Daily Dawg Chow: Browns news (2/12/13)

Cleveland Browns:

• "Jimmy Haslam returns to the helm of nation's largest truck stop chain" (Plain Dealer) - "The man Browns fans hope will breathe new life into a storied franchise has a lot more than football on his mind. Just weeks after installing new leadership at the Cleveland Browns, Jimmy Haslam -- envisioned by many as an active and hands-on NFL owner -- is returning to the helm of the family business in Knoxville, Tenn."
• "Rutigliano warns Haslam not to lose touch with team" (Canton Rep) - "Former Browns head coach Sam Rutigliano, who likes Jimmy Haslam, warns the team’s new owner against becoming a stranger. In the parking lot at Tozzi’s on 12th after a speech to the Hall of Fame Luncheon Club, Rutigliano wondered whether the promise of a hands-on owner will be compromised by an announcement earlier in the day: Haslam has reclaimed the role of Pilot Flying J CEO, which he gave up last autumn after buying the Browns."
• "How the Browns could win a Joe Flacco negotiation" (WFNY) - "The world of NFL contracts is pretty tough to comprehend at times due to the fact that there are various bonuses and cap implications. Baseball, conversely, is pretty easy. There are contracts with dollar amounts and options, and other than options, pretty much everything else is guaranteed. The structures (and re-structures) of NFL contracts will sometimes make your head spin."
• "2012 Position Review: Defensive Back" (ClevelandBrowns.com) - "As ClevelandBrowns.com looks back at the 2012 season, we break down the year position-by-position, and today’s spotlight is on the defensive backs."

NFL:

• "Giants, DB Terrell Thomas agree to new contract" (AP) - "The New York Giants signed defensive back Terrell Thomas on Monday. Thomas, who has battled injuries throughout his career, has not played in a regular-season game since Jan. 2, 2011, the finale of the 2010 season."
• "Michael Vick makes wise move to take paycut, stick with Eagles under Chip Kelly" (Yahoo! Sports) - "Michael Vick had options, but none better than the one provided by first-year Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly in his inventive offense."
• "Chip Kelly must not be taken in by Vick" (ESPN) - "You're going to see this $10 million number connected with Michael Vick and his new, restructured Philadelphia Eagles contract, but it's important to note the "with incentives" part."
• "The clock's ticking on Ravens, Flacco to get a deal done" (SI.com) - "Was it only me listening to Baltimore owner Steve Bisciotti and trusted GM Ozzie Newsome the other day, thinking they're going to throw the first big changeup into this offseason? Was it only me taking their words and reading resolve in them, and thinking it's actually possible that Joe Flacco could be stolen by a quarterback-needy and starved-for-relevance team like Cleveland?"