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Nearly two years after popping a patellar tendon during his first day of training-camp practices with the team, Browns center LeCharles Bentley has been cleared to return to the field.
G.M. Phil Savage announced on Tuesday morning that Bentley passed his physical, and that he’ll participate in the team’s minicamp.
“It’s been a long hard road back for LeCharles,” said Savage.
The financial risk for the Browns has been diminished significantly, due to a restructuring of Bentley’s contract from 2007. If he gets re-injured, the Browns would be on the hook for $605,000.
He has played center for all of his career, but could play guard as well.
June 10th, 2008 at 10:51 am
What an amazing come back this would be. Its yet to be seen, at what level LeCharles can come back to. However, if hes able to climb back to anywhere close to where he was prior to the injury, the Browns just went from having one of the better lines in the league, to having one of the best (starting line up and depth).
You hear that Stillers fans?… that’s the sound of inevitability coming your way…
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Rating: 4.35 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
June 10th, 2008 at 10:52 am
he played guard his first year in new orleans and possibly part of his second before being moved to center….
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Rating: 2 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
June 10th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Rakjr is right. He played Guard for two years in New Orleans, and actually made the Pro Bowl there one year… so I think he’ll be fine. I can’t imagine he’ll unseat Fraley without an injury, so Guard may be his position, at least as a backup… of course, this is all assuming he can play.
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June 10th, 2008 at 11:18 am
This is good news. The guy deserves a chance to come back. He would have been back sooner if not for that horrible staph infection.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
June 10th, 2008 at 11:28 am
His leg was almost amputated last year. I think us Stiller fans will reserve judgment until he is on the field.
Keep counting your chickens before the hatch Brownies…
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Rating: 3.4 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
June 10th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Best News of the Day.
No matter what team he played for, you cheer for people like LeCharles. Most football players don’t get to go out on their own decision. LeCharles gets that shot.
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June 10th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Man i hope he does well. After all does injurys. It would be great to see him go to the pro bowl.
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
June 10th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Man, Fraley must be flipping out. First Bentley was brought into Philly to take Fraley’s job, then he pulls a reverse on the Eagles and signs with the Browns. Then Fraley gets traded to the Browns where he’s looking over his shoulder (possibly) for Bentley again.
Randumb speculation aside, hopefully Bentley does well! Browns fans deserve a break!
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Rating: 4.35 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
June 10th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
I said it yesterday and I’ll say it again: all the best to LeCharles.
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June 10th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Everyone loves a comeback story except people from Philly when it comes to Bently. We all enjoyed the fact that he got hurt after backing out at the last minute. He showed what type of person he was by backing out at the last minute with The Eagles and then thinking he knew more then the doctors by not taking their advice and winding up with a staph infection. How much of The Browns money has he wasted so far? Just curious. But Hey no hard feelings. Good Luck LeCharles!
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 10th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
If anyone should be looking over their shoulder right now (and that’s a good sized “if”) it should be Ryan Tucker. He’s getting paid good tackle money to play guard… then again, the pay has gotten even more ridiculous since Tucker was signed, so maybe it would all come out in the wash.
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June 10th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
In regards to the statement, “He has played center for all of his career, but could play guard as well”. LeCharles Bentley began his career as a right guard in New Orleans and started 14 games, Jerry Fontenot was the starting center in 2002 & 2003. It wasn’t until after Bentley’s Pro Bowl season at RG in 2003 that he got switched to center in 2004. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nor/2002_roster.htm
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
June 10th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Good for him. Just hope he stays out of Cleveland’s staph infected hot tub.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
June 10th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
i think florio needs to start a new tracker.”….how many days without a staph infection on the browns”. that thing would be reset as frequently as the “days without a rest” tracker.
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
June 10th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
The Browns have definitely acted as if LCB isn’t going to play, but all the better if he can come in and contribute (and rightfully so). They have good depth on the interior of the line.
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June 10th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
It should also be mentioned, the approach Phil Savage takes in this day and age of the hard lined/cut throat business side of the league, when dealing with players & their lively hoods.
Giving guys (Bentley, Baxter, Winslow) chances to make it back, when the easy thing to do would be cutting them and move on.
K-2 has proven the player he can be, Baxter could be the first ever to return from two torn patellas, and Bentley looks like he may finally have the chance to play for the team he rooted for growing up…
pretty classy on Phil’s part… not to mention, a little loyalty may prove to be beneficial in the long run.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
June 10th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Good news for the Browns if he can play. They may actually get 7 wins with him. I scoff at people who think they are the next division winner..haha. Last year’s schedule was so easy for them, and they still blew it bad in Cincinnati. This year they will return to 6-10, and will finish behind Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Write it down. Guaranteed.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 10th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
yeah, so they can have one of the better or best lines in the league, so what? DA choked when all they needed to do was beat the terrible bengals at home i believe. Jamal Lewis won’t be playing for a contract anymore, so look for him to slide. They don’t have a valid second receiver, Donte Stallworth wouldn’t be on his 4th team in 4 years if he was a good second option. And…oh yeah, there’s a little thing called defense, and last time I checked they traded their only defensive back they had for big baby. The browns will not go 6-10, but they won’t make the playoffs, I’m calling 8-8, second place to the 9-7 Stillers.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 10th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
i smell a staph infection coming on. I love you Clowns fans on the site. You’ve won next years Superbowl now about 10 different times. Shut up and wait till you team plays a couple of games. You people are nauseating!!
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 11th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
How about shut up until they make a Super Bowl, period? Last time I checked, every team in their division has played in the Super Bowl, except them. But hey, they had the 1950’s down pat. Sweet.
When the Bengals have been to 2 and you NONE, I’d say they are the worst franchise in the division, success wise. Even with all the years the Bengals were losing badly. At least they tasted it twice. No Browns fan on this board was alive when they last played for a title.
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