Cameron Erving

Browns offensive lineman Cameron Erving has endured a rocky rookie season.

(Joshua Gunter, Cleveland.com)

BEREA, Ohio - It bothers former Pro Bowl offensive lineman LeCharles Bentley to hear fans and media members labeling Cameron Erving a "bust."

The Cleveland native believes the description is inaccurate and unfair. Bentley thinks the Browns rookie offensive lineman has a "high level of talent" and defends the organization's decision to select him in the first round.

He's also witnessed the season-long struggles and some embarrassing rookie moments, leading Bentley to observe: "Technically, he has no clue what he's doing."

Erving's most important season isn't the one that begins in September, Bentley said, but the one that starts after next week's game against the Steelers ends.

"I hope he turns this thing around, but whatever he does it's going to have to be a full onslaught investment from January to the time he reports back to OTAs," Bentley told Cleveland.com. "My advice would be take two weeks off. Go to wherever you want to go to have a good time. Eat bad food, live your life, let your hair down - but after that it's time to go to work.

"If he doesn't understand that and the people around him aren't preaching that then he is being set up for failure - and you can put this on record - it's going to be much worse than it is now."

STAFF PHOTO BY ELLIS LUCIA Saints offensive linemen (L-R) Montrae Holland, LeCharles Bentley, Kendyl Jacox and Wayne Gandy wait impatiently on the bench as the defensive unit is unable to stop the Bucs final drive. Game action in the fifth game of the regular season between the New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, October 10, 2004, won by the Bucs 20-17 in the Louisiana Superdome.

Bentley is one of several former and currently players who think Erving is facing the most pivotal offseason of his football career. Barring injury, the 23-year-old will start the final two games at right guard because of injuries to John Greco (knee) and Joel Bitonio (ankle).

The real work, however, comes over the next three months as the Florida State product looks to get stronger and more technically proficient.

Erving vows to return a better, stronger player and admits, he "played like (crap)" in two starts at left guard before getting benched.

Erving's development is one of the team's biggest offseason storylines. The Browns could lose right tackle Mitchell Schwartz and three-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack to free agency. The club drafted Erving with the idea of moving him to center if Mack, as many expect, opts out of his contract.

"You win and lose in the offseason," said Browns radio analyst and former left tackle Doug Dieken. "Cam has to win in the offseason."

Teams can no longer keep close tabs on players 12 months a year. The 2011 collective bargaining agreement forbids a position coach and strength-and-conditioning coach working year around with players such as Erving.

It's what makes off-site training facilities and niche programs such as Bentley's O-Line Performance academy in Chandler, Ariz., so important.

"Sometimes how (players) do in the fall depends on what choices they make, where they want to spend (time), who they want to train with and where they're going to be in the spring," Browns coach Mike Pettine said.

The coach said the staff already has begun talking to some players about their offseason plans.

Following his senior year, Erving elected to train at EXOS in Florida, while his Seminoles teammate Tre' Jackson - a Patriots' fourth-round pick - joined Bentley in Arizona. Jackson has started seven games this season.

Asked why Erving didn't attend his academy, Bentley said: "I won't get into that."

The former Saints and Browns offensive lineman, who's career was cut short by a nasty case of staph infection, doesn't think the Browns reached in choosing Erving with the No. 19 overall pick. He believes another team would have taken the versatile lineman in the first round.

But Bentley said Erving has physical and technical deficiencies that must be improved. Many times, he added, it comes down to the pro player's desire to commit to workouts.

"At some point you have to take ownership of your career, of your life and decide what it is you truly want to do," Bentley said. "Do you want to listen to hangers-on? That's a choice you make. Those people, unfortunately, are not on the field when you are facing (Bengals defensive tackle) Geno Atkins."

Bentley hopes Erving took note of comments made by perennial Pro Bowler Joe Thomas regarding the "science of offensive line play."

The left tackle was asked earlier in the week about the one facet Erving should focus on during the offseason. Thomas stressed footwork and technique.

"A lot of times you will see guys getting beat in the NFL in general on the offensive line because their feet are out of place," the left tackle said. "Your strength and power comes from where your feet are. I am probably one of the weakest offensive lineman in the NFL, but it doesn't matter if you have good feet and you are constantly in good position. You are using leverages. You are using angles.

" . . . Low man wins, leverage, angles. Really it is those techniques and nuances of the position that I think will be the most important for Cam to work on this offseason. That is the great part of OTAs for young guys. They have opportunities to work on that technique during a no-pads session where you don't have the fear of being physically beaten or getting your quarterback hurt like you would if you were in full pads or if it was in the middle of a game."

Erving spent spring practices and training camp learning multiple positions. He competed with Greco at right guard, but lost out to the eighth-year veteran.

Concern about Erving's development spiked at midseason when he faltered badly in a two-game starting stint in place of Bitonio. He was beaten repeatedly and memorably overpowered by the Steelers' Cam Heyward, who drove Erving backward into running back Isaiah Crowell for a 5-yard loss on Nov. 15

The Browns benched Erving in favor of journeyman Austin Pasztor. The rookie also had difficult on field-goal team duties, as several kicks were blocked on his watch. In fairness, at least two of the kicks were low.

Erving is eager to build some confidence and momentum over the final two games, starting Sunday against the Chiefs.

"I just want to get more game experience, go out there and play and use the technique I've learned," Erving said. "I just want to play the game to the best of my ability like anyone else would."

Dieken said Erving is hardly the first offensive lineman to endure a "rude awakening" in his rookie season. He pointed to the growing pains of St. Edward and Ohio State product Alex Boone, who's started the past four seasons with the Niners after working with Bentley to clean up technical and off-field issues.

"Cam was very athletic in college, but when you get to this level you cannot just get by on one thing," said Dieken, who thinks Erving must gain more upper-body strength. "You've got to develop a complete package."

Bentley believes Erving can make significant progress this offseason.

"You can call this year disappointing, but he's far from a bust," Bentley said. "There's a lot of talent there. It's about making a full investment and that's where the rubber meets the road for many of these guys."

For Erving, it starts when the season finale ends.