Bentley to Cleveland?
 

I think not:

Browns | Bentley says he is interested in returning to Cleveland
Sun, 29 Jan 2006 07:50:25 -0800

Tony Grossi, of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, reports New Orleans Saints OC LeCharles Bentley, a native Clevelander, has told friends that he would like to return home and play for the Cleveland Browns. Bentley is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March.

http://www.kffl.com/hotw/

RE: Bentley to Cleveland?
 

He's been saying this for the past year or so... I definately would not be surprised. No matter how good he is, centers in this league are easily replaceable. Would I like him back? Definately, if the price is right.

RE: Bentley to Cleveland?
 

Cleveland can have him for 2 first round picks.

RE: Bentley to Cleveland?
 

Unless we Franchise or Transition him, he can do what ever he wants. He is a free agent.

RE: Bentley to Cleveland?
 

Centers maybe replaceable but not all-pro guards...

RE: Bentley to Cleveland?
 

Franchise, Franchise, Franchise. He is a great center and is def. needed to anchor the OL!

RE: Bentley to Cleveland?
 

We gotta franchise him. I totaly agree. If we get two firsts, then hit the road jack.

RE: Bentley to Cleveland?
 

Tell him to make his best deal with the Browns, then see if they will trade a 1st rounder for him. Otherwise, franchise the man.

RE: Bentley to Cleveland?
 

Yeah, I don't want to lose this guy either.

RE: Bentley to Cleveland?
 

We need this guy. Not only is he REALLY GOOD, but he's also REALLY YOUNG, and could be our center for years and years. Imagine having Bentley in the middle of the line for ten years, imagine how comfortable he would be with the franchise, the offense, the players, the city, and everything else. He could only improve...

Re: RE: Bentley to Cleveland?
 

He's no longer under contract, so the only options are resign him, FRANCHISE HIM or let him go.

I say franchise and trade him. We coudl get at least a late first or early second for him. Then draft Nick Mangold or whoever is the top center with the first pick. Let Jacox man the center position for a year while the rook get acclimated. Bentley will cost a lot to keep, and although I would love to have him, we can draft a center. UNLESS, they plan to move him back to guard. In that case, I pay him and keep him. Put him next to Jamaal Brown and away we go. But if the thought is to keep him at center, i'd franchise him, then trade him for the late first or early second. I don't believe there is any way on this earth we are getting two firsts for him.

No one's going to trade for him without a long term contract and No one's going to want to trade for him under a Top 5 1 year salary deal. That's why he needs to see what the market will bear for a Pro-Bowl center. If the Browns offer him X, then we give him that contract or franchise him. If he accepts the contract, then he's eminently more tradeable. Bently's agent has to have at least SOME smarts, unless it's Drew Rosenhaus.

I gotta wonder, though, since he's been the center calling the shots, the line has regressed. He may play well, but his blocking calls have been suspect. Brooks had to run backwards a lot this year. Maybe there's a correlation between his not having a contract and overall line play?

Ever since he took over Center in the 04 season the line has regressed not only in the running game but also in pass protection. I hope he is kept and moved over to guard. As a center there were more issues with the exchange between quarterback and center but maybe he was still learning the position. I would hate to see another skilled lineman go. He was the the best this team has seen since Roaf. And may be the best we get for awile

See Peerless Price. If we franchise him, a team can have a deal done with his agent, and work out the compensation to us. We then just sign him to the deal, and trade him. It's much easier to trade him should we franchise him, cause all teams will have to negotiate with us, as well as LeCharles and his agent. If we sit back while he accepts and offer, we can't then decide to franchise him. If he accepts that offer, he's gone. So we either franchise him, or hope he WANTS to stay here. I vote to franchise him, then work something out in trade. He only makes top 5 OL money until a deal is agreed to, which would be a week. No big deal.

I wouldn't mind a trade for Bentley if it involved a first-round pick, because I think that he's worth that and more. If we did that, we would be able to use some of those picks on a TRUE center (ie Mangold).

But I do like Bentley, and I want him to stay. I think he's young and talented and can be a good anchor for the future. However, is there anybody else on this team that we need to franchise?

Whodi, I'm not being argumentative, but are there other examples of franchised players being traded while under franchise, or long term deals negotiated? I don't keep up with that, but what little impact that aspect has had on my consciousness doesn't ring in many success stories. It seems to me that franchising a player only pisses him and his agent off (and that really doesn't make much sense to me either).

I wouldn't want to pay him top 5 OL money because a OT makes MUCH more than a top 5 guard or center make. I would be willing to pay him top 5 money of a guard or center though. We need to get him to WANT to stay and become the guard that he is. Draft a center or get one in FA

I don't recall too many franchised players being traded period, that's why I went with the Price example. BUT, we had Howard under franchise last year, and Dallas was negotiating a salary with is agent, until the deal fell through cause of compensation to us. So the only way the amount he is paid under franchise matters is if we decide to keep him, and don't do a long term deal. Besides, we can afford it. It's not like it's gonna strap us. The state of the city will do that more than a tag on LeCharles. There is no way he sees a day of FA if I am the GM. Franchise him as soon as the option is available.

... the way I see it, LeCharles may be a great guard, a position he hasn't played in 2 years, but I don't think he is that great at center. I'm not saying he's a bad center, just saying he isn't great at it. If he is going to stay at center, I think that franchising him would be a waste of money.

Until Cleveland signs him and moves him back to guard. The franchise tag does not force you into playing a certain position. Hell, we might wanna move him to guard ourselves, I even said as much a few posts back. But he CAN'T walk for nothing, if he is gonna leave. I don't understand the problem. We can AFFORD to tag him, so why not? What's the deal?

... you are right.

When do we have to assign the tag to him?

Well, he becomes a FA when the season officially ends. When is that, after the pro bowl? If that's when it is, we have to tag him then. Or at some point before teams can sign FAs, which is in March. Howard will be off the books. Hopefully Brooks and Gandy to follow. We will have more than enough to tag Bentley, dangle him for trades, sign FAs who wanna come here, or whatever. I could see if we were close on money if we tagged him, but he will be counting for what, like 6 mil if we tagged him? That's less than Howard was making. We can do it.

Is there a resource to know what the top 5 or 10 of each position are?

Good question. I dunno. I was going by what QBs make, which got Drew Brees 9 mil last year. And QBs and CBs are supposed to be the highest positions. So figuring it's not 9 mil, I went down to 6. It could be 7 or 8. But we still have enough. I have no idea where to find the top 5 for each position though.

Ask and ye shall receive xan. It's 7.4 mil, or at least it was last year. So basically, it's like dropping Howard and replacing it with Bentley. So that cancels out. We are 10 mil under the cap right now, not counting potential cuts and FAs. So we would still be 10 mil under the cap with Howard gone, and Bentley tagged. Again, without more cuts, trades, or knowing who exactly will be FAs. Pretty good shape.


http://www.askthecommish.com/articles/page.asp?pid=5

Well here's the thing. There is a deadline where teams can designate their franchise players, after which, they are unrestricted free agents. So see once he's put out there, he's probably as good as gone. We couldn't see what Cleveland offers him and then franchise him. The most we could hope for at that point is that he wants to come back here on his own. If we have any intentions on keeping him franchising him is the best option.

I think he's about as close to untradeable on this team as it gets. Why would we trade him???

Franchising him may piss him off, but maybe, just maybe we might be more encouraged by the team next year with our new coach and he may decide that the team has more promise.

Didn't Corey Simon also get franchised and got traded?

I also feel the same way with Bentley as center... he's much better at guard. Give him Kruetz or Hutchinson type money... those two are pretty much the top center and guard in the game. If Bentley refuses to sign, tag and trade him. We don't need another Darren Howard situation going on here... please no more one year rentals and let them walk away without any compensation.

That site is great:

About the franchise tag:

Kinda like what Howard was doing with Dallas. We just offer LeCharles a non-exclusing franchise tag.
http://www.askthecommish.com/freeagency/

He is the only probowler on this team if we get rid of bently i will be pissed !!!!

If he wants to go, and a team will give us high picks for him, well, Nick Mangold is in the draft.

Thanks, whodi, fills in a lot of blanks.

I think we need to keep a good offensive lineman like bentley, if not for center, move him to guard where he was.

Bentley is one of the "good guys" on our team. We need to try to keep him. Get rid of the cancer Joe Horn who called him out.

Better be ready to nab him with our 2nd pick, then. I don't see him dropping from early 2nd round.

I'm ready. Hopefully Bentley draws a late first or early second so we can still get a LB too.

I am all for that one!
:broccoli: :broccoli: :broccoli: :broccoli: :broccoli: :broccoli:

joe horn isnt a cancer..........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how can you say that wow you Horn haters...........