BEREA, Ohio - Alex Mack stood in the same spot inside the Browns locker room Wednesday as he did two years ago while addressing the media.

The answers to the questions were almost identical. The center expressed gratitude to teammates for his latest Pro Bowl invitation and said nothing of substance regarding his pending free agency.

The Browns had two seasons to prepare for his possible departure. Somehow, they find themselves in a worse predicament despite making a major investment in a contingency plan.

"We don't have much control over (the situation)," coach Mike Pettine said of Mack's five-year contract he signed in the spring of 2014 that includes an opt-out cause after this season.

"That is his personal decision. It is in his favor that he has that in his contract. We will react accordingly. Alex Mack is a Cleveland Brown. We would love to have him here and be a part of what we are doing, but that is a decision that will be made down the road."

The Browns thought they had reacted "accordingly" in the 2015 draft, selecting versatile Cameron Erving with the No. 19 overall pick. The franchise figured it had Mack's heir apparent.

Then, Erving started playing.

The rookie's lack of technique while seeing spot duty at guard is glaring. So is the need to improve his footwork and functional strength. He's a good kid and, if he listens to the right people, there's reason to believe Erving will be better next season.

But can the Browns head into 2016 with the Florida State product penciled in as the starting center? Hardly. If Mack bolts, they must either acquire a lower-profile veteran or select a center in the draft's later rounds just to cover themselves.

Center is the second-most important position on the offensive line behind left tackle. The Browns have been fortunate to have those positions covered for years with Joe Thomas and Mack.

Returning from a broken leg, the 30-year-old Mack was understandably slow to regain form and his Pro Bowl berth might have been earned as much on reputation as performance. The analytics website ProFootballFocus.com ranked him among the "five players who shouldn't have made the Pro Bowl."

"A very average year, with him not generating a lot of movement in the run game and allowing too much pressure," according to the PFF report.

Fair enough, given that the Browns rank near the bottom of the league in rushing (86.5 yards per game) and among the leaders in sacks allowed (46).

But Mack remains a quality player in the prime of his career and, as Pettine noted, he's demonstrated steady improvement over the past month, "playing at a high level."

Two years ago, the Browns held the hammer in the form of transition and franchise tags. They opted for the transition tag, saving the franchise $1 million, but allowing Mack to meet with other teams. The Jaguars offered him the five-year, $42 million deal with the opt-out clause. The Browns elected to match it.

Mack plans to make no decisions on his future until the season is over.

"I will say winning is really important to me," said a player who's spent a grand total of 18 days over .500 while on the active roster since the Browns drafted him in 2009.

Mack chose not to waive his no-movement clause at the trade deadline -- a smart play by a pending free agent who would have spent the final weeks of the year learning a new offense and looking tentative doing it.

My guess is Mack will test the market. The Browns, who have no salary-cap issues, should make a strong push to re-sign him, especially with right tackle Mitchell Schwartz likely headed to free agency.

Some will disagree. The argument goes, "What have the Browns won with Mack in the lineup?" The counter is: What did the Browns win with Buster Skrine, Jabaal Sheard and T.J. Ward in the lineup? Hindsight shows they erred in letting all three players walk in free agency.

Good teams find ways to keep homegrown talent. The Browns, however, have no leverage in the Mack negotiations this time around. No transition or franchise tags.

If No. 55 gets away it means the Browns have created yet another hole to fill. It's an unnerving proposition, especially when watching the 2015 Erving highlight reel.

Maybe the rookie figures it out. Maybe not.

The Browns have had two seasons to ready for Mack's potential defection. Their contingency plan looks like it needs a contingency plan.