As it turns out, the Browns didn’t wait for the Eagles to work out a deal with tackle Lane Johnson, the fourth overall pick in the draft, before agreeing to terms with linebacker Barkevious Mingo, the sixth overall pick.
Per a source with knowledge of the negotiations, Mingo’s deal was concluded at nearly the same time as Johnson’s -- and possibly before Johnson had agreed to terms. The Browns simply waited until Sunday morning to announce the deal.
The Browns, per a separate source, used the template crafted by the Dolphins and defensive end Dion Jordan, the third overall pick in the draft. That means offset language for the fully-guaranteed contract, along with accelerated payout of Mingo’s signing bonus, the reduction of base salaries to at or near the minimum, and the shifting of the rest of the salary to training-camp roster bonuses.
Mingo didn’t care about the include of offset language, as long as others taken above him had agreed to it as well. Really, few players are going to be concerned about their ability to double dip if they’re cut at some point in the next few years, since the last thing they can imagine as they embark on their rookie seasons is being cut at any point in their careers.