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Cleveland Browns plan to restructure Olivier Vernon’s contract

By Christopher Markoch

ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 10: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys is sacked by Olivier Vernon #54 of the New York Giants in the first half of a game at AT&T Stadium on September 10, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 10: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys is sacked by Olivier Vernon #54 of the New York Giants in the first half of a game at AT&T Stadium on September 10, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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The Cleveland Browns acquired DE Olivier Vernon in a trade for G Kevin Zeitler on March 1. The team is wasting no time in restructuring Vernon’s contract. The only question for Browns fans is what the new contract will look like.

On March 1, the Cleveland Browns announced a trade with the New York Giants that brought defensive end Olivier Vernon to the Browns and sent guard Kevin Zeitler to the Giants. There were many things to like about the move, but one potential negative for the team was the hit to the team’s salary cap.

In approximate numbers, by taking on Vernon’s $15.5 million 2019 contract and sending New York Zeitler’s $10 million contract, it left the team with a $5.5 million cap hit.

Vernon is owed $15.5 million for the next two seasons. There is no guaranteed money remaining on his contract so the team could release him at any time without salary cap ramifications.

The trade and the details surrounding the restructured contract won’t be official until Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. which is the official start of the new league year. But here are the possibilities

Extend the length of the contract and spread the money over more years.

Front load more of Vernon’s 2020 salary into 2019, and reduce the salary cap hit for next year.

The choice will depend on how much cap room the Browns may need for what they are planning to accomplish during this free agent period.

As the Cleveland Browns enter the legal tampering period for free agency, they do so with just over $69 million to spend. Of course, they won’t spend all of it, nor should they, but prior to March 1, the team had $80 million. The Vernon signing plus the tenders offered to Rashard Higgins, Trevon Coley and Jermaine Whitehead put the team at its current number.

Next. 7-Round mock draft after Vernon trade. dark

$69 million doesn’t give the team room to “swing for the fences”, but with key players coming up on the end of their rookie contracts, most notably Myles Garrett, in a  couple of years, the Browns do have to leave themselves some room.

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