The Browns' key free-agent-to-be, Jamal Lewis, will clearly be rewarded handsomely for his outstanding 2007 debut season in Cleveland. But it will be interesting to see exactly how his contract negotiations play out.
Lewis will be 29 when next season starts, but the big back proved he still has plenty to offer. In essentially 14 games, he rambled for 1,304 yards, averaging 4.4 per carry and scoring nine times. Add in 248 more yards and two touchdowns receiving, and it's clear just from the numbers that he remains among the NFL's most productive and reliable backs.
Phil Savage rightly wants to keep him around. And if he really, really means it, there is no way that Lewis will play for another team in '08. With momentum building for the team to surpass its '07 achievements, and with no heir apparent feature back, Lewis is just as important in the near term future as he proved to be last season. He stands to be an even more extremely wealthy man in a matter of days or weeks.
The questions from the Browns' perspective are thus:
- If "a good Jamal is a hungry Jamal," as Savage said, how can the team motivate him to the max? Once a multimillion-dollar signing bonus check clears, any stomach gets sated.
- How many more years can Lewis rock? Many figured he was washed up before last season. His decline, whenever it comes, will probably not be a gradual one.
- What is Plan B? In professing a desire to stay in Cleveland, Lewis is saying the right things, but pro football is a business. He would be ill-advised to foreclose his options if that might leave millions on the table. Any good negotiator must be prepared to walk away. So how might Savage land an above-average successor instantly in case the Lewis talks break down?
All three of these questions point toward slapping a franchise tag on Lewis, an idea I haven't heard much about. The Browns haven't used this designation since its creation, so I had to educate myself a bit on its implications. The more I consider it, the more intriguing this option appears.
The Browns and Lewis are currently negotiating a multi-year contract. Obviously, if they come to terms, the franchise tag is irrelevant. But despite the amicable relations between the parties, their interests do conflict. Lewis wants a longer, bigger deal, but the Browns can't risk a salary cap albatross given his age and the position he plays.
A logical compromise might be a three-year contract potentially worth $15 to $20 million, including a hefty signing bonus, steep performance incentives, and another big bonus due after two seasons.
But it's easy to argue that, while Lewis is a special player, effective running backs can be found much younger and cheaper. Still, I want Lewis toting the rock for the Browns in 2008.
If they go the "exclusive" route, Lewis would get a guaranteed one-year salary and couldn't negotiate elsewhere. That salary would be the average of the top five backs in the league as of April.
The "non-exclusive" option lets Lewis shop himself around, but the Browns could match any offer or receive two first-round picks in compensation if they decline. Otherwise, he stays on a guaranteed one-year salary equal to last year's average of the top five, which was just shy of $7 million. This is the better choice.
If either tag is applied, the two parties could continue to negotiate a longer contract (though timing becomes an issue if the team wants to keep its franchise designation available for others, such as Anderson or Edwards, while that new deal is active).
Considering Lewis earned $5 million last season, the team's decent salary cap situation at present, and his superlative effort while playing under a one-year deal, the non-exclusive franchise tag is affordable and reasonable. It should be a very strong and open consideration during the current negotiations.
It might be enough to convince Lewis to settle for a two-year, incentive-heavy deal in the $10 to $12 million range rather than the three to five years his agent is discussing. That would be enough for the Browns backfield to be well positioned for a strong and sustained run to carry the team deep into the playoffs.