Damarious Randall says he wants to retire with the Cleveland Browns

As Damarious Randall awaits a contract extension with the Cleveland Browns, the safety said he wants to retire as a member of the Browns.

In just one season with the Cleveland Browns, safety Damarious Randall quickly emerged as a leader of the Cleveland defense. Randall helped bring a swagger to the defensive side of the ball, and it seemed to carry to the rest of his teammates.

After the Browns acquired Randall from the Green Bay Packers in March 2018, they made the decision to move him from cornerback to safety – his college position. The move paid off big time, as Randall had his best season in the NFL and became a vital part of Cleveland’s defense.

Randall played in all but one game last season, making 85 total tackles, two tackles for loss, four interceptions, and nine passes defensed.

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The 26-year-old safety is now entering the final year of his rookie deal and is eligible for a contract extension. And with the way he helped the back end of the Browns defense, getting en extension done this offseason would be a logical decision for the Cleveland front office.

And it may not be too hard to convince Randall into staying with the Browns. Before Tuesday’s practice, Randall said that he loves the city of Cleveland and the Browns fan base and that he wants to be a Cleveland Brown for the rest of his career.

"“I would want to finish my career here in Cleveland. I love it here. The fans, the coaches, everybody in charge here, I just love Cleveland.” – Damarious Randall"

The problem with signing Randall to a contract extension will not be if he wants to stay with the Browns, however. Instead, the problem will be if the Browns can afford to keep Randall.

Because of his strong play in his first year at safety in the NFL, Randall could be in line for a big payday. However, after making multiple expensive additions in the past two offseasons, the Browns are now strapped tight with the salary cap. And with the Browns needing to sign players like Myles Garrett to extensions in the near future, they have to be smart with their money.

No matter how the Randall situation plays out, it is becoming more and more obvious that general manager John Dorsey has been able to rapidly change the culture in Cleveland. The Browns have become a destination team, as players want to join the team and stay with them for a long period.

Randall has been one of the players who has helped with the culture change. The Browns may have to make some moves to keep Randall in the orange and brown, but he is a player who the Browns front office should have in their long-term plans.