Alex Mack, Mitchell Schwartz

The Browns lost Alex Mack and Mitchell Schwartz in one day.

(John Kuntz, Cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On the first day of free agency, the Browns lost two-fifths of their offensive line in center Alex Mack and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, their starting free safety in Tashaun Gipson, and their speedy receiver and returner in Travis Benjamin.

Along the way, the front office, led by Executive Vice President Sashi Brown, got hammered from coast-to-coast for botching the day. NFL Network analysts blasted them all afternoon, and words like "debacle" and "disaster" described them on social media. In addition to losing some of their own free agents, they also failed to land any of the big-name players they had been linked to, such as Bengals receiver Marvin Jones.

But Brown and coach Hue Jackson had made it clear that they wouldn't panic, that they'd be disciplined and that they'd build through the draft. Jackson went so far as to say "it will not be disappointing" if we lose the big-four free agents.

Here's a behind-the-scenes look at what happened on the challenging first day:



1. Mitchell Schwartz: The Browns made Schwartz an offer shortly before the NFL Combine that was far below what he felt he could get on the open market. Sources said it was somewhere in the $7 million-a-year range. His agent, Deryk Gilmore, told the Browns that the former second-round pick would test free agency. Schwartz' goal was about $8 million to $10 million a year, taking into account the growing importance of the position against the Von Millers of the world. When Schwartz opted to test the market, the Browns assumed he was gone and turned their attention to other players.

But Gilmore told cleveland.com Thursday that Schwartz wanted to return to Cleveland and wishes he could've stayed. His fiancee is from here, he purchased a house here and he's entrenched in the community. After testing the market, which wasn't good for right tackles, Schwartz went back to the Browns in the hours before free agency and ultimately planned to accept their pre-combine offer. But they were informed by Cleveland that the offer no longer stood, at least not at $7 million a year. It may have been posturing on the Browns' part, but any hopes of reaching a deal were apparently dashed when NFL Network reported Wednesday morning that the Browns had pulled their offer.

Feeling Cleveland was no longer an option, Schwartz opted to sign a five-year, $33 million deal with the Chiefs, including about $15 million guaranteed. His brother, Geoff Schwartz, congratulated him on the deal after the "nonsense'' he endured during the day, presumably from the Browns. NFL Network's Mike Silver reported that the Browns didn't negotiate in good faith.

In the end, the Browns had moved on before Wednesday when Schwartz opted to test the market without engaging with their $7 million offer. For Schwartz' part, it's common for a player to shop a team's number in hopes of making more.

Ultimately, he didn't, at least not in terms of yearly average. The $6.6 million a year average makes him the second-highest paid right tackle in the NFL, but it's short of the payday he was hoping for. The Browns now have to hope that Austin Pasztor can step in, or they need to find a replacement. Bottom line: It didn't have to come to this. The Browns were willing to pay Schwartz $7 million a year, more than he's getting from the Chiefs. His $15 million guaranteed from Kansas City is more than what the Browns were offering, but a deal could've been struck had things not gotten ugly on Wednesday. It's unfortunate for both sides.



2. Alex Mack: The Browns wanted to keep Mack, but only at the right price, and he knew he could make more on the open market. Peter King of Sports Illustrated reported that Mack will average $9.5 million a year, and that he turned down $500,000 more per year from the Browns to join Kyle Shanahan in Atlanta. I'm told that the $9.5 million represents the maximum value of the contract, with every incentive being hit and that the actual average is more like $9 million a year.

As for Mack taking less money to play for the Falcons, the Browns never actually made him a concrete offer after he voided the final three years of his contract (at $8 million a year) last week. Mack's representatives agreed to keep the Browns in the loop, but it was generally assumed that Mack, 30, would make more than the Browns wanted to pay. As for the Mack team, they found the Browns to be extremely professional and easy to work with and they look forward to doing business again in the future.

3. Travis Benjamin: The Browns wanted Benjamin back and made him an offer, but it wasn't close to what he could get in free agency. The Browns viewed him more as a situational player and returner, and didn't want to go as high as the Chargers did: four years, $24 million, $13 million guaranteed and $18 million over the first three years. The Chargers paid him like a No. 2 receiver, and will likely use him as such.

4. Tashaun Gipson: The Browns did not aggressively pursue Gipson and basically let him walk. He signed a five-year deal with the Jaguars worth $35.5 million, including a $12 million signing bonus. Incentives push it to $36 million. The Browns made him a multi-year offer before last season and he opted to play out his $2.356 million tender. He also skipped some voluntary workouts in an apparent contract statement, and then missed three games because of a sprained ankle. Gipson never seemed to recover from the contract issues of last year. The Browns will likely count on Jordan Poyer to replace him.

5. Marvin Jones: The Browns threw out a number for Jones, but it wasn't competitive and they weren't viewed as serious contenders. A source said if Jackson had really pushed it, the Browns may have gone after him harder. But Jackson probably knew the Browns wouldn't match what Jones got from the Lions: five years, $40 million including an $8 million signing bonus and $20 million guaranteed.

The Browns will have to keep looking for receivers, because they don't have nearly enough weapons. They can't count on Josh Gordon coming back from suspension to save the day, and they're not. If he's reinstated, they'll go from there. But hanging out with Johnny Manziel is not the way to make a good first impression.