I'm told the medical reports on Joe Jurevicius' knee were not good. That reality, combined with his age, led the Browns to release him.
And there you have it.
For now at least.
The Browns also released offensive tackle Kevin Shaffer Thursday night — before he was due to be paid a $1 million roster bonus. This addresses one of the bigger mistakes of the Phil Savage regime — and shows why the present practice by George Kokinis and Eric Mangini of not spending money at will is a good one. Shaffer was paid like he was the best offensive tackle in the league merely because he was a free agent. As we learned, he wasn't even among the better offensive tackles in the league. Shaffer may be back … at a salary much more commensurate with his abilities.
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Who's the Keystone Cops doctor they're using? Does the doctor who "examined" Tyson Chandler's toe while wearing his Colonel Klink monocle have a twin brother? That bad one eye thing would explain why only the left side of the locker room gets the staph infections.
It still doesn't explain why they cut Jurevicius so early, unless there is a guarantee date pending very soon. Are you telling me with a straight face they couldn't have bargained his agent down to relative peanuts with contingencies? Did they even try?
This is where the Beacon Journal's Browns beat writer is supposed to come in and write, "I talked to his agent, Shecky Greenbags, and Greenbags said they never even tried to contact his office to work something out. Not a call, not a text, not a fax, nothing!"
Alan … I must interject. They did bargain. A lot. Like I wrote earlier, Jurevicius had even agreed to a pay cut, just not deep enough for the Browns taste. Why they didn't wait until training camp to give him a chance on the field I can't answer. But they talked extensively about a new deal, but could not agree.
Oh, and I just read the last sentence of the post. "At a salary much more commensurate with his abilities?" Unfortunately, the union will not allow Shaffer to be paid like he's rolling a chalupa at Taco Bell, so there is no middle ground here.
Sorry Pat, I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention. Was there a roster guarantee pending? If so, then I can understand why they'd cut him before it became a guarantee.
his relationship with Pat notwithstanding, Alan T. is a strange, strange man…….just go back and read his ramblings. It's only a sport……….
I was mildly surprised that it took this long for Kevin " the matador" to be jettisoned to the same street curb in Berea where Bentley waited for his mom to pick him up . I assumed Mangini would look at about 30 secs of film and summarily dismiss Terry " can't cover a chair" Cousins, Shawn "talk a ton" Smith and the previously mentioned Killer Kevin. Smitty was sure smart to snap those pics of Randy feeding grapes to Romeo while they cuddled and watched reruns of Dougie Howser MD.
Pat hasn't answered my question yet … was he due a roster guarantee if they didn't cut him? And you're right, I am a strange, strange man.
Tbomb, that's not much of an insult to Bentley. Bentley was picked up at the Berea street curb in mom's Bentley purchased by Bentley. My mom never drove a Bentley. Come to think of it, my mom never picked me up.
Unless they intend on rolling the dice on some offensive linemen in the draft, they're just going to pick up somebody else's Kevin Shaffer off the scrap heap. It's so fundamentally stupid, it's musical chairs for stiffs.
Alan … it says it in the post. Shaffer was due a $1 million roster bonus if he wasn't cut. And now I'm heading home from the MAC Tournament.
No, not Shaffer, I read that, my eyesight and my attention span isn't *that* bad. I've been asking about Jurevicius. If they didn't cut him, would they have had to pay him a guarantee? And since you're on your way home and I haven't been that way for some time, please let me know if that monstrous billboard for the PD featuring Terry Pluto's giant head is still hovering like a planet over I-77.
And in other news the browns are looking into upgrades over Schaffer including a rusty swinging gate. BTW Savage and McCracken really screwed the pooch with these roster bonuses, which, in hindsight look terrible. Jamal Lewis & Donte Stallworth especially.
"Jamal Lewis & Donte Stallworth especially."
Was there anyone on the planet that couldn't tell paying these two guys was going to be a mistake?
One of the initial thoughts upon seeing Jurevicius cut was of the new regime sending a message to the others from whom salary concessions are expected: Shaffer, Stallworth, Lewis, et al.
"We can cut one of the more respected and accomplished players, a popular local product who personifies professionalism, class, achievement, etc. We sure as heck can cut you too if you insist upon playing hardball with us. Do as Tucker did or be gone." Or words to that effect.
With bonus payments due a few of those named (and not named), the timing suggests as much. Just a thought.