Quote:This is a new Cleveland owner though. 

 

The only thing we have going for us would be if that quote about "letting Mack leave if he didn't want to stay" was legit. Thats literally our only hope, because this contract is an easy match for Cleveland. 

 

I'm with you, I'm a little disappointed they weren't more creative, but on the other hand, I can understand their hesitation to do that because "creative" contracts can come back to bite you in the butt if the player then double-crosses you and refuses to renegotiate.   Also, Caldwell may have had second thoughts about being too tricky and hardball with the Browns, thinking maybe it would cause too much bad blood.  

 

I think in the end, they made it a little bit difficult for Cleveland, with the high pay and the guarantees and the opt out after two years.   I give us a 40% chance of landing him.   60% chance Cleveland matches, partly because they have walked out on a limb with all their talk about how they will match anything. 

 

If the Browns match, Mack will say how happy he is, and how he always wanted to be a Brown for life, etc etc. 

 

And if the Browns refuse to match?   I will give Caldwell a lot of credit for doing this without any major tricks in the contract that we would have had to live with.  

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