Since Randy Lerner took over as the owner of the Cleveland Browns and hired Phil Savage as G.M. the team has had a "show me" attitude when signing free agents and giving players extensions. Most notably would be former Browns running back Reuben Droughns and current Browns running back Jamal Lewis.

Droughns was acquired via a trade with the Denver Broncos in 2005 and made it clear that he was not happy with his contract. The Browns, to their credit, did not give Droughns a new contract in his 1st year with the club. They wanted Droughns to show them he was worth a new deal. Droughns took it as a personal challenge and ran for over 1,200 yards, the first Browns running back to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark in 20 years. The Browns then extended Droughns with a 3 year extension that would have had him on the club though the 2009 season. Droughns followed up his stellar 2005 season by rushing for nearly 500 yards less in 2006. The Browns saw the writing on the wall with Droughns and traded him before the 2007 season to the New York Giants.

Jamal Lewis came to the Browns via free agency from the Baltimore Ravens where he had been scouted by Phil Savage. The Browns were willing to give Lewis a chance to be a starting running back still, but many around the league thought Lewis was out of gas. Lewis took it as a personal challenge as well when the Browns offered him just a 1 year deal. He proceeded to become just the 2nd back in team history to eclipse the 1,300 yard mark rushing and he did it in just 14 games. He also totaled 11 touchdowns, 9 on the ground and 2 receiving. The total was 5 more than Droughns amassed in 2 years with the Browns. The Browns opted to re-sign Lewis this off-season for another 2 years and are hoping that he continues the dominance he showed in the 2nd half of the 2007 season. No one is really sure though if the Browns will get what they pay for or if another Droughns' situation is eminent.

This off-season the Browns also decided that head coach Romeo Crennel, coming off a 10-6 season, deserved an extension. He is now signed through the 2011 season. It also appears the team is very close to signing G.M. Phil Savage to a 2 year extension as well. The question for many Browns fans should not be much different than the question we now have about Lewis, will we have another Droughns' situation? Sure Crennel and Savage had a brilliant 2006 campaign, but they have been in Cleveland 3 years and only have 1 winning season to show for it. Should we as fans want to see more consistency before offering up these extensions, after all both men were under contract through 2009.

Time will be the only judge of whether the Browns are making the right decision in terms of Crennel and Savage. Consistency and continuity are two things that have been lacking since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999 and now they appear to have both. No one should lose track of the fact that the duo also had a huge reclamation project when they first arrived in 2005. Would it not be better though to see them do it for 1 more year and then give them their extensions?

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