Cleveland Browns-Chicago Bears: Five Cleveland Browns Thoughts in Finale

The Cleveland Browns ended their 2010 NFL preseason with a victory against the Chicago Bears, but it was not without tragedy.

Rookie second round pick Montario Hardesty went down with an injury to his other knee; with all the coverage that injury will have, it is time to look at the few other interesting things from the Browns game that should be noted.

Head Coach Eric Mangini, General Manager Tom Heckert, and President Mike Holmgren have tough decisions ahead of them since final roster cuts are on Saturday Sept. 4 and this fourth and final preseason game will hopefully make some of those tough roster decisions a bit easier to make.

James Davis Is a No-Brainer for Running Back Depth

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CLEVELAND - SEPTEMBER 2: James Davis #28 of the Cleveland Browns carries the ball against the Chicago Bears during the preseason game on September 2, 2010 at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

With Hardesty going down, Davis was able to shine by racking up 119 total yards from scrimmage. While he shined, Chris Jennings struggled and will most likely be a roster casualty.

Davis' play combined with Hardesty's durability concerns clearly makes the choice of keeping Davis on the roster as the fourth running back an easy one.

Rookie Safety Larry Asante Makes a Statement

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SAN DIEGO - DECEMBER 30: Larry Asante #4 of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers lines up in defensive position during the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl against University of Arizona Wildcats on December 30, 2009 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Californ

Late-round draft pick Larry Asante may have fallen into the last half of the draft, but he stepped in and started for Abe Elam and he showed signs that he could be a very good safety in the future.

Asante was second on the team in tackles with seven and all of them were solo tackles. Plus, he had a good hit on the opposing Bears' quarterback.

He may not be ready to start in 2010, but if his continues to make progress then he will be a starter sooner rather than later for the Browns as a late-round gem.

Linebacker David Veikune Makes Plays (Finally!)

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CLEVELAND - SEPTEMBER 2: Chester Taylor #29 of the Chicago Bears carries the ball up as David Veikune #57 of the Cleveland Browns attempts the tackle during the preseason game on September 2, 2010 at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo b

The 2009 second round draft pick and project David Veikune has been on the roster bubble, since he has not been able to produce much during training camp and in preseason; but as a starter versus the Bears, he was able to make some plays in the first half.

Finishing third on the team in tackles with five (four solo), Veikune may have been able to do just enough to barely make the final cut now.

Marcus Benard Just Needs To Be a Starter

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KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 20: Marcus Benard #58 of the Cleveland Browns plays his defensive position during their NFL game against the Kansas City Chiefs on December 20, 2009 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The Browns defeated the Chiefs

Backup outside linebacker Marcus Benard is slowly progressing into the starting lineup with his consistent and solid play throughout the four preseason games.

He led the defense in tackles with eight total, six of them solo.

He was flying around and toward the ball carrier and he was also able to fall back into coverage.

Benard is showing versatility and Browns fans know how much Mangini loves versatile linebackers since the Browns have so many of them on the roster.

Benard will easily see playing time this season and not only in pass-rushing downs, since he has shown the ability to cover opposing tight ends too.

Offensive Tackle Joel Reinders Shows He Still Has Much To Learn

Reinders is definitely a raw talent who has potential, but the Browns need to show patience with his progress too.

After giving up a sack on quarterback Colt McCoy, where Reinders got seriously burned by the defensive lineman—it goes to show that he needs time and he is probably practice squad material.

Final Thoughts

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

CLEVELAND - SEPTEMBER 2: Cleveland Brown fans cheer on their team during the preseason game against the Chicago Bears on September 2, 2010 at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns defeated the Bears 13-10. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Get

My final thoughts on the Browns' preseason are...hmm...what was I saying, I got distracted by this picture.

Oh right, final thoughts, ha!

Anyway, Hardesty is the biggest issue coming out of this preseason right now because we can be honest in saying that the passing game is solid and surprising.

With the running back combo of Jerome Harrison, Peyton Hillis, James Davis, and the occasional Hardesty when healthy, the Browns are good at running back too.

The offensive line has held up well, especially the right side, but the supposedly improved defensive secondary has really struggled with pass coverages.

That could be a direct effect of a relatively non-existent pass rush, but I'm thinking that defensive coordinator Rob Ryan is not laying down all his cards in preseason and he will unleash a fury of blitzes in the regular season opener, which should in turn help the secondary.

In closing, here's to endless Browns optimism and hoping for an 8-8 season record.

GO BROWNS!

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