By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The holdup on Brandon Weeden's contract -- and that of the three players picked behind him -- is a fully guaranteed contract for all four years, league sources said today.
It's the same issue that caused Browns defensive tackle Phil Taylor, the No. 21 overall pick last year, to hold out for the first four days of training camp.
With the NFL's new rookie slotting system, guaranteed money is usually the only point of contention. Weeden, the No. 22 overall pick, is set to receive a four-year deal worth about $8.1 million, but is intent on the fourth-year guarantee as opposed to the three that many players late in the round receive.
Ultimately, the Browns and Taylor agreed last year to a combination guaranteed base/roster bonus for 2014 instead of the full guarantee. The $750,000 roster bonus, due in early March, forces the Browns to make an early decision on whether or not to keep Taylor for the year. His base for the final year is also $750,000. Overall, his deal was worth four years, $8.1 million.
Weeden, who participated in the NFL Play 60 in Berea Friday as part of the rookie symposium, said he's still hopeful a deal will get done before training camp, which opens to the public July 28th. Rookies report a few days earlier.
"It'll get done,'' said Weeden, one of 14 unsigned first-rounders including teammate Trent Richardson. "We’re working. It takes two sides, though.''
If the Browns decide not to budge on the guaranteed fourth year, Weeden will most likely have to settle for the combination guarantee/roster bonus that Taylor received.
Last year, picks one through 16 -- and No. 20 pick Adrian Clayborn of the Bucs -- received all four years fully guaranteed. This year, picks one through 16 received the four years and picks 17, 18 and 19 got the combo package. No. 20 overall pick Kendall Wright remains unsigned by the Titans, presumably because he's working off Clayborn's fully-guaranteed four-year deal from last year.
This year's No. 21 overall pick, defensive end Chandler Jones of New England, signed a four-year deal worth $8.17 million, but didn't receive the roster bonus in the fourth year that Taylor secured, according to profootballtalk.com.
The Browns still have almost a month to resolve the issue, but sources expect Weeden to be in on time, especially considering he's set to be the starting quarterback.
As for No. 3 overall pick Richardson, his holdup is likely tied to the "offset language'' that clubs want in the contract. Offset language means that if a player with a guaranteed contract is let go and signs with another club, the original team is off the hook for the portion of the salary paid by the new club. For example, if Richardson were due $5 million in 2015 and his new team paid him $4 million, the Browns would owe him $1 million.
Offset language is the major reason the first eight picks have yet to sign, a source said.
"For me, I think I’m really just waiting on one and two (Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin) to get done," Richardson said at NFL Play 60. "Then when the big guys get done, I can sign.''
Richardson will receive a four-year guaranteed contract worth close to $21 million.
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/06/holdup_on_brandon_weedens_deal.html
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