It wasn’t long ago that there were reports putting tight end Gary Barnidge close to signing a contract extension with the Browns. “I can’t say enough positive things about Gary Barnidge”. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Benjamin estimated the negotiations are about 75-to-80 percent finished. The contract’s year and dollar amounts have not yet been disclosed. He has 826 yards receiving on 54 receptions and five touchdowns.
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“It’s a tremendous honor that Cleveland has the faith in me”, Barnidge said.
Barnidge, 30, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March, but the Browns have secured him in the midst of his breakout season.
Barnidge is one 100-yard game away from tying the Browns franchise record for most in a season (Milt Morin, 1968).
Cleveland Browns tight end Gary Barnidge is reportedly expected to get a contract extension, and the deal could get done as soon as Thursday, according to National Football League reporter Albert Breer. “He is the same guy every day”. Among NFL tight ends, he’s third in most statistical categories, but first in third-down receptions. He’s productive. He works.
He stands two touchdown receptions away from setting the franchise’s record by a tight end, set in 1979 by Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome. If you give him a coaching point, he takes it to heart and it shows on the field. But in the middle of a depressing season, Barnidge has been one of the NFL’s best stories.
“In terms of the Baltimore catch and the San Diego catch, you never know if those are going to come about, but I did (know he could do this)”, said DeFilippo.
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After years of playing behind Pro Bowl tight ends – first with Greg Olsen in Carolina and then with Jordan Cameron during his first two seasons with the Browns – Barnidge has flourished as Cleveland’s top pass-catching tight end. Not only are his 60 catches, 817 yards and seven TDs all career highs, they’re all more than in his previous seven years combined.
