Browns Minicamp to Begin, but What About the Free Agents?

With Cleveland Browns minicamp slated to kick off this Thursday, a lot of questions still surround the restricted free agents that continue to be absent from the organized team activities.  Currently, the team is missing two would-be starting linebackers, their starting strong safety, and up until a few days prior, their starting backfield.

But with the contract issues well-documented, head coach Eric Mangini hopes that the standoff may come to an end, at least for three days.  But even if the handful of restricted free agents opt against attending the team minicamp, it will not be without benefit to the others.

“I think I’m optimistic that most guys will be here,” said Mangini on Monday morning.  “We will just have to see how it goes.  What it does do is that it keeps opening up some reps for other guys, which isn’t a bad situation to have.  Some guys are getting some additional learning that they may not have gotten if those restricted guys were here.  Hopefully everybody will be here. We will just have to see how it plays out.”

Linebacker D’Qwell Jackson continues to be the headliner when it comes to free agency woes.  Leading the NFL in tackles two seasons prior, Jackson was allegedly told by a prior front office regime that he would be rewarded following the 2009 season.  As luck would have it, Jackson would go on to miss 10 games during said season after succumbing to a shoulder injury.

The absence of the collective bargaining agreement has forced all players that would have been unrestricted free agents to fall under the “restricted” variety, leaving all of the leverage with the respective NFL teams.  Unfortunately for Jackson and his representation, no contract discussion has taken place to this point, reportedly leaving the player very unhappy with the situation. 

But this does not mean that those players missing in action have not been contacted with regard to on-field issues.

“Different coaches have talked to them or I have talked to them or texted them,” said Mangini.  “It’s not really an, ‘Are you going to be here?’ type thing, more just what we’re doing and if they want to get the information and different ways that we can get it to them.  Just trying to keep their ability to stay current as open as possible.”

Linebacker Matt Roth and safety Abram Elam remain two players looking for larger contract offers, but are also two players that have not exactly earned the right to be unhappy with their play on the field.  Roth was added via waivers during the middle of last season.  And while he instantly boosted the Browns pass rush, his play consisted of a very small sample size.  Elam, after coming over from New York on the infamous draft day trade that sent Mark Sanchez to the Jets, had a productive 2009 by playing in all 16 games and recording 91 tackles. 

It was easily Elam’s most productive season as a professional, but one that the Browns would like to see replicated over the course of at least another season prior to offering any sort of large extension.

The other two players that had missed the bulk of organized team activities were running back Jerome Harrison and fullback Lawrence Vickers.  Knowing well that other players were getting additional snaps in their absence, both players signed injury waivers in order to run through drills with teammates.  With the addition of Peyton Hillis and rookie Montario Hardesty, both backs had the right frame of mind to ensure that they do not lose any ground on the number of snaps they receive come the regular season.

When asked on why he chose to make the trip to camp despite not having a contract, Vickers pegged the return on his appreciation for the team.

“I was ready to work,” said Vickers.  “I missed my teammates and I wanted to be back with those guys.  I saw them on the internet having fun, so I was ready to come back.”

Claiming that he is “ready to work,” Vickers anticipates that he will be a part of minicamp this upcoming weekend.  With or without the other unsigned free agents, the fullback is looking forward to camp, stating that there is a lot less that is unknown at this point.

“We don’t have to adjust as much as we did last year,” said Vickers.  “We kind of know what coach expects and what he wants, so we come in with the right attitude.  Last year, it was kind of unexpected not knowing what was going on.  We know what he wants, we know what he expects of us and it’s up to us to come out here and do it.”

But whether or not his teammates will all be there to work with the hard-hitting fullback remains to be seen.