The Browns have five restricted free agents who have not signed their tender offers. Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the team has sent to each of them a letter indicating that, as of June 15, the pending tender offer will be reduced to 110 percent of the player’s 2009 base salary.
Each of the five -- fullback Lawrence Vickers, running back Jerome Harrison, linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, linebacker Matt Roth, and safety Abe Elam -- received tenders at the second-round level. Vickers would experience the biggest drop, from $1.759 million to $589,000. Harrison’s pay would fall from $1.759 million to $593,000.
Linebacker D’Qwell Jackson’s offer would shrink from $1.759 million to $704,000. Elam would experience the smallest reduction, from $1.759 million to $1.65 million.
Roth, as a five-year veteran, has a higher second-round tender, at $1.809 million. His tender would drop to $770,000.
Grossi points out that Harrison and Vickers have been working out with the team pursuant to injury waivers. Presumably, they’ll sign the tenders to avoid more than $1 million in lost money.
Some speculation has emerged that players facing drastically lower tender offers will sign the current offer by June 15, but then hold out and pay roughly $16,000 per day. If they hold out beyond August 10, however, they would lose a year of service toward free agency.
