BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns rookie right guard Shaun Lauvao has an injured ankle, and his status for the team's season opener is uncertain.
Coach Eric Mangini said Thursday that Lauvao "twisted" his ankle Wednesday. Mangini declined to provide specifics on the injury or how Lauvao got hurt. Lauvao, a third-round pick in April's draft, was listed as the No. 2 right guard on the Browns' depth chart behind Floyd Womack.
Womack recently returned from knee surgery and it's not known if he will play in Sunday's game at Tampa Bay.
As protection, the Browns signed lineman Billy Yates, who was waived earlier this week. The club also waived linebacker Titus Brown.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press