In a procedural move, the Browns extended the contract tenders to their five unsigned restricted free agents. Now it's up to the players to sign by June 15 or risk a greatly reduced offer.
Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson now has until June 15 to sign his one-year tender.CLEVELAND -- The Browns have extended their one-year contract tenders to their five unsigned restricted free agents, said a team source.
If the club had changed its mind about any of the players since tendering them the one-year contracts in March, this would have been the time to rescind the offer. Doing so would make the players unrestricted free agents.
By extending the contract tenders, the Browns are giving the players two weeks to sign the deals or risk having them significantly reduced. According to the current rules, if an RFA does not sign his contract tender by June 15, the club can substitute the tender with a 10 percent raise over his 2009 base salary.
Four of the Browns' five RFAs -- running back Jerome Harrison, linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, linebacker Matt Roth and fullback Lawrence Vickers -- would lose more than $1 million if the club exercised this option.
Safety Abe Elam's tender would reduce from the current $1.759 million to about $1.65 million.
General Manager Tom Heckert has said the Browns are considering reducing the offers on June 15. All the RFAs have boycotted the team's offseason program with the exception of Harrison, who rejoined the team last week.