Jeff

Faine

The Browns offensive line is down to one original starter.

McCoy is two weeks removed from what was initially reported as a serious high-ankle sprain. With the Bucs on bye in Week 8, they’ll give him an extra week to recover. Tampa Bay will now be out three key starters against the Bears -- McCoy, LeGarrette Blount, and Jeff Faine. Frank Okam, Earnest Graham and Jeremy Zuttah draw starts in their absence.

It’s ominous news for incumbent C Jeff Faine, who is due a $5.925 million base salary and roughly $8 million cap number after a miserable season, by all accounts. Zuttah has the flexibility to play both guard and center, and he’ll give the Bucs a well-put-together pivot at 6-foot-4 and 308 pounds. Look for the team to release Faine either later today or tomorrow, ahead of free agency.

Faine simply isn’t worth his nearly $6 million base salary, and the move will likely occur later today or tomorrow. Faine, 31, has been the Bucs’ starting center since 2008. He’s been injury prone and ineffective the entire time, though.

Faine is at least the fifth veteran center to visit Tennessee, and the team reportedly has former Eagles center Jamaal Jackson in mind as a fallback option. Released by the Bucs after a dramatic decline in run blocking, Faine has started 117 games in his nine-year career.

Faine was due $12.925 million over the next two years after grading out as one of the worst centers in the league by Pro Football Focus in 2011. He missed 12 games between 2009-10 before appearing in 15 last season. He’s unlikely to draw interest as a starter on the open market.

It’s an indication that Bengals C Kyle Cook’s foot injury is serious. One of the worst centers in the league last season, Faine was released by the Bucs in March. He hasn’t made a visit since April.

31-year-old Faine is insurance for starting C Kyle Cook, whom the Bengals fear may miss significant time with a foot injury. Cincinnati’s interior offensive line is not panning out as a likely strength. LG Travelle Wharton is already done for the season, and rookie RG Kevin Zeitler has been up and down.

Faine didn’t play at all in the second half of Sunday night’s loss to the Steelers. Undersized rookie Trevor Robinson got eaten up by Casey Hampton.

He was replaced by Trevor Robinson, an undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame. Faine was signed in late August following the loss of Kyle Cook to a significant foot injury. Faine’s return to the game is considered questionable.