I’m not going to delve deeply into the rabbit hole of the Browns’ center position. Some of it is bad luck, and some of it raises questions about the Browns’ front office that I am simply not in a position to answer. Also, the storyline is clearly incomplete. Someone else will be signed or acquired by trade before the New Orleans game, when, interestingly, Ted Washington lines up in the face of last year’s incumbent, Jeff Faine.
I will note, however, that the latest starter, Ross Tucker, should he make it to the regular season, will become only the third player named Ross in the Browns’ long history. The first two, Fichtner and Verba, were both slightly above-average players from Big Ten schools. Though very different types of athletes and personalities, neither one escaped Cleveland without getting entwined in some controversy and team dissention, however.
Verba, by the way, is slated to start at left guard for the same Detroit Lions who will be traveling to Cleveland Browns Stadium this Friday. Fichtner, last I heard, still lives in the Detroit area, just a couple minutes from my folks’ house, in fact. He ended his NFL career a Saint, something no one will accuse Verba of being.
