Cleveland Browns: 5 restructure candidates this offseason

4. G Joel Bitonio

Joel Bitonio has been one of the league’s best guards since 2014, and was named a Second-Team All-Pro for the second consecutive season. He has two years remaining on his contract, with cap hits of $10 million in each. There is zero remaining guaranteed salary for him, and he can be cut at any time with zero dead cap.

After investing so much into the offensive line last offseason, it would be stunning if general manager Andrew Berry decided to move on from the linchpin of his OL and the longest-tenured member of the team.

However, reducing that cap hit in exchange for some guaranteed cash makes sense for both sides. Bitonio surely knows his worth as a player, but he also must realize the financial ramifications that the league is dealing with.

Short-term deals that end when the cap jumps up again are what players will likely be moving towards, and whether Bitonio’s long-term future is in Cleveland or somewhere else, having some financial peace of mind, for now, is probably something he’d want.

The Browns may have potential replacements lined up in Drew Forbes and Michael Dunn, but you don’t move on from an All-Pro lineman if you don’t have to.