Lions 3rd-Round Pick Bentley Could Push to Start at CB After Berry's DUI Arrest

In a story becoming all too familiar to Lions fans, another young player and potential key cog was arrested over the weekend. WXYZ reports that cornerback Aaron Berry was arrested under suspicion of DUI and other charges in Harrisburg, PA early Saturday morning.

Berry had been having a great offseason, situating himself as the likely starting cornerback opposite Chris Houston. Head coach Jim Schwartz refused to say the job was Berry's to lose, according to Anwar Richardson of MLive.com, but Richardson wrote that it seemed that now-Buccaneer Eric Wright's old job was indeed Berry's to lose. Schwartz did note that Berry needs to stay healthy, which he hasn't done so far in his career, while saying he did a "very, very good job" in the offseason.

Who can push Berry now that he has lost profile with the coaches? Richardson wrote earlier in the offseason that third-round pick Bill Bentley has the "best chance of making a run" at Berry for a starting job because he is a "little more polished."

Bentley was mentioned as a standout during the spring by teammates Erik Coleman and Amari Spievey for being professional and "catching on fast," according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Tony Ortiz of CBS Detroit expected Bentley to challenge Berry to start before the arrest.

Berry's arrest is far from the only reason to declare a true training camp battle between him and the rookie Bentley, but it could end up being one of the deciding factors if the players are close. The Lions just need to make sure Bentley doesn't emulate his close friend and one of the biggest character risks of the 2012 NFL draft, St. Louis Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins.