After months of painful waiting, a certain form of training camp has begun, yet the news coming from Berea has been paper thin – or perhaps even recycled.

If you know what I mean….

Schudel on Dave Razzano

Dave Razzano is a name unfamiliar to most fans, but the former NFL scout for the 49ers, Cardinals and Rams is well-respected around the league, so when he has something to say about the Browns, it’s worth paying attention.

Wait a minute….this sounds familar – and oddly dated.   

My memories are kind of vague, but I do remember a time not so distant…

No, wait – it was Thursday:

Thursday Roundup: Reader Choice Edition

First, from Kirk Reynolds comes a most welcome, if not foreign topic – an item regarding those suddenly resurgent Browns. 

Longtime NFL scout Dave Razzano has some kind words for our beloved franchise – and manages to avoid tripping over clumsy cliches such as “long suffering”, “LeBron James” and “Eric Mangini on the hot seat.”

And then again – later on Thursday….

PD Starting Blocks – Thursday Links

Razzano is PlaymakerMobile.com analyst and correspondent who has spent 22 years in the NFL as a scout with the San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals under NFL coaches including Bill Walsh, George Seifert, Chuck Knox and Dick Vermeil. And has been a part of five Super Bowls with three Super Bowl wins (49ers, 1989, 1990; Rams, 2000).

And now – just in case you needed to read Razzano’s thoughts for a third time – Schudel is your man about town. 

Just not Berea, that is.

Anyway, here’s another positive piece regarding the Browns – one that you may see again later today…then again on Wednesday.

SI – Ross Tucker on Holmgren

If everyone has the same philosophy and goes about their business the same way, is progress sometimes stifled? Ingenuity can be created by bringing together people with different backgrounds or viewpoints. That’s why you have to like what is going on in Cleveland.

Hey Ross Tucker, where were you about seven months ago?

Such rational thinking is usually not the mark of a national columnist, but in Tucker’s case, he offers a divergent view – one that separates him from the camp that consistently portray Eric Mangini as little more than an afterthought in the Browns’ current vision of rebuilding.

Or, in other words – as I’ve been suggesting for far too long now, having Mangini continue his 2009 progress should prove far more rewarding than say hiring a Jim Zorn or Marty Morningwheg – i.e., a Holmgren clone.

For those who still don’t want to believe that Mangini is a part of the team’s future, look no further than April’s draft – where a series of physical, smart players were drafted.  These picks include a running back who may prove to be the steal of the draft once he is installed in Mangini’s run-first offensive attack.

Speaking of running backs….

Plain Dealer – Terry Pluto

The 1985 team had two 1,000-yard rushers in Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner during Bernie Kosar’s rookie season. But the Browns didn’t have another 1,000-yard rusher until . . . Reuben Droughns in 2005. In between, their best seasons from a back were 890 yards (Leroy Hoard, 1994) and 887 (William Green, 2002). The only times the Browns have been in the playoffs since the 1980s were 1994 and 2002, when they at least had one viable rusher.

Based on the sheer surprise of Jerome Harrison’s late-season explosion in 2009, it’s easy to forget just how dismal the Browns’ running game has been over the past two decades.  Or in other words – Leroy Hoard and Reuben Droughns are the closest things to Browns’ legends the team has produced in the backfield in a long time. 

Despite the presence of Harrison and Hardesty on this year’s roster, along with an offensive line that is constantly improving, this trend may not change in 2010.  While the rushing attack will no doubt be the focal point of the team’s offense, it’s more than likely that Harrison and Hardesty will split carries in 2010….leaving both backs short of the often mythical 1,000 yard mark.

However, in a true sign of overall progress – will these stats even matter?

Finally, from another section of the Browns’ Past files comes this…

AP – Bentley Sues Browns

The Browns had at least six players stricken with some sort of staph infection in recent years, including former receiver Joe Jurevicius, who settled a similar lawsuit with the team in June. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

It’s completely unfortunate how Bentley’s Cleveland career lasted just a few minutes.  His injury – one that prominently featured the stain of Cleveland – was devastating in so many ways.  Bentley’s arrival in 2006 signalled a change of fortune – at least among the beleagured offensive line.  Also, Bentley’s hometown roots carried another sense of pride.

Of course, five minutes later – things rapidly changed.

And now – close to five years later – it appears that Bentley is following the route taken by Joe Jurevicius.

While Bentley certainly deserves his fair share – at least based on the general malaise that was the team’s rehab facilities – you have to admit that the timing is a bit suspicious.

Or in other words – Jurevicius has clearly set the bar.

And in terms of things “recycled”, look for a similar story regarding K2 in the near future.

Or even later today.  Who knows?