Report: Browns Making Strides Toward Bringing Travis Benjamin Back

After TE Gary Barnidge signed a contract extension this past December, WR Travis Benjamin told reporters he was about "75 to 80 percent of the way" to working out his own extension. With the changes this offseason, though, including new head coach Hue Jackson on board and Sashi Brown now in charge of football operations, would the team's interest in Benjamin waver at all? Apparently not.

Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer transcribed the following quote from Benjamin's agent, Ronald Butler, from radio row at the Super Bowl this week:

"I'm optimistic that something will get something done in the near future. We've been in contact with the organization here in the last couple of weeks and we're still trying to figure out how we can get this thing done where both sides agree to a fair offer. But Cleveland has made strides in terms of getting him back in a Browns uniform.''

Cabot also relays that Benjamin was interviewed on SiriusXM NFL Radio this week, where he told reporters that he has already talked to Jackson several times. "The role that he wants me to fit into the offense, it sounds pretty good -- you know Hue loves speed, so hopefully that will be a good thing," said Benjamin, who also noted that a return of WR Josh Gordon would help make things more explosive because defenses can't roll coverage to any one side if he, Gordon, Barnidge, and RB Duke Johnson are all out there.

All of the above makes it sound like Benjamin plans on being back in 2016. The Browns made the mistake of letting SS T.J. Ward go a few years back when he performed in the final year of his rookie deal, and they aren't going to make the same mistake with Benjamin.