Ho-hum, another week, another story showcasing the four-letter's admiration of the Browns. This will never get old. Perhaps they're making up for lost coverage.

The story this week is again from senior writer John Clayton. In this saga, Clayton waxes on the greatness of Brady Quinn. He's becoming a better team leader. He's throwing the ball much better. He's so, so dreamy. Fine, that last one wasn't actually in the story, but it may as well been.

Of course, this means an imminent headache for Derek Anderson. His first incomplete pass will probably lead to chants of "Brady, Brady, Brady." Such is life of a Cleveland Browns starter.

Terry Pluto did a great in depth analysis of Jamal Lewis, and what he meant to the Browns ground game in 2007.  Some of the impressive stats throughout that article:

• Lewis averaged 5.2 yards per carry from his fifteenth carry of the game forward, against 4.1 yards per carry with his first fifteen carries.
• When the Browns had a lead of a touchdown or less, he averaged 6.1 yards per carry.
• Running to his left, behind Joe Thomas and Eric Steinbach, Lewis averaged 5.2 yards per carry.

Plain and simple, Lewis carried the offense last season, despite the acrobatics of Winslow and Edwards.  Lewis is 28 years old, but an old 28.  For his eight year career (including one missed season, 2001, due to injury), he has totaled 2120 carries.  While Lewis had a great renaissance last year, the team has to temper expectations on his long term productivity.

That's what makes their interest in former Lion Kevin Jones all the more interesting.  According to the AP Wire, the Browns requested a tape of the workout Jones recently conducted. Jones was cut in the offseason after tearing a ACL late in 2007, a season in which he was coming back from a Lisfranc injury.    Jones may have once been an explosive, slashing back, but to consider him for more than the veterans minimum is silly.

In more important news, IGN has released individual player rankings for Madden 09.  If you're more of a visual learner, you can see the Browns offensive depth chart and then the defensive depth chart. Interesting things that Madden 09's rankings have taught me about the Browns:

• Gary Baxter and his two torn Patella tendons make him an equal with Brodney Pool.
• Leon Williams will apparently be starting over Andra Davis.
• Davis has the second lowest morale on the team, despite being a Captain last year.
• Kellen Winslow blows him away though, with a whopping 45 on morale.
• LeCharles Bentley has a 0 rating for Celebration…guess two years of war with Phil Savage on proper rehab did steal him of his smile.
• Most important though, Bentley has a morale rating of 90.  Madden's staff will never claim to be Nostradamus, just darn close.

Since the real fun is Madden is never to win with your team's roster as it was intended, check out the free agents listed.   The answer there to the Browns cornerback issues are much more interesting than seeing a training camp feud between A.J. Davis and Jereme Perry.   Just go get Ty Law for a few million and go win the Super Bowl!

It used to be that when publications would list the 50 or 100 best players in the NFL, there was never a Cleveland Brown to be found (that rhymes!). That is no longer the case.

Pete Prisco of CBS Sportsline just put out his top 50, mostly because there's really nothing better to write about this time of the year. He lists Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards as the 34th best player in the entire league. That's higher than guys like Drew Brees, Osi Umenyiora and Tony Gonzalez.

That's good for seventh-best receiver in the league. It's also 10 positions higher than teammate Kellen Winslow Jr., who comes in at 44. By Prisco's ranking, that means Winslow is the second-best tight end in the NFL. Lofty.

Do yourself a favor, though. If you check out this list, don't even bother reading the comments. You might heave harder than you did last night when the Cavs drafted J.J. Hickson.

UPDATE: Dawgs by Nature has an interesting take on the list. No Joe Thomas in the top 50? Blasphemous!

Chris Pokorny of Dawgs by Nature had a tidbit recently about the Browns being a possible suitor for Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver bum Matt Jones.

It's become quite clear this offseason that Jacksonville is looking to part ways with Jones. The Jaguars converted Jones out of college from quarterback to wide receiver, something unheard ofthat happens more than I thought in the NFL. After looking somewhat promising his first two years, catching 77 passes for just over 1,000 yards and 9 touchdowns. Last season, though, he struggled and played in only 12 games.

Personally, I don't this happening. The Browns were just a mention, as were Dallas and Miami.

Notes…
James Walker of ESPN.com writes that the Browns are good, but cornerback is still a major concern. There is nothing really new in the article, though.

With this being the deadest part of the football year (and yes, football is a year-round spectacle), fantasy football articles are coming out. The site I help with, New Era Scouting, just released their quarterback rankings. Derek Anderson is No. 7.

In other rankings news, Sporting News just put out rankings for the AFC's best wide receiver groups. The Browns are fifth behind Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and New England. This does not include tight ends, so that's about right.

Kevin Ace of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that the Browns are among the teams that have shown an interest in San Diego Chargers wide receiver and punt returner Eric Parker.

Parker missed last season because of a toe problem and hasn't participated in minicamps. While he has been productive in the past, it doesn't seem like the Browns need another receiver. That is, unless they're fearing the worst with Joe Jurevicius.

Notes…
Terry Pluto wrote yesterday that the Browns will continue looking for another cornerback throughout the summer. The best way to acquire one? Trade Darnell Dinkins. Fair enough. Dinkins is the current odd man out, if Steve Heiden can come back healthy. The team could also move fullback Charles Ali for a cornerback. I'm not sure how many teams will be looking for a fullback.

A neat look by the Canton Repository's Steve Doerschuk on how the Browns could have drafted several of this year's Hall of Fame inductees. If you're a sad-sack Browns fan, don't read it.

In other Doerschuk news, I picked up the Sporting News NFL preview annual a few days ago. Doerschuk wrote the Browns portion. SN is generally the best season preview guide. However, it predicts the team will finish 9-7, third in the AFC North, and miss the playoffs.

Dawgs By Nature , through the OBR.com, is reporting the Browns have released three undrafted rookies:

WR Nate Hughes (Alcorn State)
LB Xavier Mitchell (Tennessee)
CB Darnell Terrell (Missouri)

The team then added guard Derrick Morse (Miami-FL) to a contract, to replace the departed LeCharles Bentley. All of these moves are not shocking, though Terrell was rumored to have had his moments in mini camp.

One interesting piece of news is that the Browns might finally be getting something out of running back Jerome Harrison. In 11-on-11 drills, he took two passes for touchdowns. The Browns have been fairly patient with Harrison, who really struggled to handle the passing game so far in the NFL. If he can get his hands on the ball, he can be a dynamic option, but he clearly couldn't be trusted in the past. Lets hope Harrison figures it out.

Finally, how can a fan not love Joe Jurevicius? He's coming back for an eleventh season, despite injuries, to win a Super Bowl ring with the Browns. Joe's a class act, and someone who genuinely loves his hometown and is living out his dream wearing orange and brown.  Who wouldn't want to see the former Lake Catholic star close out his career holding the Lombardi Trophy as a Brown?

Jason Cole of the ever-growing Yahoo Sports team came up with a good read about the Browns last week. He says the Browns defense still has a lot of ifs. He also has a good quote from general manager Phil Savage that basically shoots down any possibility of the team trading for Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor. Cole also makes the comparison between the offenses of the Browns and New England Patriots.

Notes…
Always make sure to check out Terry Pluto's Sunday column in the Plain Dealer. He always has good tidbits.

The same can be said for Patrick McManamon's "Beside the Point" column on Sundays. In this week's column, McManamon has a nice little bit about the LeCharles Bentley situation.

Lost yesterday in the LeCharles Bentley fiasco was defensive back Gary Baxter's return to the field after he too missed almost two seasons.

Baxter even one-upped Bentley: He tore both of his patellar tendons in 2006. No player has ever returned from tearing both patellas. Baxter participated in team drills on Wednesday, but is challenging for a spot on the roster at safety.

It's probably safe to assume that Baxter has lost some athleticism, but if healthy, he could help as a backup to Brodney Pool and Sean Jones.

Notes…
Speaking of Jones, Zac Jackson of Cleveland Browns.com just wrote about the safety. Jackson writes that Jones is the team's best-kept secret, but he's still trying to establish himself.

ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton has been in Berea watching the Browns. He filed a story on how Shaun Rogers will help Cleveland's run defense, one of the worst in the league the past few seasons.

See Marla Ridenour's story here.

This will not adversely affect the Browns in the least. Some Browns fans (like most Cleveland fans are known to do) are probably freaking out right now.

"The Browns will now have a losing season and the line is going to fall apart."

"Derek Anderson is going to get destroyed."

"He's just the first LeClevelander that'll leave town."

Hogwash. (Fine, maybe not that last one)

Face it, Bentley probably wasn't going to be a starter this year. In fact, some doubted he'd even be able to play this season despite passing a physical Monday night.

It's not because he might be good, which is questionable. It's because Hank Fraley is that good. Bentley was never interested in playing guard for the Browns. "Well, I came here as a center. I would like to stay there," Bentley told reporters yesterday.

Wrong. At the end of the day, Bentley came here to make $16 million and not play a down. Not even in the preseason. Sure, getting injured forced the signing of Fraley, which made the line better, but that says nothing about Bentley.

Even after Bentley missed the past two years, fans seemed to rally behind him yesterday. They believed in the former local prep superstar.

All he's done in return is further fuel the paranoia and doubt of Cleveland sports fans.

Update: Make sure to check out Ridenour's latest article following General Manager Phil Savage's comments.

We can all remember where we were when it happened.  It's a turning point for all diehard Browns fans, the day that LeCharles Bentley tore his patella on the first day of Training Camp on July 26th, 2006.  Personally, I was making fun of a Bengals fan at work who then in turn broke the news to me.  For nearly two years we have been waiting for Bentley's return, which occurred yesterday.  And now there is nothing but questions. 

During Bentley's first practice yesterday, he was mostly talked about playing right guard, writes Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Repository.  It's a position he's familiar with, Bentley came into the league and played right guard for a season in New Orleans before moving to center, replacing Jerry Fontenot.  It's clear that Bentley intends on remaining a center, as he said that "I came here as a center. I would like to stay there, but whatever happens as far as getting the best five guys on the field … it doesn't really matter to me."  Given the tone of the conversation, it seems clear that Bentley in his mind is still a center, and there is a tone of dissent.  At least it's going to be in Cleveland, right?  Well…

"Absolutely, I will be playing somewhere, starting, in '09."

Oh boy…here we go. 

What's clear is that while Bentley's return is a plus, especially given Ryan Tucker's hip injury and Seth McKinney's injury history, why does it feel like Bentley is already a foot out of the door?  Bentley's latent dissatisfaction with the Browns can be felt in his comments, dating back to last summer.  He then goes on to say, per Tony Grossi, "So whatever happens, I want to see the team do well."

In the article, Bentley talks about how he could have played in October 2007, and was even in full pads and contact, but the team shut him down because of his mechanics and his running.  Bentley also makes a point of saying how he physically was ready for the Browns test, as he did the same thing several times over in Arizona while recovering.  Feel the heat? 

It sounds to me like the fan inside, the kid who earned his nasty reputation at St. Ignatius High School and then Ohio State, and the player who understands the business side of the NFL, are at war.  Bentley knows he doesn't have a clear path back to a starting job in Cleveland, but he sounds confident about his health. 

After two years of waiting, are we the fans just setting ourselves up for a heartbreak with Bentley?  Only time will tell.