DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Bentley will try to come back this year (article from Cleveland PD)

Peen, it doesn't sound like he's been released based on this statement in the article:

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Bentley, who's rehabbing again in Phoenix, called Browns coach Romeo Crennel about a week ago and told him he'd be coming to camp and that he'd try to play this season.

"He said great and that he'd see me then," Bentley said.

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Just a thought, but I read that to say, he intends to come to Browns Camp to see IF he can play this year, or for that matter, ever again! That's my take anyway!

Must be the " OFF Season " .. The Guy may or may not make it back . He had a bad injury complicated by the " Staff de Browns " .. He is going to try a come back ( period ) .. May or may not make it ; we will find out sometime during the season ... The man knows his body ; He comes across as a fairly intelligent person and I don't think ( hope ) the Browns organization is one to take chances with his life .

This is great news. I really hope he isnt making a mistake. It will be great to see a life long hometown player hit the field for his first game in a brwons uniform against the steelers come Sept. 9. It will be great in teh locker room to have two players who thought their career was over to come back and play again.

It's nice to finally split the rumors away from the truth.

I'm glad to hear that he'll be at camp. Maybe not with the team, but that is about as positive it can get after hearing all the possibilities of a season-ending or career ending surgery coming.




I hope the guy does well for his sake, not ours. Best of luck in your comeback, LeCharles.

I almost don't want to see him play because I don't want him to mess his knee up to the point where he knows he can't play again and has to take a year or so to rehab again.

j/c

Wow, talk about great news when I woke up this morning! I love LCB, but I'm definitely fearful of how well he'll hold up. Linemen put so much pressure on their knees, and I'm not sure how a worn tendon will effect him.

For the people curious about Bentley passing a physical and worrying about causing more damage, I say to chill out. TC doesn't begin until July 29th (I believe) so that's 4 weeks to find out more about Bentley's injury (how much weight he can put on it, mobility of the leg, etc.)

Let's just be happy that LeCharles might play this season! The emotional lift for both the fans and the players will be huge!

Wow, this is some news. I guess I'm a little bit in line with peen's thinking though. I hope the guy can hold up. I've been waiting to see him play since he signed, but I'd prefer not to have him destroy himself in the process. I hope it works out for both him and the team.

The reality is, a guy who plays at that level probably wants to play more than anything and is willing to take the risk. As for the physician passing him, It's not the Browns doc that's passing him, apparently it's a guy he chose himself who also happens to be the giants team doc.

I'll be wishing him well, and I do look forward to seeing him play. I'd also like to know why more linemen don't wear braces as a precaution. do the really effect performance to such a level that it's not worth it? I know Jerry Sherk had additional problems, but I remember seeing him at the great northern mall on occasion on crutches. It's kind of sad the price these guys pay sometimes.

The chances of this guy returning to anywhere near the ability needed to play is slim. I would like to see him retire and live a long, HEALTHY life instead of risking it playing again.

I think everybody is missing the point here-here are two (at least one great) players who are working their butts off to play for the BROWNS! Not the Bears, or the Saints, or any of the other playoff teams. Even if they never play, that makes my heart jump! And it will make our players step it up a notch, guaranteed! Maybe just a small notch, but we need that small notch. I share Peens concerns, but it lifts me to hear these stories regardless. This reminds me of the old Browns, the Jim Brown-get-up-one-more-time-browns!

Even if Bentley comes back I doubt he'll be the pro-bowl type player he used to be.

Freakin Amazing! We haven't heard one word as to condition and well being of LCB for months & months. Not even his whereabouts.
NOW... EVERYONES A FREAKIN EXPERT!!!
He is a grown man with a good head on his shoulder. He certainly knows the risks as well as his body more than anyone posting on this board. (even Peen)
If he's able to go... he'll go. If not, he won't. I rather doubt he'll do any thing that would be detrimental to the team or himself.
I don't hear anything about Baxter except everyone wishes him complete success on his return, even tho one low block or a cleat getting hung up and twist the wrong way could put him in a wheel chair for the rest of his life.
Bentley has youth on his side and he heals up rather quickly. I for one am anxious to see him suit up & pancake a nose tackle (like Ngata)

if the doctor clears him, why not let him back?

whether he makes it back or not, or if he's even productive, it's flat-out amazing that he has gotten this far, to the point where he can even talk about playing...

if he gives us limited action this year, i'll take it...

what a lift for the rest of the team it could be, maybe it will make some of these guys pick up the slack, to see a guy work that hard just to come back in a small role...

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Does anyone really believe this guy would risk his long-term health to play? Risk his ability to walk and lead a normal life just to play football?

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Yes. These guys are a different breed IMO. They have to be to put their bodies through the abuse they do, year in, year out. Bentley was one of the best of the best and I think what made him so good was his drive combined with his talent. His talent may very well be gone but his drive is not. The doctor is glad that he should be able to live a normal life. Bentley is not. Part of what makes him so special also impairs his good judgement IMO.

Now I wish he could comeback and be as healthy as ever. It would be great to see him return to form for us. I just worry about his health a little more than what is good for the Browns. Injuries do happen and on any given play a player can be out for good. That is a risk they all take but it is a little different to take that risk with a knee that has had the kind of massive tramua that Bentley's has.

I am not a doctor but from what I understand you can't compare Baxter to Bentley at all. Baxter may have tore both but from what has been reported Bentley did far more damage to his knee. Combine that with the fact of how much the staph ate away at his knee it is not even close.

The decision not to have a 5th surgery was made about four weeks ago. Between when he had his first surgery and the fourth exactly how much lifting and running has he done? Remember, he had four surgeries within that time. What progress has he made exactly? At least with Baxter you hear of him working out.

lincoln

Bentley planning return from infectious torn patellar tendon
Associated Press

Updated: July 1, 2007, 6:56 PM ET

CLEVELAND -- Center LeCharles Bentley, whose first season with Cleveland ended with a freakish knee injury last summer that became infected and threatened his life and NFL career, plans to play for the Browns this season.

The club's marquee free-agent signing in 2006, Bentley said Sunday that he'll report to training camp in a few weeks and that his goal is to be ready for the season opener on Sept. 9 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"It's unbelievable how far I've come in the last few months," Bentley said in a phone interview from Arizona, where he has been rehabbing and working out for the past few months. "I feel so blessed to even be in a position to think about playing again. I've come so far. I'm not going to stop now."

Bentley, who tore his left patellar tendon while planting on the first full-contact play of training camp last July, expects to be on the field for the Browns' first full workout on July 27.

He called Browns coach Romeo Crennel two weeks ago to tell him that he'd be in camp and that he planned to play this season.

"I think he was shocked," Bentley said. "I think a lot of people are."

The 27-year-old revealed that he has undergone four operations since getting hurt, the final two to clean out a staph infection that ate away at his tendon and a virus that became so severe that doctors considered amputating his leg.

"At one point, I was so sick they weren't sure I was going to live through the night," Bentley said.

New York Giants team physician Dr. Russell Warren performed Bentley's latest operation in November, when more staph was cleaned out and a portion of the deteriorated tendon was removed.

Following that procedure, Warren advised Bentley to begin thinking about life without football.

But Bentley, who signed a six-year, $36 million free agent contract with the Browns to play for his hometown team, wasn't nearly ready to give up. And after a few weeks of workouts, Bentley became convinced he could make it all the way back.

"He [Warren] is a great doctor," Bentley said. "But doctors have told people they have six months to live and they go on to live full lives for years. For a while my wheels were spinning, but I was determined to make it back."

Warren considered a fifth operation on Bentley in early June, but after seeing the two-time Pro Bowler's improvement in May, decided against it.

"He thought it was remarkable," Bentley said. "He thought I had made enough progress that I didn't need another one [operation]. I've still got a few more hurdles to overcome but I've come so far already."

Bentley plans to visit Warren again before returning to the field.

His unexpected return is terrific news for the rebuilding Browns, who didn't think they'd have him for the upcoming season and weren't sure if the former Ohio State star would ever play for them at all.

"I'm sure people still don't know if I'll be back, and it's still probably going to be a little wait and see," he said. "But if I play one more snap, that's one more snap than a lot of people ever thought I'd play.

"People are quick to want to kill a dream. But a lot of work and a lot of prayers later I'm ready to play again. I've been blessed."

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

Post deleted by Referee2

just clicking...

I still keep going back to that day when he got hurt. I was so depressed.

If he makes it to training camp, it will be interesting to see how he performs.

We could potentially have two feel good stories on the same team.

Add to that our 5-0 start ( ), and we'll be the talk of the league.

I hope he will be able to play if he feels that he can.

j/c

If Bentley were able to come back and be his old self (not saying it will happen, being cautiously optimistic), I think that the quality of our offensive line would be borderline erotic.

I don't know what to think.

It really sems like everything seems to be going our way this year.

It's kind of like a solar eclipse. It doesn't happen very often but when it does it's special.

I really hope he can make it back but I hope he isn't rushing anything and doesn't come back until he is healthy enough. I would hate to see the guy end his career just because he wants to get back on the field earlier.

I wish Bentley all the best, and if he can come back successfully, it wouldn't happen to a more deserving guy.

j/c

As much as I salivate at the prospects of having LCB on the line, I don't want him to lose his ability to live a normal life. It's not worth it...i wouldn't do it...and I'm pretty sure noone on this board would.

with all that said, i'm still not sold on him actually playing on september 9th...

i think we'll have a better feeling after training camp starts, and if you hear his name at all in terms of playing with the first, or even second team...

but it's pretty amazing to think that he would play against the steelers, but maybe we are just due for some nicer things to happen with us, it certainly was like that on draft day...

Personally, I'd like to see him and Baxter on the PUP...have em for the 2nd half of the season to get in shape...and both of them as close to fully healed as possible next year.

Maybe our luck is changing though...It'd be awesome to see them both play the first game and be 100%...but I'm a realist.

J/C


My take is that he is healing very well. I also agree with the poster above who says, none of us really know what shape he's in.

Here's a young man who's lifelong dream comes and goes in one practice. Of course he's going to say he wants to play come 9/9. Any dedicated athelete would be feeling and saying the same thing, just as Baxter is. Remember Baxter tore both tendons. The truth is probably a little different.

The guy came close to death. Staph can kill you, and wreaks havoc on your system. Sometimes people in these kind of situations find a new lease on life. The mind is a powerful thing, and is a big part of physical healing. The part where he says if he plays one more snap it would still be playing, IMO says it all. Maybe he dresses for the opener, then on to the PUP. Just being suited up and on the field would be a great reward for his hard work and determination. But IMO no way should he play this year.
The inspiration having him and Baxter even just being at camp could be huge in determining the mindset of the team, especially the younger players.

IMO, he'll be at camp working out and going to meetings, but the PUP, is where he'll end up. If, he really is healing good enough to play again someday, I don't believe anybody in the front office would jeopardise the man's future.

Let him come to practice, be with the team, something that has not been happening. Let him wear the colors, participate in drills, but for no reason what-so-ever, should he be allowed to take contact on that knee. Sit him this year and let him heal even more, then in '08, turn him loose.

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I think that the quality of our offensive line would be borderline erotic.

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OUCH!! The thought of Bents, Steiny, Joe and Shaff caressing a chrome pole is a scary thought... All the same though, makes me want to don my Browns gear and get a seat near the stage with a stack of singles $$...

A good running game and a good defense took Big Ben far his rookie season. I'm not saying that we'll do what Pittsburgh did or even duplicate their accomplishments when Big Ben took over, But with a solid running game that keeps our defense off the field, keeps the chains moving, keeps the clock running, and some good luck, we may see a young Browns team come into it's own and actually suprise some folks.

Despite being told he'd never play football again, Browns center and hometown favorite LeCharles Bentley said this week he'll try to make a comeback this season.


People..read whats said ..he WILL TRY to make a comeback..doesn't mean he will..
A person who's love is football is going to give it a try..I can't say I blame him even if it's premature ..

The first was to repair the torn left patella tendon suffered on the first day of contact drills last July. The next two were to clean out a life- and limb-threatening staph infection that penetrated the joint following the initial surgery. Those were each followed by a 30-day stay at the Cleveland Clinic. And the fourth operation, performed by Giants team physician Dr. Russell Warren in New York in November, was to clean out more staph and remove a portion of the tendon that was eaten away by the infection.

That doesn't sound good..I have no idea of what transpires after removing a portion of a tendon..that hurts just to think about it.


Bentley flew back and forth to New York to see Warren, who scheduled a fifth surgery for June 3. This time, Warren would most likely use a cadaver tendon to rebuild Bentley's ravaged patella.

But after an examination in May, Warren decided against the surgery.

"He told me my knee was sufficiently healed enough to live a normal life," said Bentley, who was the top-rated free agent when the Browns signed him in March of 2006. "He said, Go retire, go fishing, go live your life.' "

Football was not part of the discussion. But Warren got the wheels turning in Bentley's mind
So technically no doctor has cleared him to play...
When he told Warren about his progress in mid-June, the doctor deemed it remarkable. "He told me to call him in a couple of weeks and that if everything looked good, he'd pass me on my physical," Bentley said.


So where's that report ?I'd like to hear something concrete about that..
I have my doubts but I WANT TO ADDRESS some rather immature comments..
Shep.. Are you forgetting he is a superhuman Buckeye???


Why that crack?
Because he's from OSU?
Or just a crack to OSU fans?
I've noticed the salty way you speak lately and I wonder why the mood swing..
I'm here in the midst of the Buckeyes and I don't homer NONE of them..I wish them success but I'm harder on my critques of them than anyone from Columbus..

Peen.. If I was in charge of the Browns, I wouldn't let him come back. I would pay him for this year and cut him.

Thats why U're not a GM..because that comment is idiotic..U don't cut or release a player of that caliber until U know he's finished or doesn't have much left in the tank..

I agree with DnD....put him on the PUP list ..let him heal ..let him test the knee some more..
08-make a decision based on his workouts..not this soon..
He's not ready to attempt this ...I fear he will break down trying to comeback too fast..

j/c

Wanting to play and being able to play are two different things. I sincerely hope that in his desire to do what is in his heart to do that there are people around him who will encourage him to do the right thing even if that means accepting what may be a harsh truth:That the injury was career-ending.

I wish him well.

I say if he shows he can handle training camp, then keep him as depth behind Fraley for this year, as he continues to heal and strengthen. Then if all is well, we have him ready for next year.

Isn't it a beautiful thing to have a little depth? Heck, if Bentley is able to start from day one, Fraley could always be moved over to Guard, or serve as a type of "utility" man when the inevitable dings happen throughout the year.