This afternoon, we must make a correction, plus expound.
In today's edition of the Elyria Chronicle Telegram, it was reported that defensive lineman Orpheus Roye is not contemplating retirement and is signed through 2009.
The former may or may not be the case, but the latter is definitely not. In March of 2006, Roye signed a three-year contract extension as the two sides avoided having the DL hitting the open market as an unrestricted free agent.
The extension, of course, means the DL's contract runs out following the '08 season.
And while the long-time stalwart of the Browns' defensive line may not be considering hanging up his spikes, he could very well be in line for either an outright release or a restructuring of the final year of his deal that would make the base more favorable to the Browns.
Next season, Roye is scheduled to earn $3 million in base salary. That's a fairly hefty chunk of cap change for a 34-year-old (he'll turn 35 in January) lineman who has been battling injuries of late.
According to a source close to Roye, the player does not expect to play next season in Cleveland under his current salary. The source added that Roye would be more than open to an incentive-based deal in order to help the Browns.
Roye's contract number is just one of many variables that could lead to a major--and some would say much-needed--shake-up along the defensive line this offseason.
In addition to Roye's cap-related issues, both Ethan Kelley (unrestricted) and Simon Fraser (restricted) are slated for free agency. Add to that Ted Washington's retirement/not likely being re-signed by the Browns, and you have a good chunk of the team's season-opening line rotation very much up in the air at this point in time.