Cleveland Browns Release Earl Bennett
By Brian Miller
So this is the age of modern social media. The Cleveland Browns, via Twitter, announced that they have terminated the contract of wide-receiver Earl Bennett. Bennett, a free agent just over a month ago was supposed to be help should the NFL suspend wide-receiver Josh Gordon. Apparently they didn’t need to see anymore of him.
Bennett had played six seasons with the Chicago Bears totaling 2,277 yards on 185 receptions. He had 12 touchdowns in that time period as well and averaged 12.3 yards per catch. In Chicago, Bennett simply got lost in the Bears receiving rotation. He finished the 2013 season 32 receptions for 243 yards and four touchdowns. His last three games produced a total of six catches for 35 yards.
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A product out of Vanderbilt, Bennett was supposed to be the answer to the Chicago Bears receiving problems but two years ago the team traded for Brandon Marshall giving up a pair of picks. Bennett, a third round pick for the Bears in the 2008 NFL draft, had his best season in 2009.
Bennett posted 54 receptions for 717 yards in the 2009 season but only found the end zone twice. In 1010 his production began to drop. He posted 46 receptions that season for 561 yards, then 24 receptions for 381, and 29 receptions for 375 in 2012. In 2013 he gained more yards and caught three more passes than the previous year but he had his highest scoring season of his career.
On March 18th Bennett refused to take a pay cut from the Bears and was released. His value in the Bears offense moved him from a number two wide-receiver to a number three and finally this past year he became the 5th wide-receiver on the roster. And expendable.
The Browns had Bennett for their mini-camps and for the start of their mandatory workouts but apparently saw enough to know he wasn’t an answer for them.