Cleveland's defensive end will have arthroscopic surgery tomorrow on his right knee, an early training camp setback for the Browns, who may be without their best lineman to start the season.

The 34-year-old Roye has been playing with pain on aching knees for several years.

He missed the final five games last season with a knee injury that required surgery this winter.

During the first week of training camp, Roye was bothered by a "clicking" sound in the knee, coach Romeo Crennel said following practice this morning. Crennel described Roye's injury as loose cartilage, but said it was in a different place in the knee than where Roye was troubled last season.

"He has some issues with both of his knees," Crennel said. "It (his right knee) bears a bit more weight so we're going to go ahead and get it cleaned out. Last year or the year before, he went through a season with some cartilage that was loose but he worked through it and struggled through it.

"We feel like we want to go ahead and get it cleaned out. We're going to try and get him back for the regular season."

The Browns, hoping to compete in the rugged AFC North after a 4-12 season, open on Sept. 9 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Roye's team for four seasons before he signed with Cleveland as a free agent in 2000.