Browns safety T.J. Ward said earlier this week that he wants to return to the Browns in 2014 and he’s not the only impending free agent that feels that way.
Center Alex Mack is also up for a few more years in Cleveland. Mack says that he will “absolutely” give the Browns a chance to match any offer he gets on the open market.
“Being in Cleveland is nice,” Mack said, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. “I have good friends on the team, I like the coaches, it’s a nice place.”
Mack has started every game the Browns have played since they drafted him in the first round of the 2009 Draft and made the Pro Bowl after the 2010 season. He scored a touchdown in that Pro Bowl game after receiving a lateral, something he has yet to pull off in the regular season.
Mack’s turned in another strong season for the Browns in 2013 which will make him a valued commodity if he does wind up hitting free agency in March. With Ward also poised to hit the market, the Browns could use their franchise tag on one of them in hopes of ensuring both players stay in Cleveland for the long term.