C LeCharles Bentley (2001 Rimington Award & 2 time Pro Bowler)

[jwinslow]

I understand the disappointment of a talented player leaving, especially after a hefty investment... but I don't understand why some assume things could've been worked out. GMs don't just let go of pro bowlers flippantly, especially when they're paying them next to nothing in the upcoming season.

 

[MONTbigBuck]

No kidding! What the hell's wrong with starting the year as a back-up to see if he's truly back to it? I applaud the Brown's for keeping him on contract during his injury, being willing to give him a shot at coming back, and for honoring his desire for release. I'm just surprised that he's that freaking impatient. Nonetheless, I don't have all the facts to know what all has transpired, but damn...

LB was interviewed on Sirius 124 today with Tim and Pat. I missed some of it but will pass along the jist of what I gathered. LeCharles sounded .confident, upbeat, and ready to hit someone on the other side of the line of scrimmage. One portion of his physical required him to run 20 consecutive 40 yard dashes, which he handled. It sounded like a major rub in the situation was after passing his physical LeCharles was ready to move onto Step B, with the mind to eventually earning playing time. From the Browns perspective there would not only be a step B, but also step C through Z. I gathered that barring catastrophic injury to an interior lineman on the roster, there was no way that the Browns were going to let LB see the field this year. LB feels he is physically able to play, and thus the frustration with only being an "insurance policy" to the Browns, as was mentioned in printed interviews.

It was discussed why he wouldn't want to hang with the Browns and earn his way back. LB would not talk specifics, but implied that there were major actions, behaviors by the Browns organization over the last 2 years that had done much damage to the player-team relationship. LB feels that he is physically ready to compete, and mentally after the long haul back, needs to compete at this time. When the Browns were not interested in that happening, he requested his release.

My take in reading the fine print is that the Browns had long ago kicked LB to the curb, had moved on, and thus gave him as much support and respect as discarded garbage usually gets. LB complicated things by actually making it back, and passing his physical. Something I don't think Phil Savage really wanted to deal with. Tim and Pat said likely 90% of the NFL will be interested in LB, but that he will undoubtedly not get a contract without signing an injury waiver.

 

[Jake]

^^^The danger of skipping posts.

Eh...I'm not exactly a Browns fan, so I didn't care to read them all. :ohwell:

Still glad to see Bentley back and able to play, which is the only reason I even commented on this thread.

 

[Buckskin86]

Bentley: Browns weren't the right fit anymore
Posted by Mary Kay Cabot June 11, 2008 20:19PM

Cleveland native LeCharles Bentley, who was granted his request for release by the Browns Wednesday, said in a phone interview that after participating in the first day of minicamp, the team just didn't feel like a good fit for him anymore.

"So much has gone on in the past that the fans really don't know about -- and that they shouldn't know about because they happened when I was a member of the Browns' family and those things stay in-house -- but I really felt it was best for us to part ways at this time," he said. "I just didn't have the same feeling being there as when I first signed with the Browns."
Bentley, who passed his physical Monday night and then participated on a limited basis Tuesday morning, said there "was too much water under the bridge to just put aside and forget about it."

He said he's not a politician and would have had too hard a time going to work every day.

"Being a Cleveland Brown would've been the best decision for me from an emotional standpoint," he said. "It's all I've ever wanted to be. But from a business standpoint, it's not the best decision for me."

Bentley: Browns weren't the right fit anymore - Cleveland Sports News – The Latest Breaking News, Game Recaps and Scores from The Plain Dealer

 

[WoodyWorshiper]

It'll probably never be known exactly what the heck happened here. When LeCharles signed here, I envisioned him being involved with the Browns organization for the next 40 years, along the lines of Doug Deiken. LeCharles was the absolute "perfect" fit, and the kind of player/person you'd want your franchise to be synonymous with. Great kid, great upbringing, personal values and a lifestyle that would have made him a great role model for kids in the Cleveland area.

Too damn sad that it didn't work out. I think that LeCharles, the fans, and the Browns organization have all lost on this one. Hopefully he comes back and resumes his great career, wherever it may be. The kid deserves it.

I truly believe that the Browns organization operates in a classy fashion, and I know LeCharles exudes nothing but class in his approach to life both on and of the field. From LeCharles statements, he still loves the Browns and the fans and we'll always feel the same way about him.

Best of luck, Big Kid, on whatever paths you take, in football and in life.

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

Bentley, Browns part ways


By Sean McClelland
Staff Writer

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

BEREA ? Call it closure. At least that's the word General Manager Phil Savage chose.
Whatever you call it, offensive lineman LeCharles Bentley is a Cleveland Brown no longer, having requested and been granted his release Wednesday, June 11.
Events began transpiring in the morning when Bentley skipped minicamp practice and a team meeting, then asked for a sit-down with Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel. A short time later, Bentley was seen getting into his mom's car with a suitcase.
"This is a chapter that finally comes to an end," Savage said, sounding almost relieved. "We've got some closure to it now and we can go our separate ways in a positive manner."
So much for happy endings. So much for Cleveland native Bentley, two years removed from tearing his left patellar tendon, getting to play for the team he grew up cheering.
"LeCharles doesn't want to be an insurance policy," agent Jonathan Feinsod told the Web site Cleveland.com.
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

LeCharles sure would look good in Bengals stripes

By Chick Ludwig | Wednesday, June 11, 2008, 09:12 PM
CENTER NEEDS ATTENTION
Will the Cincinnati Bengals enter the LeCharles Bentley derby?
How do Cincinnati fans feel about the possibility of Bentley suiting up in Bengals stripes in 2008?
What will it take, in contract years and salary, to bring the 6-foot-2, 309-pound center to Cincy to compete with incumbent Eric Ghiaciuc?
Does the former Cleveland St. Ignatius High School, Ohio State University and New Orleans Saints star have enough gas in his tank?
Can his knees hold up and last a full 16-game schedule?
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Browns, Bentley end two-year partnership Cleveland grants release to free agent sidelined since '06 camp
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Thursday, Jun 12, 2008
BEREA: The latest chapter in Cleveland's woeful tale of What Might Have Been ended at midday Wednesday, when LeCharles Bentley walked out the front door of Browns headquarters pulling a wheeled suitcase filled with souvenirs.
Waiting for his mother to pick him up, he sat on a bench and checked his cell phone. A member of the Browns' broadcasting staff ran out to hug him and say goodbye. Then he spied a familiar face and waved, smiling. Willing to chat off the record, there was no hint of regret or sadness in his voice. He seemed happy, relieved that two trying years were past and he was moving on.
When his mother arrived in a white luxury coupe, he climbed in the passenger seat. He told a fan waiting near the entrance for autographs, ''I'm leaving and I'm not coming back.''
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Plain Dealer columnist Bill Livingston analyzes LeCharles Bentley's departure from Cleveland Browns


Thursday, June 12, 2008Bill Livingston
Plain Dealer Columnist
Some fans will say the blame for the breakup lies with LeCharles Bentley, who took $16 million from the Browns, but didn't think the "orange hat" was a crown if he couldn't start.
Two years ago, those fans expected Bentley to be the center piece, literally, of General Manager Phil Savage's rebuilding program.
But a ruptured patellar tendon, suffered on his first play of the first day of training camp in 2006, is plenty to overcome without staph infections ravaging the joint to the point, Bentley said last year, doctors considered amputating his leg.

Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

Canton

LeCharles Bentley feels it's time to leave Browns
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Requests, and receives, his release[/FONT]
Thursday, June 12, 2008
BY Steve Doerschuk
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

BEREA "Weird" came to mind amid LeCharles Bentley's release from the Browns on Wednesday, roughly 24 hours after his long-awaited return to practice.

The word General Manager Phil Savage chose was "unique."

"I've used that word probably 20 times through this whole ordeal," Savage said about three hours before Bentley cleared out, apparently never to return.

Something didn't smell right to Bentley after he passed a physical and suited up for a Monday practice.

While his saga begs 20 questions, conversations in and around minicamp led to three fairly simple conclusions:

? Bentley is a defiantly proud man who thinks he can be ? or at least is determined to be ? a dominant center again.

? The Browns were an ascending offense without him, and are in no position to humor a personal agenda if it doesn't fit just right into the team model.

Cont...

 

[Buckskin86]

Vikings won't say if center Bentley is on radar
With Matt Birk's status beyond this season in doubt, the two-time Pro Bowl selection could be a player of interest.

By JUDD ZULGAD, Star Tribune

Last update: June 13, 2008

Could LeCharles Bentley be on the Vikings' radar?

Jonathan Feinsod, the agent for the recently released veteran center, said Thursday that about 10 teams have expressed interest in Bentley, but he declined to get into specifics.

The Vikings could be considered a potential suitor for Bentley, 28, because Pro Bowl center Matt Birk is entering the last season of his contract and hasn't been approached about an extension. However, the team has liked what it has seen from sixth-round pick John Sullivan and has a few other candidates to play the position if Birk leaves after 2008.

The Browns parted company with Bentley this week after two injury-filled seasons in which he never played a game.

Vikings won't say if center Bentley is on radar

 

[Buckskin86]

ABOUT LeCHARLES BENTLEY . . .
Line blocked center's bold comeback
Sunday, June 15, 2008

We'll never know all that happened between LeCharles Bentley and the Browns, but it began to go bad when the center came down with a staph infection. It followed a knee operation, the result of an injury that Bentley sustained in his first practice in 2006. Staph infections are scary. When Bentley was told that he could possibly lose part of his leg -- they usually give the worst case scenario before surgery -- it naturally terrified him. You can say that odds are it won't happen, etc., but just the mentioned of even a slight possibility of losing a leg would freak out most of us. Bentley lost faith in the Browns' medical staff after the infection. He decided to train on his own. The Browns would have preferred that he remain under their care, or at least working out at the Berea facility with their trainers. But Bentley believed it was best for him to do it his way, with his own trainer and doctors.

Bentley had four knee operations to clean up the infection and repair the damaged knee. He wanted to come back last season, but when he was given the same test as last Monday -- running 40-yard dashes -- it was obvious the knee was weak and he wasn't close to being ready in the opinion of the Browns. They wanted him to take his time and make sure the knee was strong. If he suffered another setback with the knee -- his comeback would probably be over.

The Browns paid Bentley $12 million in a bonus and salary in 2006. He received another $3 million in salary in 2007. Some fans think the Browns "didn't want" Bentley to come back. That's ridiculous. They had $15 million and a large chunk of their salary cap invested in the Pro Bowl center. They put him under the care of Cleveland Clinic, one of the best medical institutions in the world. Certainly, the team didn't want him to blow out his knee in his first practice, or to get a staph infection. The plan was to build the offensive line around him.

This was the first major injury of Bentley's career. It frightened him. It bothered him that Phil Savage never called Bentley during his first trip to the hospital. The general manager was allowing Romeo Crennel and the coaching staff to be in contact with Bentley. His general rule was it's best for the coaches to deal with players, and he deals with the coaches. Sort of a chain of command. Savage now admits that was a mistake, and did apologize to Bentley for not making some calls. But that didn't help the trust issues between the player and the team.

Nor did Bentley's decision to train away from the facility and be absent from the team for months at a time. Contact between the two sides was sporadic, the Browns realizing the best move was to give Bentley freedom to control his own comeback, because that made him the most comfortable. In this case, distance did not make the heart grow fonder.

Bentley returned to the Browns last weekend, and passed a Monday night test of running 20 sprints of 40 yards, several times in the 7-second range. That's impressive for a 300-plus pounder with his knee history. It was the same test that he failed badly the year before.

The Browns welcomed him back, but as Bentley said, this was not the same team that he joined in 2006. Bentley was signed as the hometown hero, the guy from St. Ignatius and OSU who will help revive the Browns. But in his two years mostly away from the facility, the once-depleted offensive line has been rebuilt into one of the best units in the NFL. In Bentley's own mind, he sees himself as the Pro Bowl player before the injury. The Browns see him as a guy coming off a major knee injury who still has to prove his knee can handle contact. He has not taken part in any sort of football game since 2005.

Line blocked center's bold comeback- cleveland.com

 

[Buckskin86]

Rumors have been flying since center LeCharles Bentley asked for and received his release from the Cleveland Browns, but it seems obvious that the former Ohio State standout accurately perceived that the team no longer wanted him.

ProFootballTalk.com reported that "at one point during (his one) practice, Bentley was receiving snaps from one of the other centers," which, if true, is a good indication of what the Browns thought of him.

Some have surmised that all the Browns really wanted to do was have him pass a physical, get on the field and show he was healthy so they could cut him and reduce his chances of winning a grievance.

True or not, Bentley must have perceived this, and seeing how the Browns already had reconstructed the offensive line without him, determined that it was best to move on.

Teams said to be interested in him include Miami, Minnesota and Chicago.

The Columbus Dispatch : Bob Hunter commentary: Rumblings

The center of attention in Minnesota
Friday, June 20, 2008 | Posted by Jonathan Mohr

Since his release from the Cleveland Browns several days ago, there has been speculation that former Pro Bowl center LeCharles Bentley could eventually wind up with the Minnesota Vikings.

Minnesota's unwillingness to offer current starting center Matt Birk a contract extension coupled with Birk's own unwillingness to participate in the team's offseason training program has led many to believe that his days in purple are numbered.

If the Vikings truly believe Birk?s skills are on the decline and that he can no longer help the team, or that his contributions are no longer commensurate with the size of the checks he?s cashing, it?s possible they could bring Bentley in and let him and Birk battle during training camp for the starting spot.

But that possibility seems remote.

Minnesota Vikings "The center of attention" - Realfootball365.com

 

[Bestbuck36]

Head South young man! We're building a nice young Oline down in Miami and you'd be a very nice addition in the middle there at either guard or center. The weather and women arent half bad either.

 

[schwab]

I am still sick over the way this whole thing has worked out the last 2 years, definitely for both sides. This is not a situation that anyone could have even dreamed of (...er, nightmared of) when LCB signed his original deal with the Browns. Having met the guy during our days at THE, I wanted him to run up some crazy streak of Pro Bowls and maybe even sneak into the SB once or twice with the Browns.

This is like finally having the really hot girl you have always wanted to hook up with call you, but when she does, you realize she really only needs directions to one of your neighbor's houses to find the gang-bang. Most of your friends are already lining up. Ouch.

Good Luck to LeCharles in whatever uniform he plays his next game, so long as he plays that next game. I wish him the best.