BEREA, Ohio (AP) The Cleveland Browns made tentative plans just in case Pro Bowl linebacker Jamir Miller held out of training camp for a new contract.

Miller, the Browns' best defensive player, showed up. Those plans will still have to be used.

The 28-year-old Miller will miss the entire 2002 season after tearing his right Achilles' tendon during Cleveland's 27-15 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday.

"He's out for the year," Browns coach Butch Davis said Sunday. "He was not hit. Nobody rolled up on the back of his leg. It just snapped and gave away. It's one of those really unfortunate things."

Davis said Miller will have surgery Monday morning, and will need 5-to-6 months to make a total recovery.

Losing Miller in their exhibition opener is the latest blow for the Browns, who had a rash of serious injuries last season in Davis' first year as coach. Cleveland led the league with 16 players on injured reserve.

Miller was the top playmaker and leader of Cleveland's young defense, which led the NFL with 42 takeaways and a team-record 33 interceptions in 2001.

After Davis installed a defensive scheme suited to his talents, Miller had a breakout year in 2001. He tied for the AFC lead with 13 sacks and became the first Browns player to earn a trip to Honolulu since 1999.

Expectations this season were as high for Miller as they are for the Browns.

"On the bus, he was clearly disappointed," said Davis, who spoke to Miller, one of his four team captains following Saturday's game. "He made the Pro Bowl last year and he wanted to go back. He really felt bad and you can imagine how crushed he was."

Miller, who played Cleveland's strong side, was injured as Minnesota's Moe Williams scored on a 4-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Davis said Miller didn't do anything unusual on the play, his tendon just snapped as he was engaging a blocker.

Davis said doctors told him there could have been "four or five reasons" Miller got hurt but the injury was not caused by the Metrodome's artificial turf.

"It would have happened just as easily on grass as Astroturf," Davis said.

Miller followed his All-Pro season by demanding that the Browns tear up the final two years of his contract, and sought a $12 million signing bonus.

There was speculation he would hold out this summer.

The Browns had also tried to trade the nine-year veteran on the eve of April's NFL draft. Cleveland validated the trade talk by drafting three linebackers.

"We already had a pretty good battle plan," Davis said. "I always felt like he would be here, but you always have to Plan B ready."

It began Sunday as the Browns signed linebacker Darren Hambrick, who started nine games for the Carolina Panthers last season.

Hambrick, 26, spent three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys before being waived in 2001. He led the Cowboys with 154 tackles in 2000.

Hambrick will get thrown right into the mix as the Browns look to replace Miller, who was also used as an outside pass-rush specialist on third downs.

Davis mentioned Marquis Smith, Lenoy Jones, Michael Smith and rookies Kevin Bentley and Ben Taylor as possible candidates to move into Miller's spot.

Davis may switch players to new positions, but he doesn't want linebacker Dwayne Rudd to be one of them. Rudd played some strong side while he was with Minnesota, but Davis said he's best suited to be the Browns' "Wil," or weak-side linebacker.

And although he's lost his best player from a year ago, Davis says the Browns will be fine.

"We're going to overcome it, just like we did last year when we lost a lot of guys," he said. "We're going to find somebody to step up and play that position. Our expectations on defense aren't going to diminish because Jamir is not there."

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