with Washington and then last week was my first active game so I’m itching.”

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The season certainly hasn’t gone the way that Jackson drew it up for the Browns, but the coaching staff and players have hung tough through the first three weeks.

And in a year that is quickly becoming about being “the next man up,” it could soon be time for Reiter to take his turn.

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