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Cleveland Browns ERFA Review: OG Chris Barker

After suffering an Achilles injury last year, will the Browns let Barker be with the club again?

By Chris Pokorny

Our preview on the Browns’ exclusive rights free agents continues with OG Chris Barker.

What Are Exclusive Rights Free Agents?

Players with two or fewer accrued seasons are ERFAs. An accrued season is defined as the following in the NFL CBA:

A player shall receive one Accrued Season for each season during which he was on, or should have been on, full pay status for a total of six or more regular season games, but which, irrespective of the player’s pay status, shall not include games for which the player was on: (i) the Exempt Commissioner Permission List, (ii) the Reserve PUP List as a result of a nonfootball injury, or (iii) a Club’s Practice Squad.

By rule, ERFAs earn the minimum salary of the number of credited seasons they have under their belt. A credited season is defined as the following in the NFL CBA:

A player shall earn one Credited Season for each season during which he was on, or should have been on, full pay status for a total of three or more regular season games, but which, irrespective of the player’s pay status, shall not include games for which this player was on: (i) the Exempt Commissioner Permission List; (ii) the Reserve PUP List as a result of a nonfootball injury; (iii) a Club’s Practice or Developmental Squad; or (iv) a Club’s Injured Reserve List.

A player with one credited season would be tendered for a 1-year deal worth $555,000. It goes up to $630,000 for those with two credited seasons. The rare player without a credited season would be at $480,000.

How and When He Joined the Browns: In May 2017, the Browns claimed Barker off waivers from the Patriots. He was originally an undrafted free agent by the Miami Dolphins in 2013. From 2013-2016, he bounced between the Patriots’ roster and practice squad many times.

Productivity Level Last Season: Before he could even get into the mix of training camp, Barker was waived/injured at the end of July 2017 with a ruptured left Achilles.

Why Keeping Him Could Make Sense: I almost always make the case of why it makes sense to keep a player, but in this case, I really don’t see the advantage of retaining Barker.

What the Browns Should Do: Barker has spent most of his NFL career on Patriots’ practice squads. He saw about three months of offseason action with Cleveland last year before suffering a ruptured left Achilles. Odds are, he wasn’t going to make the final roster anyway. Add in the fact that he’s coming off of a big injury, and I wouldn’t even tender him if I was the Browns. He should become a free agent.

Let us know below whether or not the team should try to tender or re-sign Chris Barker!

Poll

Should the Browns tender OG Chris Barker?

This poll is closed

  • 9%
    Yes
    (20 votes)
  • 90%
    No
    (181 votes)
201 votes total Vote Now

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