According to reports, there may be a quick resolution – in possibly as soon as 45 days — to the misdemeanor battery investigation involving Browns defensive tackle Caleb Brantley.

 

And that would be great news for the Browns and Brantley, who was selected in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft last Saturday.

 

“I expect a resolution of this case very soon, and I expect it to be resolved in Mr. Brantley’s favor,” attorney Amy Osteryoung of Johnson and Osteryoung, P.A. told cleveland.com.

 

Brantley, a University of Florida product, is accused of punching a female student at the school, Chelsea Austin, outside a Gainesville, Fla, bar on April 13.

 

Brantley was expected to be drafted in the second round, but after news broke of the alleged incident, he tumbled down the draft board like a dead weight, finally being taken by the Browns at No. 185, Reportedly, some teams took him completely off their boards.

 

The Browns’ drafting of Brantley spurred plenty of controversy, a good deal of it negative. Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown addressed the move cautiously on draft day, saying the Browns might waive Brantley even if he is not convicted if they are not “comfortable” with the situation.

 

Part of that comfort level will be the public reaction to what’s going on. This is obviously a real delicate issue. While Brantley is innocent until proven guilty, the seriousness of the charges, along with the heightened awareness now of violence perpetrated by men against women, mean that some will view Brantley as guilty until proven innocent.

 

In the meantime, Brantley – and the Browns – are in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. They are undertaking a complete overhaul and want to use what most perceive to be a pretty good draft class to help them in that effort. But the controversy over Brantley is putting a cloud over that.

 

The Browns can’t deal with that for very long. They’re much too busy trying to get the ship righted. They don’t need one player possibly sinking it, no matter how much potential he has.

 

As such, then, the quicker the Brantley issue is resolved – one way or another – the better off the Browns are. They will then be able to move on.