FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NFL-88
1/15/99
PLAYERS NAMED FOR CLEVELAND EXPANSION DRAFT
A total of 130 qualified veteran players – five per 26 NFL teams – have been named for the Cleveland Browns’ expansion draft to be held on February 9, the National Football League announced today.
The two conference championship runners-up will submit their list of five players each by January 19 and the two Super Bowl XXXIII teams by February 2 for a total of 150 veterans who will be available for selection by the Browns.
Cleveland takes the field next season beginning with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio on Monday night, August 9 against the Dallas Cowboys.
The expansion draft will be held in Canton on February 9 at the Canton Civic Center from 4:00 PM ET until approximately 6:30 PM. The draft will be televised by ESPN2.
The players made available include eight who have been selected to a total of 26 Pro Bowls, 11 former first-round draft picks, and many players who started in 1998.
The Pro Bowl players (with number of selections) are TERRY ALLEN (1), CRIS DISHMAN (2), GUS FREROTTE (1), KEVIN GLOVER (3), DARYL JOHNSTON (2), ROELL PRESTON (1, 1998), REGGIE WHITE (13, including 1998) and WILL WOLFORD (3).
The former first-round draft picks are STEVE BROUSSARD, AUNDRAY BRUCE, DEON FIGURES, JAMES FRANCIS, ANDY HECK, DESMOND HOWARD, MARCUS JONES, ANTONIO LANGHAM, HEATH SHULER, White and Wolford.
The list of players who started in 1998 includes Allen, ROBERT BROOKS, JEFF CRISWELL, Dishman, Glover, Johnston, STEVON MOORE, Preston, JIM PYNE, TODD RUCCI, JAMES WILLIS, Wolford and TERRY WOODEN.
"The purpose of the expansion draft is to provide veteran players who can help the Browns become competitive quickly, without forcing the other clubs to break up the rosters they have worked hard to build," said HAROLD HENDERSON, the NFL's executive vice president of labor relations and chairman of the NFL Management Council, which designed the plan. "The players made available to Cleveland have excellent NFL experience. The expansion draft, the ability to sign free agents on equal footing with other clubs, and the additional picks in the next two college drafts will give the Browns a strong opportunity to become competitive in a short period of time."
The access draft requires the existing 30 NFL clubs to submit a list of five veteran players for selection by the Browns.
Each club can put forward only one player who was placed on injured reserve after the start of the 1998 regular season and one player who has 10 or more years of free agency experience. Neither punters nor kickers may be part of the list.
The Browns must select between 30 and 42 players in the expansion draft or a fewer number of players with total salaries of 38 percent of the salary cap. An existing club can recall one player from its list after one of its players is selected. After a second player is selected from a club, that club can pull back both of its remaining players.
PLAYERS AVAILABLE IN CLEVELAND BROWNS EXPANSION DRAFT
(February 9 – Canton, Ohio)
| ARIZONA | WR Fred Brock, DB J.B. Brown, DE Jerry Drake, RB-TE Jarius Hayes, LB Terry Irving | |
| ATLANTA | TBA | |
| BALTIMORE | DB Donny Brady, G Ben Cavil, WR Michael Jackson, DB Stevon Moore, LB Tyrell Peters | |
| BUFFALO | C Bill Conaty, WR Quinn Early, DB Ray Jackson, QB Alex Van Pelt, RB Clarence Williams | |
| CAROLINA | NT Mike Fox, G Corbin Lacina, RB Winslow Oliver, LB Tarek Saleh, DB Tony Veland | |
| CHICAGO | DB Ricky Bell, LB Andre Collins, DB Marlon Forbes, T Andy Heck, LB Jim Schwantz | |
| CINCINNATI | LB James Francis, WR Damon Gibson, NT Mike Thompson, C Greg Truitt, LB Tom Tumulty | |
| DALLAS | DT Antonio Anderson, WR
Bill Davis, RB Daryl Johnston, DE Hurvin McCormack, C Clay Shiver |
|
| DENVER | TBA | |
| DETROIT | DB Robert Bailey, WR Tommie Boyd, RB Jerris McPhail, C Jim Pyne, DT Marc Spindler | |
| GREEN BAY | RB Michael Blair, WR Robert Brooks, WR Roell Preston, DE Reggie White, T Matt Willig | |
| INDIANAPOLIS | LB Elijah Alexander, WR
Aaron Bailey, DB Robert Blackmon, DE Al Fontenot, G Tom Myslinski |
|
| JACKSONVILLE | DB Kevin Devine, DB Deon Figures, LB James Hamilton, WR Will Moore, DT Jose White | |
| KANSAS CITY | T Jeff Criswell, LB Ron George, WR Danan Hughes, TE Ted Popson, G Pete Swanson | |
| MIAMI | T Jeff Buckey, LB Larry Izzo, TE Henry Lusk, RB Ronald Moore, DE Daniel Stubbs | |
| MINNESOTA | TBA | |
| NEW ENGLAND | WR Vincent Brisby, DE Ferric Collons, T Scott Rehberg, G Todd Rucci, RB Sedrick Shaw | |
| NEW ORLEANS | LB Ink Aleaga, WR Brett Bech, DB Chris Hewitt, WR Qadry Ismail, QB Heath Shuler | |
| NEW YORK GIANTS | DB Kory Blackwell, C Derek
Engler, G Jerry Reynolds, DB Brandon Sanders, DB Tito Wooten |
|
| NEW YORK JETS | TBA | |
| OAKLAND | DE Aundray Bruce, DB Perry
Carter, T Rick Cunningham, WR Desmond Howard, LB Terry Wooden |
|
| PHILADELPHIA | WR Jeff Graham, DB Tim McTyer, WR Freddie Solomon, C Morris Unutoa, LB James Willis | |
| PITTSBURGH | WR Jahine Arnold, DE Rod Manuel, S Bo Orlando, DB Jason Simmons, T Will Wolford | |
| ST. LOUIS | C John Flannery, RB Jerald Moore, C Tom Nutten, DT Joe Phillips, QB Kurt Warner | |
| SAN DIEGO | LB James Burgess, TE John Burke, TE Frank Hartley, T Marcus Price, DB Gerome Williams | |
| SAN FRANCISCO | C Steve Gordon, C-LB Randy Kirk, DB Antonio Langham, RB Chuck Levy, LB James Williams | |
| SEATTLE | RB Steve Broussard, C Kevin Glover, LB Jason Kyle, TE Deems May, DB Eric Stokes | |
| TAMPA BAY | DT Marcus Jones, QB Scott Milanovich, DB Charles Mincy, LB Mitch Palmer, DB Anthony Parker | |
| TENNESSEE | RB Mike Archie, WR Willie Davis, LB Lenoy Jones, DB George McCullough, G Erik Norgard | |
| WASHINGTON | RB Terry Allen, DB Jesse Campbell, DB Cris Dishman, QB Gus Frerotte, T Paul Wiggins |
FACTS AND FIGURES ON THE 1999 NFL EXPANSION DRAFT
| WHAT: | NFL Expansion Draft |
| WHERE: | Canton Civic Center, Canton, Ohio |
| WHEN: | Tuesday, February 9, beginning at 4:00 PM ET and concluding by 6:30 PM. ESPN2 will televise the draft to its conclusion. |
| DRAFTING: | Representatives of the
Cleveland Browns. They will select from a list of five veteran players submitted by each
of the 30 existing NFL teams. Cleveland must select between 30 and 42 players or a fewer
number of players with total salaries of 38 percent of the salary cap. Of the five players, each of the 30 clubs can expose only one who was placed on injured reserve after the start of the 1998 regular season and only one who has 10 or more years of free agency experience. Neither punters nor kickers are part of the list. |
| TIME: | Cleveland will have three minutes to select a player. An existing club then has two minutes to recall or "pull back" a player from its list each time one of its players is selected. An existing club can recall one player from its list after one of its players is selected. After a second player is selected from a club, that club can pull back both of its remaining players. |
* * *
The Browns will have 28 choices in the NFL Draft over the next two years, 14 in 1999, and 14 in 2000. If the Browns make the playoffs in 1999, the team will not have extra picks in 2000.
In the 1999 draft (April 17-18), the Browns will receive the first pick in each of the seven rounds. They will also receive seven additional picks to be allocated in the following manner:
In the 2000 draft, Cleveland will receive one regular pick per round based on its 1999 record, the same as all other clubs.
The Browns will also receive seven additional picks in the 2000 draft – unless they make the playoffs in 1999, in which case they will receive no extra picks. These picks will vary depending upon Cleveland’s 1999 win-loss percentage, as reflected in the following year’s draft order. These additional picks would be allocated in the following manner:
| Cleveland Draft Position | Extra Picks |
| #1 through #7 | One pick in Rounds 3, 4 and 5. Two picks in Rounds 6 and 7. |
| #8 through #13 | One pick in Rounds 4 and 5. Two picks in Round 6. Three picks in Round 7. |
| #14 through #19 | One pick in Round 5. Two picks in Round 6. Four picks in Round 7. |
| #20 through #31 (playoff teams) | No extra picks. |
The first extra Cleveland pick in any round will fall 16 slots below the club’s original choice in that round, but no lower than the end of the round, after any compensatory picks. The second, third or fourth extra pick in a round will be at the end of the round after any regular compensatory selections.
In 1998 and 1999, Cleveland will be prohibited from trading any draft picks to acquire rights to sign or obtain the contractual release of any non-player personnel (e.g., coach, general manager).
The Browns have been allowed to sign previously terminated free agents this year. From December 17 (12 days before the applicable date for other NFL teams) until the end of the 1998 regular season, Cleveland could sign a maximum of 10 free agents (not under contract to other teams) to 1999 contracts.
Cleveland will be eligible to sign both restricted and unrestricted free agents during this year’s veteran free agency signing period. They will have the same access to veteran free agents as the other 30 clubs.
During the period from February 12 until July 15, however, the Browns’ roster must include at least 30 players acquired from the expansion draft or a fewer number of players acquired in the draft with total salaries of at least 38 percent of the 1999 salary cap. Any of these players who are released after June 1 are entitled to a supplemental expansion bonus equal to the player’s minimum Collective Bargaining Agreement salary even if he subsequently signs with another team.
Other personnel rules for the Browns:
| Browns | Rest of League |
| Offseason roster limit of 90 | 80 |
| First cutdown to 65 | 60 |
| Final cutdown to 56 | 53 |
| Active/inactive roster limit of 56 through third week of regular season | 53 |
The 1999 Cleveland Browns access plan is basically the same as that followed by the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995, with the following exceptions: