NFL Rumors: Alex Mack Leaving Cleveland Browns For Atlanta Falcons

NFL rumors have been swirling around Alex Mack for quite some time now, as the Pro Bowl center opted out of his contract with the Cleveland Browns in the hopes of finding a team that can help him play in his first Super Bowl. Mack is one of the best centers in the National Football League, so there was much interest in him in free agency. According to ESPN, Mack has decided to sign with the Atlanta Falcons in the hopes that he can help bring them back to prominence.

Even though the Cleveland Browns hired the highly respect Hue Jackson as their head coach, many in the NFL still consider the franchise to be a wasteland. With all due respect to Jackson, the belief is that team owner Jimmy Haslam is in over his head when it comes to running a professional football team. There are several players within the organization that are hoping to break free of the figurative prison, and one of those guys is none other than Alex Mack.

Aside from Alex Mack, Travis Benjamin is the only Cleveland Browns player that has decided that the grass is greener elsewhere. The wide receiver opted to sign a deal with the San Diego Chargers. It’s hard to blame him because he would be catching passes from Phillip Rivers, one of the best players in the NFL, instead of whoever it is that would be starting for the Browns, a list which still oddly includes the troubled Johnny Manziel.

Alex Mack had three years and $24 million remaining on his contract with the Cleveland Browns. The fact that he willingly and purposely voided that deal says a lot about his desire to leave the franchise. Even though he is one of the best interior linemen in the NFL, it was still considered a gamble. Fortunately for Mack, he was able to convince the Atlanta Falcons to give him a five-year contract worth $42 million.

This isn’t the first time that Alex Mack has attempted to flee the Cleveland Browns. Back in 2014, he signed an offer sheet from the Jacksonville Jaguars with the full intention of finding a new home in the NFL. Unfortunately for Mack, the Browns decided to match the offer, so he was forced to stay in Ohio. Somewhere along the way, Alex was smart enough to insert a clause in his contract that would enable him to seek his freedom this year.

In the Atlanta Falcons, Alex Mack feels that he has found the right franchise to finish off his career. It’s an organization that puts an emphasis on winning. Even a small transaction such as bringing Matt Schaub back feels like they are heading in the right direction. Schaub will be the backup quarterback in case something happens to Matt Ryan. The Falcons are also trying to sign Mohamed Sanu from the Cincinnati Bengals because they need someone to replace the recently released Roddy White.

Most importantly to Alex Mack, signing with the Atlanta Falcons means that he gets to reunite with an offensive coordinator that he truly believes in. Kyle Shanahan spent a season as the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns. He left quite an impression on Mack during that season. Alex believes that Shanahan can create an offensive scheme that can bring the Falcons back to the NFL Playoffs if he can solidify the interior of the offensive line.

There are a lot of regular people in this world who seek out better opportunities for themselves. Aside from having a job that pays him millions of dollars to play a sport that he has loved since childhood, Alex Mack is a regular person. He has the right to look for a better opportunity, and the Atlanta Falcons appear to be the answer for him.