How Jordan Cameron signed with the Dolphins instead of the Cleveland Browns
By Mary Kay Cabot, Northeast Ohio Media Group
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns thought they had a deal with their Pro Bowl tight end Jordan Cameron Thursday night -- until news was leaked to the national media that they had already re-signed him and the deal blew up, a league source told Northeast Ohio Media Group.
The Dolphins jumped in and matched the Browns' offer, and Cameron signed with Miami instead of Cleveland for essentially the same amount: two years for $15 million, but with a different structure.
Granted, nothing had been finalized with the Browns by Thursday evening, but Cameron's new agents, Tom Condon and R.J. Gonser approved of the terms of the deal and things were headed in the right direction.
If all went as planned, Cameron would agree to terms Thursday night and sign the Browns' deal soon after.
Instead, someone -- presumably in Cameron's camp -- leaked the news shortly before 6 p.m. to three respected members of the national media that Cameron had re-signed with the Browns -- not just agreed to terms. The tweets, by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports and Adam Schefter of ESPN, all came within four minutes of each other: at 5:55, 5:56 and 5:59.
" Ian Rapoport ✔ @RapSheet
Follow
Jordan Cameron done w/ Cleveland, 2 yrs $15M, source says #Browns
5:55 PM - 12 Mar 2015"
" Rand Getlin ✔ @Rand_Getlin
Follow
TE Jordan Cameron has signed with the #Browns. It's a two-year, $15M deal, per a source.
5:56 PM - 12 Mar 2015"
A few minutes later, a source told Northeast Ohio Media Group that an agreement had not yet been reached despite the national reports. The feeling was, however, that something could happen soon.
When reports broke that Cameron was back with the Browns, he was actually still sitting inside the Dolphins facility, apparently hoping to sign with Miami. He had spent the entire day there and loved the organization. He was excited about quarterback Ryan Tannehill, the signing of Ndamukong Suh and all the things he heard during his visit.
The Dolphins, who placed the transition tag on their own free agent tight end Charles Clay and planned to sign him to an extension, sprang to action when they saw that Cameron had re-signed with the Browns. They called his agents and discovered that the deal hadn't actually been inked yet -- that there was still time to swoop in and snatch him away from the Browns. They hadn't made an offer to that point -- but quickly improved on the Browns' deal.
The tug-of-war for the Pro Bowler was played out on twitter.
At 7:47 p.m. Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweeted that "contrary to reports, tight end Jordan Cameron will be signing with the Dolphins, not the Browns. Contract details are being finalized now.''
" Charles Robinson ✔ @CharlesRobinson
Follow
Contrary to reports, tight end Jordan Cameron will be signing with #Dolphins - not #Browns. Contract details are being finalized right now.
7:47 PM - 12 Mar 2015"
At 8:35 p.m., Jason LaCanfora of CBS Sports tweeted that Cameron had a verbal agreement with the Browns for two years, $15 million.
Twelve minutes later, Robinson tweeted: "...It's done. Jordan Cameron has signed with the Miami Dolphins.''
At 9:16, the Miami Dolphins proclaimed: "We have signed Jordan Cameron!''
" Miami Dolphins ✔ @MiamiDolphins
Follow
Welcome to Miami! We have signed Jordan Cameron! #StrongerTogether
9:16 PM - 12 Mar 2015"
The Dolphins jumped in and matched the Browns' offer, and Cameron signed with Miami instead of Cleveland for essentially the same amount: two years for $15 million, but with a different structure.
Granted, nothing had been finalized with the Browns by Thursday evening, but Cameron's new agents, Tom Condon and R.J. Gonser approved of the terms of the deal and things were headed in the right direction.
If all went as planned, Cameron would agree to terms Thursday night and sign the Browns' deal soon after.
Instead, someone -- presumably in Cameron's camp -- leaked the news shortly before 6 p.m. to three respected members of the national media that Cameron had re-signed with the Browns -- not just agreed to terms. The tweets, by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports and Adam Schefter of ESPN, all came within four minutes of each other: at 5:55, 5:56 and 5:59.
A few minutes later, a source told Northeast Ohio Media Group that an agreement had not yet been reached despite the national reports. The feeling was, however, that something could happen soon.
When reports broke that Cameron was back with the Browns, he was actually still sitting inside the Dolphins facility, apparently hoping to sign with Miami. He had spent the entire day there and loved the organization. He was excited about quarterback Ryan Tannehill, the signing of Ndamukong Suh and all the things he heard during his visit.
The Dolphins, who placed the transition tag on their own free agent tight end Charles Clay and planned to sign him to an extension, sprang to action when they saw that Cameron had re-signed with the Browns. They called his agents and discovered that the deal hadn't actually been inked yet -- that there was still time to swoop in and snatch him away from the Browns. They hadn't made an offer to that point -- but quickly improved on the Browns' deal.
The tug-of-war for the Pro Bowler was played out on twitter.
At 7:47 p.m. Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweeted that "contrary to reports, tight end Jordan Cameron will be signing with the Dolphins, not the Browns. Contract details are being finalized now.''
At 8:35 p.m., Jason LaCanfora of CBS Sports tweeted that Cameron had a verbal agreement with the Browns for two years, $15 million.
Twelve minutes later, Robinson tweeted: "...It's done. Jordan Cameron has signed with the Miami Dolphins.''
At 9:16, the Miami Dolphins proclaimed: "We have signed Jordan Cameron!''
It wasn't exactly LeBron James taking his talents to South Beach, but it was still a punch in the gut to Browns fans needing some good news. Inside the walls of Berea, however, the Browns were not devastated by the departure.
In fact, they had tried to trade Cameron to the Seattle Seahawks last season for Percy Harvin, who was ultimately dealt to the Jets, a source told NEOMG. Cameron was looking for long-term deal worth about $8 million a year before last season, and the Browns weren't prepared to pay that much. Talks broke off and didn't resume until the season was over.
Cameron was not even the Browns' top priority tight end in free agency, according to sources. In fact, they really wanted to sign Clay, who received the transition tag of $7.017 million, which hasn't yet been removed despite the fact the Dolphins have signed Cameron.
But when it became apparent that the Bills were more likely to land Clay, the Browns' interest in Cameron perked up. For Cameron's part, he was prepared to move on if necessary, thinking a fresh start might be good for him. In his four seasons with the Browns, he had been through three different coaching staffs and countless quarterbacks.
The Bills are still in hot pursuit of Clay, and will likely make an offer within the next few days. With Cameron under contract, it's highly unlikely the Dolphins will match. Clay, who is not believed to be an option for the Browns, spent three days in Buffalo this week, even looking at houses. The Dolphins wanted to keep him, but brought Cameron to town on Thursday when it appeared Clay would be lost to the Bills.
The Browns, meanwhile, liked Cameron, but only at the right price, and decided not place the transition or franchise tag ($8.347 million) on him. Like other teams, they were somewhat concerned about the concussion history, which included three concussions in the span of about two years.
Their mindset was to let him hit the free agent market and set his price. Meanwhile, they expressed interest in a few tight ends, such as Cincinnati's Jermaine Gresham, who's still on the market, Panthers' tight end Ed Dickson, who re-signed with Carolina, and former Eagles tight end James Casey, who's also still available.
During his introductory press conference on Friday, Cameron stressed that he never had a verbal agreement with the Browns, or any kind of agreement on a deal. Nevertheless, someone -- presumably in his camp -- told three powerhouse news outlets that he had re-signed with the Browns, and within hours, he had a similar deal with Miami.
One source said, however that Cameron's contract with the Dolphins might not be as good as it sounds. It includes $5 million guaranteed -- and up to $2.5 million in bonuses for 2015 that are dependent on him being on the gameday roster. If he plays, he gets an extra $150,000 or so per game. His $7.5 million salary for 2016 is not guaranteed, meaning the Dolphins are off the hook if he can't stay healthy. At worst, it could be a one-year deal worth anywhere from $5 million to $7.5 million.
As for the Browns, they're still in the market for a tight end, and might now have to look for one in the draft.
Link