Browns To Match Jaguars’ Offer For Alex Mack
The Browns are matching the Jaguars’ offer sheet for Alex Mack, which was officially signed earlier today, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The move will keep Mack in Cleveland on a five-year, $42MM contract, which includes no-trade protection for the first three seasons, per Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter).
Heading into free agency this offseason, the Browns decided to tag Mack as their transition player, tendering him a one-year offer of $10.039MM. Although Mack went out and secured an offer sheet from Jacksonville rather than accepting Cleveland’s offer, he’ll earn about the same amount in 2014 on his new contract. The deal will reportedly pay the veteran center $10MM in 2014 and $8MM in 2015 before he’s faced with a decision on whether or not to void it after the ’15 season.
Those first two years of Mack’s contract are guaranteed, and the third year, which is also worth $8MM, will become guaranteed as well if he opts in. The Browns would then have the option of retaining the center for 2017 and 2018 as well, at a non-guaranteed rate of $8MM per year. If Mack opts out after the first two years of the deal, the Browns would be unable to use the franchise or transition tag on him, since the deadline for his decision comes after the deadline for those tags to be applied.
When Mack entered free agency, agent Marvin Demoff expressed confidence that he could construct a deal that would make Cleveland reluctant to match, despite the team’s wealth of cap space. However, the deal Mack and the Jags agreed to doesn’t look too hard to swallow for the Browns. Despite the significant guarantee, the Browns will be on the hook for about the same amount of money in 2014 ($10MM) that they’d expected, and less than that ($8MM) in 2015.
Still, despite accounts indicating that Mack wanted out of Cleveland, reports this week have suggested the center simply wanted to maximize his value, and he’ll do so with this deal. For the Browns’ part, they’ll keep a player that owner Jimmy Haslam said this week was a priority.
“We remain optimistic that Alex Mack will be a Cleveland Brown for a long time,” Haslam said. “We want him to be. I think we’ve made it very clear that he’s the kind of person, the kind of player we want in our organization.”
Mack, 28, has ranked among the top 10 centers according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) in each one of his five seasons since entering the league in 2009. In 2013, he placed fourth overall, grading well above-average as both a pass blocker and a run blocker.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pauline’s Latest: Pryor, Evans, Gaines, Pats
Here’s the latest draft buzz from Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net:
- Sources close to the club say that Louisville safety Calvin Pryor will be a priority for the Lions if he drops to the second day of the draft. I imagine that’d be the case for most teams, considering Pryor is widely considered one of the top two or three defensive backs in the draft.
- There’s a consensus that Texas A&M wideout Mike Evans will be a top-10 pick, and the team that lands him may ultimately trade up or down to do it. Pauline identifies the Rams, Eagles, and Ravens as possible landing spots for Evans. Philadelphia could also be in the mix for receivers like Brandin Cooks or Marqise Lee.
- Rice cornerback Phillip Gaines had dinner with the Jaguars last month and has worked out for the Bengals and Buccaneers. Gaines also has trips lined up with the Giants, Cardinals, and Dolphins.
- The Patriots recently worked out Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas and D.J. Coles, and Pauline suggests that there’s a belief New England will draft a quarterback this year, since the team expects to lose Ryan Mallett a year from now. As for Coles, the Pats had the receiver do plenty of tight end work during position drills.
- Prior to tearing his ACL during a workout with the Saints, offensive lineman Brandon Thomas had official visits set up with the Raiders, Cowboys, Dolphins, and Panthers. He was also scheduled to work out for the Buccaneers and Giants. The workouts are obviously off the table now, but it’s not clear which of the visits will still happen, if any, says Pauline.
- Towson running back Terrance West was impressive during his Pro Day and appeared to solidify himself as a fourth-round pick, according to Pauline.
Draft Visits: Raiders, Falcons, Bucs, Dolphins
It would be a surprise if Jadeveon Clowney is still on the board when the Raiders pick fifth overall in next month’s draft, but Oakland will nonetheless host the standout defensive end for a visit next week, according to John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game (via Twitter). The team is also hosting Pittsburgh quarterback Tom Savage for a visit today, according to ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez. Savage isn’t a candidate for that No. 5 pick, but he’s drawn plenty of attention lately, and seems to be rising up a few draft boards.
Here’s more on pre-draft visits around the NFL:
- The Falcons are hosting Boise State pass rusher Demarcus Lawrence for a pre-draft visit, according to ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure. Agent David Canter recently tweeted that Lawrence has visits to 10 teams scheduled in a two-week span.
- McClure also reports (via Twitter) that Texas A&M tackle Jake Matthews has a visit lined up with the Falcons for the week of April 21.
- Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along updates on a pair of prospects. According to Wilson, Arizona State linebacker Carl Bradford has met with the Jaguars, Dolphins, Chargers, and Falcons, while Marshall offensive tackle Garrett Scott is visiting the Raiders today after having also visited the Chiefs, Dolphins, and Buccaneers.
- Florida State running back Devonta Freeman is among the players visiting the Dolphins today, writes Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, adding that Freeman has also visited the Falcons and Patriots.
- Another Florida State running back, James Wilder Jr., tells Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link) that he worked out for the Buccaneers today.
- We’ve already heard plenty of reports about Kyle Fuller’s pre-draft visits, but Gil Brandt of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds a few more teams to Fuller’s list. According to Brandt, the Virginia Tech cornerback has worked out for the Titans, Buccaneers, and Falcons, and will also do so for the Bills and Rams, among other clubs.
- Ole Miss wideout Donte Moncrief, who previously visited the Steelers, will work out for the Dolphins and Broncos next week, tweets Brandt.
- UCF running back Storm Johnson will visit the 49ers on Monday and the Falcons later this month, says Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter links).
Alex Mack Signs Jaguars’ Offer Sheet
12:18pm: All the money in Mack’s offer sheet is in the form of base salary, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. To recap all the details we’ve heard today and yesterday: Mack will earn $10MM guaranteed in year one, $8MM in year two, then will have an opportunity to opt out after 2015. The deadline for the option is the start of the 2016 league year, so he can avoid being tagged if he voids the deal. If he opts in, his $8MM salary in ’16 is fully guaranteed. The 2017 and 2018 base salaries are also worth $8MM each.
FRIDAY, 11:35am: Mack has signed the offer sheet from the Jaguars, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. According to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), it’s a five-year, $42MM deal with $26MM guaranteed, as we heard yesterday. The contract includes a player option after the second year and a no-trade provision, tweets Schefter.
The Browns will now have five days to match the offer.
WEDNESDAY, 3:56pm: While Mack enjoyed his visit with the Jaguars and intends to sign their offer sheet, he’s also “fully prepared” for the Browns to match it, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
3:22pm: Free agent center Alex Mack will sign a five-year offer sheet with the Jaguars by the end of the week, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). When Mack formally inks the offer from the Jags, the Browns will have five days to decide whether to match it or to let their transition player go to Jacksonville without receiving compensation. For his part, the veteran center is hoping the Browns choose not to match, since he wants to play for the Jags rather than in Cleveland, tweets Schefter.
According to Schefter (via Twitter), Mack’s offer sheet with the Jaguars will be constructed with the intent of making it difficult for the Browns to match. Mack’s agent, Marvin Demoff, has expressed optimism since the start of free agency that he can come up with a deal that will make Cleveland reluctant to match, despite the team’s wealth of cap space.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com recently spoke to several agents and executives to try to get an idea of how a hard-to-match offer sheet might work, and concluded that a two-year pact with a significant second-year roster bonus could make sense. If it’s a five-year offer from the Jaguars though, the club may go in another direction. Former agent Joel Corry suggests (via Twitter) that giving Mack the right to void the deal after 2014, or guaranteeing significant money in later seasons could discourage the Browns from taking on the contract.
In any case, given the Browns’ cap room and their desire to keep their All-Pro center, it won’t be easy for the Jags to find the right balance between discouraging Cleveland from matching and not simply overpaying Mack. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam indicated this week that his team won’t let Mack go without a fight.
“We remain optimistic that Alex Mack will be a Cleveland Brown for a long time,” Haslam said. “We want him to be. I think we’ve made it very clear that he’s the kind of person, the kind of player we want in our organization.”
Mack, 28, has ranked among the top 10 centers according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) in each one of his five seasons since entering the league in 2009. In 2013, he placed fourth overall, grading well above-average as both a pass blocker and a run blocker.
By designating him as their transition player, the Browns committed to paying Mack about $10MM in 2014. A long-term deal may not feature an annual salary that high, but it could easily make the former first-round pick the highest-paid center in the NFL.
Extra Points: Wilkerson, Jaguars, Mosley
First-round picks from the 2011 draft class became eligible for contract extensions this offseason, and the Jets and Muhammad Wilkerson seemed very intent on getting one signed. So far, there hasn’t been any indication of a deal on the horizon, but the defensive tackle still says he has no intention of holding out if he doesn’t get a long-term deal, tweets Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. Wilkerson went on to call GM John Idzik “a great GM and a man with a plan,” (link). More from around the NFL..
- Indiana wide receiver Cody Latimer has a pre-draft visit with the Jaguars, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
- Former Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley will visit the Titans early next week, according to Audra Martin of WKRN (Twitter link).
- The Falcons worked out Murray State wide receiver Walter Powell today, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter) adds that Powell has a private workout scheduled with the Jets later this month. So far, there’s nothing brewing between Powell and the Rams, Thomas says.
- Nate Ulrich of the Akron-Beacon Journal weighs the pros and cons of the Browns matching the Jaguars’ offer to center Alex Mack. Ultimately, he concludes that the good would outweigh the bad for Cleveland.
- As exciting as Johnny Manziel is, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle is pretty confident that the Raiders will pass on him at No. 5. General Manager Reggie McKenzie has said that he strictly goes for the best talent available and none of the signal callers are top ten talents, in Tafur’s view. He opines that there are five players available that can make an impact right away – Jadeveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins, Khalil Mack, Greg Robinson and Jake Matthews – and Oakland can get one of them if they don’t trade down.
- Oklahoma cornerback Aaron Colvin told SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that in addition to his visit with the Eagles, he has two more coming up with the Saints and 49ers.
Pompei’s Latest: Chris Johnson, Draft, Bills
Clemson offensive lineman Brandon Thomas suffered a torn ACL during a pre-draft workout with the Saints, and the injury could result in him missing his rookie season and dropping precipitously in the draft. It could also inspire agents to rethink whether they’ll allow their clients to work out for teams before the draft, as Dan Pompei writes in his latest Bleacher Report column.
“Why should we do it?” said one agent. “They have seen maybe 30 games on tape. They have seen them at the Senior Bowl. They have seen them at the combine. Why do they have to see them again and risk something like this happening?”
Here are a few more notes from Pompei’s piece:
- There hasn’t been a ton of activity on Chris Johnson since he hit the free agent market, in part because NFL teams and the running back himself appear to be divided on his market value.
- All three teams picking in the top three of the draft have indicated an openness to trade down, according to Pompei, who says the Jaguars have put out feelers about the No. 3 pick.
- While all of the quarterbacks at the top of the draft board have some question marks, Blake Bortles seems to inspire more confidence around the league than the alternatives, which could make him the first QB off the board next month, says Pompei.
- On the other hand, Teddy Bridgewater has seen his stock slide a little since an underwhelming Pro Day, with one scouting director ranking him behind Derek Carr. However, Bridgewater is viewed as perhaps the best fit for the Texans, who hold the first overall pick.
- People around the NFL expect a Jon Bon Jovi-led group to make a push to buy the Bills. That group could include Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment executives Larry Tanenbaum and Tim Leiweke.
Alex Mack Updates: Thursday
Alex Mack was the subject of several PFR posts yesterday after word broke that the transition-tagged free agent would be signing a five-year offer sheet from the Jaguars. While a center doesn’t typically inspire so much discussion, there are few, if any, in the NFL better than Mack, who ranked as our sixth-best free agent heading into the offseason.
The situation developing between the Browns and Jags is particularly interesting, since there are questions about whether Cleveland could have handled the situation better — assigning the franchise tender to Mack rather than the transition tender would’ve cost the team a little more, but would’ve meant a team wanting to sign him away would’ve had to part with two first-round picks. That essentially would’ve taken the center off the open market.
Here are today’s Mack updates, as we wait for the longtime Brown to formally sign the offer from Jacksonville. Any new items will be added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The general consensus among reporters since Mack’s contract details surfaced has been that the Browns will still likely match, despite the Jaguars’ creative structure. Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter link) hears from one source that the Browns will probably match, while another source says Cleveland should let Mack walk due to the 2016 opt-out.
Earlier updates:
- Mack’s offer sheet with the Jags will be worth $42MM over five years, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The deal is worth $18MM over the first two years, and includes a player option after the 2015 season. Because of the timing of that option, whichever team Mack is playing for at that point won’t be able to use the franchise or transition tag on him, Rapoport notes (via Twitter).
- Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports adds (via Twitter) that if Mack opts in after the second year, his $8MM salary for year three (2016) becomes fully guaranteed.
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears from a source that Mack’s deal with the Jaguars will indeed be executed on Friday, so the five-day clock for the Browns to match it will start tomorrow.
- Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets that as of late last night he was hearing Mack’s offer sheet from the Jaguars may not be officially finalized and signed until Friday, which is consistent with initial reports.
- A source tells Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter link) that Mack’s offer sheet has been “reviewed, but not executed.”
- Once Mack signs the Jaguars’ offer sheet, the Browns will likely match it in “no time at all,” according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also hears from a league source that the Browns figure to match the offer and retain Mack. As Florio notes, the average annual value of the Jags’ sheet is less than what the Browns would pay if they kept Mack under the transition tag in 2014 and 2015, so the club can afford it.
- While much has been made of Mack’s desire to leave Cleveland, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link) believes Mack will be happy, or “overjoyed even,” to remain with the Browns if the money is right.
- Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com explains why it wasn’t a mistake for the Browns to transition Mack instead of franchising him, though much of Grossi’s explanation seems to rely on the idea that Cleveland won’t match Jacksonville’s offer. For now at least, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
- The deal Mack eventually gets will affect Mike Pouncey‘s next contract, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald outlines. The Dolphins could extend their center’s rookie contract one more year by exercising his fifth-year option, but a long-term deal will be necessary at some point.
Minor Moves: Dolphins, Jaguars, Seahawks
Here are today’s minor moves, a list which encompasses signings and cuts involving little-known players, contract restructures, and accepted contract tenders:
- Jonathan Freeny of the Dolphins also re-signed as an exclusive rights free agent today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Freeny, a key contributor on special teams for Miami, will be in line for a $570K salary.
Earlier updates:
- Offensive lineman Austin Pasztor has re-signed with the Jaguars, according to agent Sunny Shah (via Twitter). Pasztor had been an exclusive rights free agent, so if he wanted to play in the NFL in 2014, he had no choice but to accept the ERFA tender he received from the club earlier in the offseason. The 23-year-old tackle will be in line for a $570K salary this year.
- The Bills have cut defensive end Kourtnei Brown, tweets Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. Brown, 25, had been on a futures contract with the club, and has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game.
- According to ESPN.com’s John Clayton (Twitter link), Seahawks safety Jeron Johnson, who accepted a second-round RFA tender from the team last month has since restructured his contract. Johnson’s one-year deal can now be worth up to $2MM, says Clayton. Johnson originally signed a $2.187MM tender from the team, but it wasn’t guaranteed, so it didn’t offer much security.
Poll: Alex Mack’s Offer Sheet
The Browns will have five days to make a decision on whether or not to match the Jaguars offer sheet to center Alex Mack once he signs. The offer sheet would make Mack the highest paid center in the league, but the structure of the contract would make it a difficult decision, even for a team with cap space.
Mack’s contract is reportedly frontloaded, worth at least $18MM over the first two years and $27MM over the first three. The total value of the contract is yet to be disclosed, but it is a five-year deal.
Mack would reportedly prefer to go to the Jaguars, but even the frontloaded offer sheet is doable for the Browns, who were prepared to pay him over $10MM under the transition tag in 2014. Even if they expect him to opt out of the contract after the second year, it would most likely still be cheaper than tagging him consecutive years.
Will The Browns Match The Offer Sheet?
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Yes 66% (347)
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No 34% (176)
Total votes: 523
Alex Mack’s Potential Poison Pill Contract
Alex Mack‘s offer sheet will reportedly pay him between $18MM and $20MM over the first two years regardless of whether he ends up with the Browns or the Jaguars, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Including the third year, it could be worth as much as $27MM. All of the first three years could be fully guaranteed.
It would leave Mack with the option to void the deal after two years. The Jaguars reportedly feel they have a 50/50 chance of eventually bringing Mack in. The Browns will have five days to decide whether or not to match from the time Mack signs the offer sheet.
Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 reports that this deal will make Mack the highest paid center in the NFL (via Twitter). He also notes that if Mack had played 2014 under the transition tag, that also would have made him the highest paid center that season (via Twitter). This new deal will make him the highest paid center over the course of a long term deal.
wrote a piece about the history of poison pill contracts, and what the NFL allows in terms of language that would dissuade a team from matching an offer. This is what has been expected of the Jaguars, as they are afraid the Browns will elect to match the offer. He writes that while the NFL has banned the practices that led to poison pill contracts like those of Steve Hutchinson and Nate Burleson following the 2005 season.
However, Fitzgerald writes that the Mack situation could be similar to the Curtis Martin contract in 1998, where the contract was frontloaded with an early player option. Based on the details already leaked, this type of contract is certainly in play.