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Cleveland Browns center Alex Mack is expected to opt out of his contract, a five year deal that was originally an offer sheet that Mack signed with Jacksonville, according to to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and NFL.com
#Browns C Alex Mack is expected to opt-out of his contract, sources said. But a return to Cleveland on a new contract is a real possibility
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 22, 2016
Although Mack signed the sheet with Jacksonville and was impressed with the culture head coach Gus Bradley has established here, the Browns stepped in and matched the offer, making Mack a Brown for at least two more years, with the option to opt out of the deal after two seasons.
Logically, it is safe to assume that Mack will come in contact with Jacksonville again, as he was impressed with the culture and signed an offer sheet that the Jaguars offered him. But will Mack and the Jaguars strike a deal?
The report says a return to Cleveland on a new contract is a "real possibility", but that just doesn't make sense.
Mack, his agent Marvin Demoff, and Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell were sure to include the option to opt out of the contract after two seasons so Mack could come to Jacksonville, or to any team really, if he wasn't pleased in Cleveland. The deal was worth $42 million, making Mack the highest paid center in the NFL until the Miami Dolphins paid Mike Pouncey $44.5 million last offseason. Although Pouncey got a deal worth $2.5 million more last year, it doesn't seem like money is the issue for Mack in Cleveland.
The Browns are considered to be one of the most dysfunctional teams in all of sports, and it's understandable that any player, especially one of Mack's caliber, would want out of that situation. So, why would Mack opt out of a contract that pays him $24 million in the next three years just to make a new deal with the messiest situation of a team in the NFL?
Personally, now that the expectation is that Mack will become a free agent, I believe he will look for a new home. Considering Jacksonville was Mack's choice two years ago as well as the Jaguars having the money to give him another large contract and make him the highest paid center again, I believe Mack will be a Jaguar in 2016.
What do you think? Will Blake Bortles receive snaps from Alex Mack this upcoming season?