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Quote:
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns would like to re-sign running back Peyton Hillis, who worked his way back into the team's good graces over the final six weeks of the season, a league source said.
Hillis, who becomes an unrestricted free agent March 13, showed the Browns enough over the final six games -- both on and off the field -- that they'd like to have him back at the right price. The Browns can re-sign their own free agents at any time.
General Manager Tom Heckert said at the end of the season that the Browns would talk to the agents for all of their free agents and hoped to re-sign some. He cited D'Qwell Jackson and kicker Phil Dawson as two the Browns would pursue.
But Hillis made his way onto that list down the stretch, including a 112-yard rushing performance against the Ravens on Dec. 24, averaging 4.7 yards on his 24 carries during a 20-14 loss.
A day after the season ended, Browns coach Pat Shurmur said, "I'll tell you what, Peyton and I had a great conversation yesterday. He's an all-star player who was dealing with injury in the middle part of the year and then came back, and I really liked what he did at the end of the season."
After recovering from a hamstring injury that caused him to miss five games in the middle of the season, Hillis rushed 101 times for 376 yards over the final six games, including a 99-yard game in Arizona. He averaged 62.6 yards during that span, which projects to 1,002 yards over a 16-game season.
Hillis made his thoughts clear the week after that Ravens game.
"I'm a Cleveland Brown at heart," he said. "Since I've been here, I fell in love with the fans and the city and the people that live here. They've been nothing but 100 percent supportive through everything when I talk to them. And it's good to have a second family backing me like that."
The Browns are not believed to have had any contact with Hillis' agent, Kennard McGuire, since midway through the season, but are expected to contact most of the agents over the next month or so.
In November, around the time the Browns' leadership group met with Hillis to help him get re-focused, the Browns had all but decided to let him walk in free agency. By then, he had endured his strep throat incident and had gone back to Arkansas at midweek to get married instead of receiving treatment to try to play with the hamstring injury.
But Hillis settled down off the field and played well on it. Whether or not they can agree to a deal remains to be seen, but the Browns are more open to it now.
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I have said all along that I would like to keep Hillis, but would understand if the front office waved goodbye to him after the way he acted. I think this is good news.
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I like that reel.
IMO one would have to be a simpleton to just let him walk and not make a solid effort to keep him.
We sure as heck don't have anybody to replace him.
I know some say he isn't special, but I disagree. He's pretty darn unique. I'd sign him in a heartbeat.
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My money is on him playing elsewhere in 2012. I'm just not seeing why we'd sign him longterm (4 years).
As most on here say every other day, RBs are a dime a dozen. With all the picks we have in the upcoming draft, free agency and the RBs currently on the roster....I just don't see them dishing out a medium+ contract to Hillis.
Plus, he hasn't shown he has the ability to stay healthy. I think that's the biggest factor to them saying goodbye.
I won't lose much sleep too.
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I want him back for sure.
But how surprised would everyone be to learn that returning is the LAST thing on his mind?
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Hillis has the injury history. skipping treatments to get married during the middle of the season in the middle of the week. He decided he couldnt play only after his agent advised him not to do so. The fan in me says keep him, he is gonna be a star. The logical part of my brain says the guy is an injured idiot that only cares for himself and should be put on the next greyhound out of town.
If we replace him, no biggie. If we keep him, I would still draft a guy like Creer or Pierce in the middle of the draft. At least give yourself a little protection going into 2012 because Hardesty, just ain't cutting it.
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See, if you're going to draft another RB to backup Hillis that tells me you're also saying goodbye to Hardesty or Ogbonnaya. I think they liked Oggie and his 4.6 ypc and I bet we see Hardesty for at least one more year to justify the 2nd round pick......so if we signed Hillis, that's it, no reason to pick a RB in the draft.
I think a more likely scenario is that they say bye-bye to Hills, draft a RB in the 4th round with one of the two picks and let Hardesty, Oggie and <insert new RBs name here> fight it out for the top spot.
I'd rather they focus on fixing the O-line, the defensive Front-7 and the WRs before worrying about a RB. Heck, get me a new QB before even looking at a RB if you're really interested in helping the offense.
“...Iguodala to Curry, back to Iguodala, up for the layup! Oh! Blocked by James! LeBron James with the rejection!”
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Just clicking
I'd love to have Hillis back.... period
#GMSTRONG
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My heart says Hillis stays a Brown. It was fun to watch him pound the rock and then catch passes out of the backfield. He has talent, so we shouldn't let that go when we have so little.
My brain says the FO has a really tough decision. I think it'll come down to his durability, which hasn't been good. I think the Browns won't offer him as much as he wants, and he leaves for a contract that only marginally bigger than the Browns' offer. He ends up having a disappointing year next season as his head is even more screwed up than it was this year.
That's how I see it playing out.
There is no level of sucking we haven't seen; in fact, I'm pretty sure we hold the patents on a few levels of sucking NOBODY had seen until the past few years.
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dang, and this entire time i believed akronjoe when he said hillis is already off the team because shurmur sucks so much and wont resign him
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We're only going to resign him if he fakes an off season injury...
Am I the only one that pronounces hyperbole "Hyper-bowl" instead of "hy-per-bo-le"?
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Alls I know is this - if a 2012 roster spot comes down to Hillis or Hardesty, I'm taking Hillis everyday and twice on Sunday.
I hope he's on this team come next season because he makes the team much better when healthy. If he or his agents stick to an idea that he's a top 3 back in the league and deserves to get paid as such, I'll live if he's playing elsewhere.
"If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college"
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Alls I know is this - if a 2012 roster spot comes down to Hillis or Hardesty, I'm taking Hillis everyday and twice on Sunday.
I'll agree with this. Hardesty has proven to me that he can't stay healthy. Hillis at least played all of 2010.
I do think we need to make sure we have a good backup for Hillis. Brandon Jackson will be on the team next year, but I'm not sure how he fits this team. I guess I'd like to see him and Ogbunaya (however his name is spelled) battle for a roster spot and then find another guy to actually compliment the illest Hillis. I like that guy Pierce from Temple and I like even more Martin from Boise State. Martin in the 3rd round possibly or trading up to the late 2nd to get him, and Pierce in the 4th?
UCONN HUSKIES 2014 Champions of Basketball
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Ok, say we're going to keep him. How much do you pay him?
I am unfamiliar with this feeling of optimism
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"If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college"
GO ROCKETS
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Ok, say we're going to keep him. How much do you pay him?
I was thinking about 5 million a year. The question is how many years. I'd go 5 million a year 4 years.
UCONN HUSKIES 2014 Champions of Basketball
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Hey Heckert Git R Done!
Last edited by BADdog; 01/30/12 10:43 PM.
Joe Thomas #73
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Just clicking
I'd love to have Hillis back.... period
Don't get too used to this ....but ......
I agree with you. 
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
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3 year 12m contract, 4m guaranteed.
Incentivize it such that it can go to 4 years, 24M if he's a 1.5k total yds in year 1, 4 years 20M if 1.5k total yds in year 2, 4 years16M if 1.5k total yds in year 3. Take it or leave it Peyton.
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THANK YOU!! Best thing seen on this board since our last win...
KEEP HILLIS!! then go draft a guy like Isaiah Pead / Bernard Pierce to back him up..
Get rid of Hardesty.
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Happy Birthday.  I don't see Hillis agreeing to such a small contract in exchange for giving up free agency. Evan Moore, a backup TE with very few catches to his name at the point of his re-signing, signed for a 3 years deal worth roughly $3 million per year. I doubt that Hillis signs for $4 million per year to be a starter/full time contributor. I would guess that something around 3 years and $20 million, with $8-10 million in total guaranteed money might get it done. That would be reasonable, and would provide the team with an "out" after 2 if necessary. If they want to do something then it would make sense to do so before the new league year when, I believe, they can carry at least some of the weight of the deal on their 2011 cap.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
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That would leave the team with anywhere between an extra $4 - $12 million salary cap hit should he reach the incentive at any point. If classified as a NLTBE bonus, should he meet the incentive in 2012, the team takes an extra $12 million hit in 2013 on top of his prorated bonus and base salary.
I'd give up 4 years, $17 million ($8 million guaranteed)...base salaries of $1.5, $2, $2.5 and $3 million. Maybe a roster bonus in year 3 or 4 on top of that, which will be incentive to keep playing at a high level to stick around til that part of the deal kicks in.
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Where's the NEW news ? Nothing in that story that updates any progress..
A league source says we would like to keep him ? Thats the update ? Must be really slow at the press room....
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I think Hillis' head got full of his own hype (and his agent probably didn't help matters at all in this regard) with the Madden thing and all that, but I think he got humbled a bit by fan reactions or something, because when he finally got back healthy, he ran HARD.
He didn't have the quickness that he had the year before due to the hammy, but he played really well.
I would bet money that his days of missing games due to Strep Throat are well behind him, now.
And yes, Hardesty - unless he just goes off in spring & summer practices - is looking to be a wasted pick.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
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I'd prefer to drop Hillis and Hardesty. Keep Jackson and Oggy. Then draft a speed back or bring up Armond Smith. I can't stand watching plays with slooowwww running backs. Just my personal preference. More so with Hardesty..that guy has absolutely no burst right now. Even in the Hillis highlight video there are all these plays where I go "Thats 6 if he is at all fast" like trying to run over Landry, whats the point in that? If you have any speed you juke him and get 6. /rant 
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Thanks Ytown.
I agree, he probably wouldn't take it, but then I don't think he'd get much more in the market - he was talked about as being a little primadonna-ish in Denver and had his hissy fit here too. I don't see too many teams throwing a lot of money at him with that history and one good season.
I'd be ok with your contract if the 8-10 guaranteed was 4-5 signing bonus, then 4-5 more roster bonus for 2013. The point of my contract was to limit year 1 of the contract/bonus.
@AdamP - you might be right, just typing out loud...can easily keep same salaries as would be in my contract and add yearly roster bonuses to up the ante - if he doesn't perform, he doesn't get the roster bonus, protecting the Browns. If he performs, he gets his $
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Good to see the Browns are up for resigning Hillis. A little give & take on both sides and it gets done. Heckert should still pick up another RB in the middle of the draft. Hardesty hasn't proven he can stay healthy for 25 straight minutes.
[color:"red"]"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."
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To save using one of our top 3 draft picks on a RB, sign him.
Home of the Free, Because of the Brave...
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I would offer a mid level RB contract, but juice it up with tons of incentives.
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Quote:
I don't see Hillis agreeing to such a small contract in exchange for giving up free agency.
Salaries will go up now with the new CBA in place, so they can't be compared to "old", pre-lockout contracts
but even with that in mind...even if Hillis tests the FA market..who would give him more than we would? He had an injury riddled 2011 after a breakout 2010 and was a fringe roster backup before...who would throw 5mil+/year at someone like that, playing RB?
Most teams have a decent no.1 RB in place already....I mean who really NEEDS a RB more than we do? Bengals are pretty much the only team I can think of that are in a similar situation to us with Benson being a FA
Go through every team:
NE: Woodhead and 2 high pick rooks they won't give up yet, with BJGE FA
NYJ: Greene
BUF: Jackson + Spiller
MIA: Bush+Thomas
PIT: Mendenhall+Redman
BAL: Rice
CIN: same situation
TEN: CJ
IND: Addai, Brown, Carter
JAX: MJD
HOU: Foster+Tate
OAK: McF+Bush
KC: Charles
SD: Matthews
DEN: Moreno+McGahee
That's just the AFC, but it's not looking much better for FA RBs to lock down a clear cut no.1 role anywhere else than Cleveland or Cincy...the next RB needy teams you're in a RBBC...and my guess is that those teams without a no1 RB are going to pay you more than a team looking for a no.2
#gmstrong
"Players come along at different points in time" - Ray Farmer
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However, it seems like teams today are pairing up RBs ..... and not just by roles. I think that teams today realize that they need 2 RB who can do everything their offense calls for. Even then teams may still have a more traditional 3rd down back as well.
Further, it would not surprise me to see us go into next season with Hillis, (and I would not have thought that even a week ago) Hardesty (who Heckert seems to think will be all the way back next season) and Brandon Jackson. They may even sneak in a roster spot for Ogbonnaya.
That would have the RB position pretty much "settled". Smith could compete in the pre-season for a spot, and if he explodes he could grab a spot. I do believe that they would like to have spots like RB settled before the draft if they can.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
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I think it is overdue. Let the grownups attitude get this done. Looking at Lerner. . . . 
"Every responsibility implies opportunity, and every opportunity implies responsibility." Otis Allen Glazebrook, 1880
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As a fan for nearly 50 years ... I never liked to think of our players in a money since. I care about the product and FA can muddy the waters if you sign one to a big contract and neglect to pay the players who are already here a performing at a high level.
It's certainly not something we can control, with that said. I would really like to see Hillis kept in the fold.
Because I like Hillis and still think he has some good years left and also because I would be less then happy if we where to (have) to use a first round pick on one.
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I'd doubt we keep him. Mary K is a joke of a reporter, and don't trust her or her sources. Hillis played (or didn't play) his way out of my favor this season. We need to move on and get rid of Hardesty as well. Pretty much expect a new backfield next season.
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You sign him to 4+ years heavy on the backend and light in guaranteed money. If he holds up three seasons, great! The cut him before the big money.
Your feelings and opinions do not add up to facts.
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I hope he stays, but I still have doubts. I'm just glad once he signs with someone, the drama will be over.
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JC and my take on this.. we are a MUCH better team with Hillis on the field than we are with him off the field. I say do everything reasonable to keep him on our team.
SaintDawg™
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We need to sign him to a decent contract. If he plays 13-14 games a year, that's pretty much average for an NFL RB.. almost all of them get hurt at some point every year and either miss a few games or are less productive because of it.
This team has enough holes, we don't need to create another one.
yebat' Putin
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Quote:
I hope he stays, but I still have doubts. I'm just glad once he signs with someone, the drama will be over.
You really think the drama will be over? I can only imagine the plethora of threads on how he's doing so well for some other team and how we should have kept him, etc.
I am unfamiliar with this feeling of optimism
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