The Cleveland Browns had to break the glass in case of emergency when starting center Elgton Jenkins was ruled out for Week 4 with a concussion. The Browns turned to backup Luke Wypler for a crucial divisional game — and he proved to be more than up to the task.
Wypler slid right into the starting lineup, anchoring the middle for the first time after playing a career-high 272 snaps last season. He responded with a strong performance, not giving up a single sack and only allowing two pressures, per Pro Football Focus.
Wypler earned PFF's second-highest grade among the Browns' offensive players (79.9) against Pittsburgh, ranking only behind Austin Barber. Wypler's 86.7 run-blocking grade was also elite.
Given all the options the Browns had at the center position this offseason, they clearly made the right call in sticking with Wypler.
Luke Wypler can still be valuable for the Cleveland Browns
The Browns let Ethan Pocic walk away in free agency after last year's season-ending Achilles injury. They also had Justin Osborne, but waived him early in the offseason. Last but not least, they gave rookie Kinsley Eguakun a look throughout training camp, but he didn't make the final roster cuts.
Sticking with Wypler came with plenty of risks. He had suffered a major knee injury and had been a bit of a mixed bag last season, though it was hard to pinpoint the offensive line struggles entirely on him.
When it was his turn to step up and prove they had made the right call, he answered the bell. He did draw a couple of penalties, but that's normal for a player working with a brand-new offensive line for the first time in a real game setting.
Notably, the Browns could've also taken a different route. They had rookie center Parker Brailsford healthy, and while he missed most of training camp with injuries, they could've given him a test run to see what they had in their fifth-round rookie. Head coach Todd Monken and offensive line coach George Warhop played it safe with the veteran Wypler instead.
Even though the sample size is small and he doesn't play a premium position, Wypler can still be a valuable asset for this team. Injuries happen, and who knows? Maybe they can fetch a decent return for his services in a trade with his rookie contract set to expire after this season.
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