Phil Savage and the Browns started the free-agent signing period with a bang, landing center LeCharles Bentley and offensive tackle Kevin Shaffer. This continues Savage’s emphasis on rebuilding the offensive line that he started last season. After years of neglect, it’s refreshing to see this franchise pay attention to one of the most important parts of the team.

Bentley is the big story here. He was ranked by ESPN as the top free agent on the market. Shaffer is also an important addition. he was ranked as the 26th best free agent, and he will step into the hole left by the departure of left tackle L. J. Shelton.

Landing the highly regarded Bentley is a huge acquisition for the Browns, who wanted more bulk and power on the interior of their offensive line. The signing represents a homecoming for Bentley, who is a Cleveland native, attended that city’s St. Ignatius High School, and is a longtime Browns fan.

Bentley can also play guard, so it will interesting to see how the Browns will use him. They have an experienced center and two experienced guards, though the guards had to fight through injuries last season.

It’s a great start. We should expect a lot more.

What a relief. The Buckeyes will be able to play in the NCAA tournament, and next year they’ll be able to enjoy the top recruiting class in the country. The NCAA has placed the Buckeyes on three years of probabtion, and they have to take down some banners from the past, but Thad Matta and the boys will not have to pay for the sins of the past.

“To have this burden lifted off us, the smoke cleared, my wife cried tears of joy,” Matta said, “because I have been tough to deal with for a long, long time.”

“It’s wonderful,” said David Lighty, a senior at Villa Angela-Saint Joseph who is part of Ohio State’s 2006-07 recruiting class. “I don’t have to worry about it anymore. People can move on.”

The price to save the future is to erase part of the past.

Ohio State also will have to take down its 1999 Final Four banner, but that’s a trade OSU is more than willing to make when two other successful seasons were on the line: The current 24-4 team is gunning for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the 2006-07 team will feature one of the top two recruiting classes in the country.

Meanwhile, the Buckeyes are still fighting for a possible #1 seed in NCAA tournament after a tough 63-56 wi over Penn State in the Big Ten tournament.

Go Bucks!

How can this team lose to the Orlando Magic by 29 points?

Jhonny Peralta gets a 5-year, $13 million deal as Mark Shapiro and the Dolans continue to lock up their core players.

“They have to have a combination of talent and personality,” Shapiro said. “You want someone who is dependable. You want someone whose primary motivation is not money and fame, but for using their skills to get better.

Shapiro will now turn his attention to Cliff Lee and Grady Sizemore. Fans might not like the failures by the Dolans to land big free agents, but with the leadership of Mark Shapiro they are building this team for the long haul.

NFL free agency starts today and everyone in the league is predicting the Cleveland Browns to be very active. The decisions the Browns and Phil Savage make this year will affect the direction of the franchise for at least the next 5 years. The amount of money Cleveland has to spend and the core signings (Kellen Winslow, Braylon Edwards and Reuben Droughns) have the Browns organization heading in the right direction for the first time since they returned as the “new” Browns. The last time Browns fans had this much firepower, we were watching Bernie Kosar, Earnest Byner and Webstar Slaughter run around Cleveland Stadium.

The Browns have decided not to sign L. J. Sheldon this year and this will prove to be a good move. The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a successful run without allowing a couple players to tie up all of their cap money. Savage is evaluating everyone from veterans like David Givens to “risk” players like Lavar Arrington. I still believe a veteran quarterback is necessary for this team to be successful. Charlie Frye hasn’t convinced me that he can lead this team now, or in the future. I don’t want to sign a number of high impact players and then have to wait for Frye to mature. Phil Savage and the Browns are running a tight rope with fan loyalty and I believe they need to win right away. The next couple days are critical for the entire Browns organization and its fans.