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.

That seems to be what head coach Romeo Crennel was intimating at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club Monday. Bentley has missed the last two seasons with a serious patellar tendon injury he suffered in the Browns' first 11-on-11 practice during training camp in 2006. I was at camp that day and it was clear Bentley was in big trouble. However, I never expected him to miss quite this much time.

Whether or not he can return to being the Pro Bowl player he was for the Saints in 2005 is tough to say. The Browns don't require current center Hank Fraley to move around much, so maybe Bentley can fit back in.

Notes…
The headline "Chudzinski looking for better results in 2008" from this article in the Plain Dealer caught my eye. The Browns had one of the better offenses last season and it say a lot about the offensive coordinator that he didn't think it was good enough.

ESPN.com recently released its first set of NFL power rankings for the 2008 season. They rank the Browns ninth, which is great. That translates into the team being sixth best in the AFC, but just behind the Steelers (7th). James Walker writes about the Browns: The 2007 darlings face high expectations. The offense will score. Can the D, anchored by additions Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams, hold up its end?

Troubles for defensive back Kenny Wright continue. If one of the undrafted rookies looks good this offseason, there is no reason Wright should remain on the team. Character should always supersede average depth.

Still don't know much about fourth round pick Beau Bell? Here's a video of the linebacker:

Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe wrote in his notes that the Browns could be simplifying their defense. Read the full article here.

The Browns added considerable bulk in the form of defensive linemen Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams this offseason, but they're trimming down in other areas. Coach Romeo Crennel is considering simplifying the defense as the club transitions to a new coordinator in Mel Tucker. The Browns gave up more first downs than every team but the Lions and were one of the league's worst units against the run. Crennel apparently thinks it might have been a result of players being overloaded, so look for the Browns to get back to basics.

Unless this is about simplifying thing for the group of young defensive backs, I'm not sure this is a wise decision with the addition of veterans on the line. In theory, they should be able to handle whatever Crennel and Tucker throw at them.