CLEVELAND BROWNS Ross Verba shelved for season

The starting left tackle tore his right biceps during Thursday night's game.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Ross Verba's season is over, a damaging blow to the Cleveland Browns who have just one week to reshuffle their offensive line.
Verba, the Browns' starting left tackle most of the past two seasons, tore his right biceps during Thursday night's preseason win over the Atlanta Falcons.
He will need surgery and his rehabilitation will take five to six months, the team said.
"I feel terrible for Ross," Browns coach Butch Davis said Friday.
The loss of Verba is especially tough since he plays a vital position as the player responsible for protecting quarterback Kelly Holcomb's blind-side.
In addition, the Browns don't have much experienced or quality depth on an offensive line that was just beginning to jell and now has to be juggled in preparation of the Sept. 7 opener against the Indianapolis Colts.
May shift Stokes
To fill Verba's spot, Davis will likely move left guard Barry Stokes over to tackle. Stokes, who has been with eight NFL teams in eight years, started three games at left tackle for the Green Bay Packers in 2001 while filling in for an injured Chad Clifton.
Stokes started all 16 games at left guard last season and had held off a challenge from several players for the job this summer.
Davis could also use either Chad Beasley -- listed behind Verba on the most recent depth chart -- or Joaquin Gonzalez at left tackle. However, both are just second-year players and it's doubtful Davis would want to expose them to so much pressure just yet.
Zukauskas may move in
Assuming Stokes is the new left tackle, Paul Zukauskas will probably become the starting left guard. Zukauskas, a third-year player from Boston College, made three starts at right guard last season when center Dave Wohlabaugh broke his right hand and Shaun O'Hara moved to center.
The Browns may also be able to find some help on the waiver wire as teams cut down to the 53-man limit by Sunday night.
Verba was injured during a touchdown drive in the first quarter of Cleveland's 20-9 win.
After leaving the field, the 6-foot-4, 308-pound performer clutched his right arm tightly to his chest and winced in pain as he walked slowly toward the tunnel to the Browns locker room, perhaps knowing his season was done.
X-rays were negative, but an MRI test taken Friday morning revealed the season-ending tear.
Started 31 of 32 games
Verba, who signed as a free agent from Green Bay with the Browns in 2001, has started 31 of Cleveland's last 32 games. He had finally solidified the left tackle position, a spot occupied by Lomas Brown and Roman Oben in the Browns' first two seasons back in the league.
"He had a tremendous preseason and performed great at left tackle each of the last two seasons," Davis said. "We will decide internally how to fill this void, and we fully expect someone to meet the challenge that awaits."
Verba had injured his back while lifting weights before last season but reported to training camp on time and started all 16 regular-season games and in Cleveland's playoff game against Pittsburgh.