Browns rookie RB Montario Hardesty tore the ACL in his left knee during the team's preseason finale and is out for the 2010 season after the team placed him on the injured-reserve list Friday.

Hardesty, who had missed Cleveland's first three preseason games with a bone bruise in his right knee, carried seven times for 25 yards and a TD Thursday night versus the Bears before suffering the injury.

The Browns' second-round draft pick was expected to compete with Jerome Harrison for carries in the Cleveland backfield.

Hardesty suffered a torn ACL in his right knee as a freshman at Tennessee in 2005 and endured other injuries during his Volunteers career, including a stress fracture in his left foot suffered in '08. Hardesty rushed for a career-high 1,345 yards as a senior in '09.

The Browns also announced Friday that they have released WR Jake Allen, OL Casey Bender, CB Coye Francies, TE Joel Gamble, OL Joel Reinders and WR Syndric Steptoe.

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