**UPDATE** The Browns actually went ahead and cut LeCharles Bentley today.  Apparently Hank Fraley & Rex Hadnot are just too good.

Andy has already gone on the record as saying he thinks the Browns will be a team to watch in 2008.  I have pulled out my political talking head hat, and said I think they will regress from 2007–while also admitting that they may still win their division (I am not impressed with the AFC North).

Now comes news that WR Joe Jurevicius may not be ready to start the season, as he’s become the SIXTH player on the team in four years to contract staph.  Seriously, I know they’re taking steps to prevent it, but they might want to step up those efforts.

On the surface, this news seems to have little impact, fantasy wise or otherwise–Jurevicius started 12 games and caught 50 passes with three TDs last season, but is expected to be the #3 WR this season since Donte Stallworth was signed.

Still, this one scares me a little bit–Jurevicius likely was a calming veteran presence in the huddle for the Browns, and a positive role model for some of the receiver corps to look up to, given their tendency to flap their gums. 

And, I’m guessing that the 3rd WR would see the field a lot in Cleveland, in an effort to keep guys out of the box and free up some room for Jamal Lewis.  Now, it appears that the Browns will likely enter the seasno with Joshua Cribbs (who recently admitted that his having the dropsies during practice was due to his not being focused enough), Travis Wilson, or something called Syndric Steptoe filling the role.

On the positive side for the team, LeCharles Bentley was cleared to practice this week, after missing two seasons due to a torn patellar tendon suffered on the first play of training camp after signing a six-year, $36 million contract on the first day of free agency in 2006.  He then had three subsequent surgeries, to deal with the staph infection that followed.

Of course, there’s now bad blood between him and the team–so no one is sure where he’ll play–guard or center with the Browns, or maybe for someone else.

For his sake, let’s just hope his slip of the tounge when asked about it wasn’t prophetic:

”Zero doubt, absolutely I will be playing somewhere, starting in ’09. ’08, sorry. You know what I meant.”