The Cleveland Browns reached an agreement in principle Thursday night with left tackle Joe Thomas, the third pick in the NFL draft.
Although they still have to work out some contract language and other items to finish the deal, Thomas agreed to a five-year deal that could max out at $42.5 million. Included in the deal are guarantees of around $22-$23 million.
Thomas hopes to compete the deal and be on the practice field Friday morning. His deal opens as a six-year contract, but it has a clause that will void out the sixth year and allow him to play five seasons.
Cleveland also reached agreement on a four-year deal with cornerback Eric Wright, a second-round pick, leaving quarterback Brady Quinn as the team's only unsigned draft pick.
Thomas' agent, Peter Schaffer, who also represents Wright along with partner Lamont Smith, had been "grinding" through contract language with the Browns all day. Cleveland avoided a holdout by Thomas, the highest selected player to come to terms this summer.
"The deals for Joe and Eric are a culmination of three months
of constant, good-faith, arms-length negotiations by myself, my
partner and the Browns," Schaffer said. "There were countless
hours of give and take, honest negotiations and hard work that led
to two win-win contracts."
The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Thomas missed the team's rookie
orientation program this week as Schaffer negotiated. Rated as the
top lineman in April's draft, and one of the most polished to come
out of college in the past few years, Thomas will compete with
incumbent Kevin Shaffer for the starting job at left tackle.
Wright, who slipped into the second round due to off-the-field
troubles he had as a freshman at Southern California, will compete
for a starting job in the Browns' secondary. Financial terms were
not available on the deal for Wright.
Now that the Browns have Thomas and Wright signed, they can turn their full attention to Quinn, whose contract situation is a tricky
one. The Notre Dame QB slid through the first round before he was
picked by the Browns, who traded a first-round pick in 2008 to
Dallas to move into the No. 22 spot to get Quinn.
John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.