FanHouse JeffHartings

And so ends LeCharles Bentley's forgettable two-year stint with the Browns. In 2006, Cleveland landed Bentley, then one of the best available free agents, to shore up a woeful offensive line, and during his very first practice, he blew out his knee. And we're not talking your average blowout, his knee looked like mashed potatoes for the first year after the injury.

He was finally able to pass a physical yesterday.

And today he's been released. Actually, Bentley asked out of his contract because he wants to be a starter. Due to the uncertainty of his return (at one point, there was some talk that his NFL career might be over), the Browns acquired Hank Fraley in 2006, and he's started every game since.

"LeCharles came back to Cleveland to be in integral part of the Cleveland Browns, his hometown team,'' said Feinsod. "Through no fault of the Browns at all, they didn't know if LeCharles was going to come back or not and they moved on with their plans.

"But this is not the same team LeCharles signed with. They have commitments to other players. LeCharles is not ready to be an insurance policy at this point.''

If Bentley truly is fit enough to play, there will be interest in his services. He was one of the league's best centers before the injury. You'd have to think the Steelers, at the very least, did a double-take when hearing the news. Sean Mahan had a rough go of it last season, replacing Pro Bowler Jeff Hartings. But Pittsburgh signed Justin Hartwig earlier this spring, so you'd have to rule Bentley out. I think.

Hat tip: PFT

The Lions have been submerged in an interminable rebuilding program for several years. This rebuilding process has been particularly nettlesome during Matt Millen's short tenure. I compare the continued personnel failings of the Lions to pulling upon the end of a piece of string. As you pull the string in an attempt to find it's source, it unravels and unwinds until you reach it's end. For the Lions, that source was Matt Millen's poor decision not to retain two inherited offensive linemen, Jeff Hartings and Mike Compton.

Compton and Hartings each were contributors to Super Bowl champion teams after they left the Lions. Hartings has been a Pro Bowler, too. When a NFL executive takes over a team they often set out to make the mark by overhauling their roster. In this particular case, Millen should have followed this overused maxim, "If it aint broke, don't fix it" Hartings and Compton were solid contributors for the team and since that point no player who has attempted to fill their shoes has played up to their quality level. The Lions have been unable to develop any sort of consistency along their offensive line in recent seasons. Hartings' and Compton's replacements have generally been major disappointments. The Lions poor offensive line play has culminated with the 41 sacks they have allowed season, along with innumerable QB hurries and pressures.

Matt Millen's tenure in Detroit is likely nearing it's end point. Millen, a consummate football man who is well-liked, should have known better than to go against his blue-collar football instincts when he arrived in Detoit. Whomever takes over the helm for Millen will certainly have to place a priority upon aquiring some quality offensive linemen, possibly by drafting Wisconsin OT Joe Thomas with the first overall draft pick in the 2007 draft. It is also likely that a disappointing player like G Damien Woody, depending on future salary cap ramifications, may actually be jettisoned. Hopefully, the loss of a former Pro Bowl performer doesn't hamper the Lions to the same degree that the losses of Compton and Hartings appeared to have.