By Steve Doerschuk

CantonRep.com staff writer

Posted May 15, 2010 @ 09:54 PM

Cleveland Browns Head Coach Eric Mangini said what is technically true: spring practice is voluntary.

With a smile, he basically acknowledged the coercive aspect of spring practice — aka OTAs or organized team activities — by saying: “I hope there are a lot of volunteers.”

Not all of the five restricted free agents who haven’t signed offers from the Browns will be rushing in.

The five are allowed to come in — after all, they would be volunteers — but may choose to stay away as leverage for getting new contracts.

Running back Jerome Harrison, linebackers Matt Roth and D’Qwell Jackson, fullback Lawrence Vickers and safety Abe Elam are restricted free agents who were offered second-round tenders. That means anyone signing them to a deal the Browns were unwilling to match would have to give Cleveland a second-round draft pick.

As we have seen in certain trades, such as the one in which 2006 No. 13 overall pick Kamerion Wimbley commanded a mere third-round pick, teams tend to treat second-round picks like the Hope diamond.

The Browns and their restricted free agents have this in common: each other over a barrel.

Harrison rushed for 561 yards in the last three games, the best total in the NFL for that stretch.

However, the Browns can give second-round draft pick Monterio Hardesty an extended test drive if Harrison doesn’t show up soon. They could use Hardesty, Peyton Hillis and James Davis to fill their running backs plate.

Roth looked like a steal after the Browns claimed him off waivers, making four sacks in six games, tackling running backs with gusto, and emboldening the team to trade Wimbley. Jackson has lost time to injuries in three of his four seasons, including 2009, when he made it through only six games. But he has a chance to be the best linebacker on the team.

However, linebacker is the team’s deepest position. Scott Fujita and Chris Gocong, starters for playoff teams last year, are new faces in the crowd.

Elam had a decent season as a first-year Brown and was part of one of the team’s thinnest positions.

However, Elam was inconsistent on a defense that ranked No. 31, and the position isn’t nearly as thin after second- and fifth-round picks were spent on safeties T.J. Ward and Larry Asante.

Vickers was a beast of a lead blocker during Harrison’s finishing flourish, and Browns President Mike Holmgren has a history of making hay with strong fullbacks.

However, Hillis might be well-suited to fill the fullback role, and he has a more extensive NFL track record as a ball carrier than Vickers.

So, what happens now?

The team and the front office do a little dance, trading thoughts about wanting long-term contracts versus bringing more evidence they are warranted. None of the players wants to sit out a year and lose a guaranteed $1.75 million.

The fine line is the divide between leverage versus ticking off Holmgren and Mangini.

Linebacker Jason Trusnik, perhaps remembering how far he had to come after leaving Ohio Northern undrafted, signed his tender, locked up his $1.75 million, and will be in camp.

STAR PUPIL

Whether part of his motivation is to put pressure on Harrison or not, Mangini is saying very nice things about rookie Hardesty. Mangini is painting Hardesty as one of the team’s most mentally alert rookies.

In rookie minicamp meetings, Mangini would put players on the spot with pop questions.

“Some guys couldn’t get the answers,” Mangini said. “Whenever they couldn’t get an answer, (Hardesty) had his hand in the air. He knew the answer. And it was on a range of different things.

“You could tell he was constantly paying attention, constantly taking notes.”

Hardesty struck some media observers as not all that big as they watched him in minicamp.

“He’s pretty well slapped together,” Mangini said. “He’s in that 225 to 230 range, I think.”

Whatever his actual weight, Mangini said, “Some guys run big.” The implication being that Hardesty is such a guy.

ABOUT THAT DEFENSE

The Browns defense showed signs of coming around during a 4-0 finish, but the Browns allowed 144.6 rushing yards a game for the season. Only the Buccaneers, Chiefs and Raiders were worse.

They gave up 244.7 passing yards a game. Only the Lions, Titans and Saints were worse.

With the assorted changes that were made, with a year of installation out of the way, how much better can the defense be?

“We’d like to think we can take a big jump,” Mangini said. “We need to take a big jump in turnovers.

“We did a nice job going from 17 (in 2008) sacks to 40 sacks (in 2009). I think that was great progress.

“Now, being able to maintain that pressure on the quarterback, converting those sacks into turnovers, and doing a better job with interceptions ... these things are huge.”

NO SPRING CHICKENS

The Browns head into spring practice with nine 10-year men on the roster.

Entering their 12th NFL seasons:

• placekicker Phil Dawson;

• quarterback Jake Delhomme;

• linebacker David Bowens;

• linebacker Eric Barton.

Entering their 11th seasons:

• defensive end Robaire Smith;

• offensive tackle John St. Clair.

Entering their 10th seasons:

• nose tackle Shaun Rogers;

• safety Nick Sorensen;

• offensive lineman Floyd Womack.

Dawson has been a Brown his entire career. None of the others have been with Cleveland longer than three years.

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