Browns' Benard enters not guilty plea
10/19/2011CLEVELAND -- Browns defensive end Marcus Benard pleaded not guilty to two traffic charges stemming from his motorcycle accident last week.
Benard did not appear in Parma Municipal Court on Tuesday. His attorney, Patrick D'Angelo, faxed in the pleas.
Benard, who is done for the season after breaking his hand and sustaining other unspecified injuries in the high-speed crash, was charged with reckless operation and driving with a suspended license.
A pretrial hearing has been set for Nov. 21.
Benard spent three nights in the Cleveland Clinic following the crash.
Brooklyn Police estimated Benard was thrown 241 feet after smashing his three-wheel, Can-Am Spyder into a guardrail on Interestate-71. A witness told police that Benard was traveling at "a high rate of speed" before he crossed four lanes of traffic and slammed into the guardrail shortly after practice.
The Browns placed Benard on the reserve non-football injury list last week, and have decided to pay him for the remainder of this season. The team could have opted not to pay Benard because he violated a "dangerous activities" clause in his contract.
The 26-year-old led the team with 7 1/2 sacks last season.
Coach Pat Shurmur said last week he believes Benard has a future with the Browns.
The team signed running back Chris Ogbonnaya to their active roster from Houston's practice squad and waived rookie running back Armond Smith.
Ogbonnaya played in two games for the Texans this season, carrying three times for six yards.
He was originally drafted in the seventh round in 2009 by St. Louis, where he was with Shurmur. Ogbonnaya spent the first 11 weeks of his rookie season on the Rams practice squad before appearing in two games.
The 6-foot, 225-pounder played college ball at Texas, where he was a teammate with Browns quarterback Colt McCoy.
The Browns may have signed Ogbonnaya as protection with Peyton Hillis nursing a strained hamstring he hurt in the first quarter of Sunday's loss at Oakland. It is not known how long Hillis will be sidelined.
Lions swap RBs: Harrison for Brown
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Eagles traded running back Ronnie Brown to the Detroit Lions for running back Jerome Harrison and an undisclosed draft pick in 2013.
Harrison is starting his second stint with the Eagles. He was first acquired in a 2010 trade with Cleveland and rushed for 239 yards and a touchdown.
Brown had only 13 carries for 38 yards with the Eagles. His fumble against San Francisco cost Philadelphia a win.
Harrison had only 14 carries for 41 yards with the Lions.
In 2009, Harrison led the Browns with 194 carries for 862 yards and five touchdowns, and tied for the team lead with 34 receptions for 220 yards and two touchdowns.