McShay’s latest mock: Bortles falls to Browns at No. 4; Carr still on the board after two rounds
April 10, 2014Draft Day, Hawk Harrelson, Alex Mack, Super Tall High School Kid and Mansions live at the Grog Shop… While We’re Waiting
April 11, 2014According to numerous reports, but first by the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Alex Mack is about to become the highest paid center in the NFL.
Whether he plays for the Jaguars or Browns is still undetermined.
Here is #Jaguars offer sheet Alex Mack will be signing tomorrow: 5 years, $42M. It’s $18M over 2 with player option after ’15. Can’t tag him
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 10, 2014
Because of the timing of the void after 2 years of Alex Mack’s deal, the team — Browns or Jags — can’t tag him after 2015. That’s big
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 10, 2014
What we can gather is that Jacksonville’s offer includes $18 million guaranteed over the first two years of the deal. After 2015 there is an option for Mack to void the rest of the deal. If he does void the remaining contract, he cannot be tagged with the transition or franchise player designation no matter whether he plays for the Jaguars or if the Browns match the deal.
The 2016 season is worth $8 million according to FOX Sports’ Mike Garafolo.
The total of the deal is believed to be $42 million dollars. That averages out to $8.4 million and makes Mack the highest paid center in the league. He is 28 years old and has never missed a snap in his NFL career.
The Browns will have five days to match when he signs the offer sheet, believed to be tomorrow.
[Related: Browns reportedly ready to match whatever offer for Mack]
45 Comments
I like how that contract is constructed front loaded with $18M guaranteed but the player option to walk unrestricted after two years for Mack was a nice touch. I have to believe this was a “just in case” Cleveland matches. This way Mack gets $18M and can then walk.
I know the national guys are losing their minds about the $18M guaranteed in the first two years, but it’s less than the transition tag, which we were willing to pay. Potentially losing him in 2 years isn’t ideal, but it gives us time to put a succession plan in place at least.
Ray, just pay the man…
http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5049fdefecad04a361000008/throwing-money.gif
Good. 2 years to convince Alex to stay, or 2 years to find a replacement from the draft or free agency.
So, we got him for a 2nd year for 8M? That is better than 1 yr for 10 right? Plus why would he leave a playoff team 2 years from now?
This is a no-brainer for the Browns – it’s not the deal they wanted to give him but it is better than letting him walk. I just don’t get what the Jaguars were hoping to get out of this. Whatever concession they hope would lead the Browns to let him walk is something they will have to do afterward if he walks.
Not sure about a succession plan, but extending Greco last year would count as a contingency plan. Greco adds valuable depth to the OL, being able to fill in anywhere; a very solid 6th OL and replacement level starter.
We get Mack locked up for 2 years at less money than either the transition or the franchise tag. Oh, and we get to use the tag on someone else if we need to each of those years w/o having to do the 120% increase with Mack too.
Thank you Jaguars.
When Mack puts pen the the Jags offer, the Browns need to show some good faith and match immediately, not take the whole 5 days.
(This assumes the Browns know they are going to match.)
Become the Anti-Banner, and build some good will, Mr. Farmer.
I was pretty close on my projection of 40M for 5 with the player option after 2 eh?
Be hilarious if we could somehow meet him at the JAX airport with the paper already signed and give him a big hug. Welcome home Alex!!!
only if this was in the background…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB1D9wWxd2w&list=PL21C13786426FEF8B
Or call the JAX GM on his cell as Alex is signing to thank him for negotiating a great deal for the Cleveland Browns. Then ask to put Alex on the phone.
and, if he had told us that he wanted out of Cleveland and gives us any grief about matching, then we can always tell him:
http://www.reactiongifs.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/welcome_to_real_life_spaceballs.gif
Once he sees our new jerseys in 2015, he won’t be able to leave.
Sign him, fly him back, then put his butt to back to work…
http://i.imgur.com/eCSz9ji.gif
I’ve been saying same thing. Winning cures everything. It’s plausible that if could re-work his deal should he buy in to what the new FO is doing. While it’s not the most ideal outcome, I’m good with this.
Yeah, I imagine Farmer with pen in hand standing around the fax machine, return number already punched in, waiting as the pages of the contract print out. (Some places still do use fax machines by the way.)
As a baseball fan, $9M a year for a premiere player seems like highway robbery.
Great deal for Mack. Gets a bunch of guaranteed money over two years and then can hit the market again. I don’t think we would have given him anything quite as player friendly. Personally, I think his agent did a pretty good job.
Decent deal for us too. We have the cap space so why not use it? And like others said, hopefully in two years we’ll be a better, more coherent organization that players want to play for.
I thought that only college LoI on national signing day was left as a real use for fax machines?
http://replygif.net/i/1369.gif
we’re shipping him to New Jersey in 2015?
http://replygif.net/i/1383.gif
This is the real reason for the 2 year clause. If he wanted to leave so badly, he would have just signed the 1 year, 10 MIL offer and then walk. This gives the Browns 2 years to really show progress/continuity.
what am i missing here? I can’t believe the Browns wouldn’t just call him and say, “Alex, don’t even waste your time. We’re picking you up.” That’s totally cost-effective, and doesn’t really hurt the cap for next year.
obviously, the player option is the big thing, but the Browns’ situation could be completely palatable in 2 years, and he may want to stay on. Or he leaves, but not after giving us two years of service which amount to WAY less than the transition tag and franchise tag.
And, in the end, Jacksonville didn’t have the stones to offer him more $$, just in case Cleveland didn’t match it.
This is exactly what I was thinking. Why did they even waste their time with this? Did Mack’s agent promise to do them a future favor for just throwing the contract out there? Unless there is a secret clause we don’t know about, the contract seems to be created just so the Browns would match it.
there HAS to be something we’re all missing.
there HAS to be something we’re all missing.
Apparently Dumervil’s agent and Broncos do, and that didn’t turn out so well.
Apparently Dumervil’s agent and Broncos do, and that didn’t turn out so well.
and remind him that he can carry his own matched luggage…
and remind him that he can carry his own matched luggage…
I really think – hyperventilating fans and loud mouth media aside – none of this was about getting out of Cleveland, but getting the best contract possible for himself. Cleveland would have wanted to lock him up for as long as possible and (I really don’t think) they would have given him the player option. They would have tried to lock him in for two or three years and then used the tag again when that expired (or told him to hit the bricks if he was no good). Now he’s going to get paid well in 14 and 15 then, most likely if he stays healthy, get another contract negotiated on the open market with more guaranteed money when the cap is going to be even higher.
As an aside, I think NFL players generally negotiate worse contracts than MLB players. And not just in dollars since the salary cap deflates NFL player FA salaries. They always come out with these huge impressive numbers ($60M over five years!), but in reality then end up being way less ($12M over two) and then the guy is out on the street.
If I were an NFL player, I’d be trying to negotiate a contract just like Mack’s. Pay me now and – since you can fire me whenever you want after the guaranteed part is over – I also want to right to be able to walk once those first years are over.
of course, his agent tried to find him a longer term deal for way more money on a constant Superbowl contender, but he had to tell Mack…
We ain’t found *poop*
Yeah, the Jaguars look like either willing or ignorant pawns in this.
MLB contracts are shifting more towards ones like NFL style contracts with all of the team-options being put on extensions these days.
Natedawg- that’s only considering guaranteed money. You also have to account for the non guaranteed portion ($23million/5years=$4.6 million/year) so he’s actually getting 9+4.6= $13.6 million/year over the first two years.
Is that how the yearly payouts are structured in the contract?
really thought commenters were overdoing the gifs. Til this. Young Spanky, ftw.
http://24.media.tumblr.com/ea12a5a6a1f467e20223d06d091dd9f0/tumblr_mfw874uUp81r4w26ho1_r4_500.gif
That was a great episode!
Allows their FO to show their fanbase they are willing to go out there and spend money to improve their team. Good PR move IMO for a Jacksonville FO that consistently has to deal with a lot of the same issues the Brownies do and then the constant talk of them possibly moving.
True, but many of those are of the variety “we’ll buy out your arbitration years for a little more and in return you give us one or two years of fairly priced club options”.
The Mack deal reminds me of the Yanks/Tanaka deal – a lot of money plus the option for the player to hit free agency again in his prime. Of course, in that contract all the money is guaranteed. MLB players should build a m’fing shrine to Marvin Miller.
True. But it’s sort of in the category with the Indians trying to negotiate a deal with Sabathia back in ’07. It only looks good if you’re a fan who doesn’t pay attention to reality (which may actually be a good number of Jags fans).
I try to keep my standards on gifs as high a possible. 🙂
No that is not correct. 42 Mil, 18 Mil guaranteed the first two years, player option for 8 M 3rd year guaranteed money. 26 Mil guaranteed if he plays here 3 years. Last 2 years would be 8 M a year. If he is cut, he would make 26M.