The Browns haven’t had safety Tashaun Gipson at their offseason practices yet this year as Gipson has not signed his restricted free agent tender in hopes of landing a longer deal with the team after starting 26 games and intercepting 11 passes over the last two seasons.
One of Gipson’s teammates in the Cleveland secondary doesn’t expect the safety’s absence to stretch into training camp. Cornerback Joe Haden said Friday that he knows Gipson is “a little upset” about his contract status, but adds that the safety will not let business get in the way of joining his teammates in time to prepare for the season.
“I don’t think he’s thinking about holding out of training camp,” Haden said, via 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland. “It’s a business and sometimes when the players do their part of it, being a business it looks a little foggy. I think he’s going to be OK. He understands what’s going on. He’s going to be out there for training camp for sure.”
The second-round tender Gipson received early this offseason has him set to make $2.356 million and the Browns can cut it down to 110% of his 2014 salary, about $627,000, if he doesn’t sign the tender by June 15.