The Browns put a transition tag on center Alex Mack on Monday, which allows them to match any offer to Mack within seven days and would guarantee Mack a salary of $10.039 million for 2014 if Mack decides to sign it.
Mack isn’t going to be doing that anytime soon, though. He said he had “a cool meeting” with the new staff and that there was something to be said for having “a clean slate,” but that the transition tag did nothing to dissuade him of the desire to see what other teams might offer him to jump ship.
“We’ll see what happens. It’s tough to know. I don’t know how teams feel about me. I still have an opportunity to meet with coaches and experience free agency. That’s the goal,” Mack said, via USA Today. “I like Cleveland; I know it. I like these new coaches. But there are other opportunities out there. You only get to play this game so long. Let’s see what else is out there.”
Mack added that “it’s not a bad thing” if he winds up back in Cleveland one way or another, but he seems to be hoping that free agency brings him a long-term deal wherever he winds up playing. It won’t be too much longer before we know whether he gets one.