Andrew Berry and the Cleveland Browns head into the 2022 offseason in decent cap shape. These three contracts could cause some issues though.
The Cleveland Browns head into the 2022 offseason with just over $23.5 million in cap space. Keep in mind that this number is before anything has been done this offseason.
The Browns have multiple starting-caliber players that are out of contract and set to be free agents. Additionally, Baker Mayfield and Denzel Ward are both set to play in the fifth year of their rookie contracts.
While the jury is still out on Mayfield, there is an expectation that the Browns will do everything possible to re-sign Ward which could come at a hefty price eating up most of the free cap space now.
Andrew Berry was handed a talented roster from John Dorsey, but the cap situation certainly wasn’t “great”. Dorsey took a lot of risks and spent a ton of money in free agency which is a tough model. Just look at the New Orleans Saints who are nearly $76 million in the red before the start of the season.
For the most part, Berry has done a great job of handling contracts. The 2021 offseason was extremely strange with the salary cap going down, which meant a few contracts with different structures than you typically see.
Berry will have some wiggle room when he releases a few veterans that are currently overcompensated. Case Keenum, Jarvis Landry, and J.C. Tretter are the big names that could save the team nearly $30 million more next year.
The bottom line, there are some difficult decisions that will have to be made to get the salary cap back in check. Here are three of the worst contracts on the team now that can’t necessarily be fixed.
Worst Browns Contract No. 3 – Jadeveon Clowney
Jadeveon Clowney being on this list is no indication of his performance. His one-year, $8 million deal was well worth it. Clowney was a tremendous addition to this roster and really caused a lot of havoc for opposing quarterbacks.
The issue with the Clowney contract is its structure. While Clowney was only contracted to play one season, the are four voided years that payout over $4 million with the chunk of that money in 2022 ($3.6 million).
I get it, the salary cap went down in 2021 for the first time in what felt like forever, so general managers had to get creative. At the moment it seemed like a great deal, but when you get into the weeds it’s a bit of a problem.
The bigger issue, the Cleveland Browns are likely extremely interested in bringing Clowney back. So, whatever they sign him for, you must include another $3.6 million on top of that. There are already beliefs that he may see a $20 million per year offer, so he may become extremely expensive to retain.
The question becomes. Do you want to let him walk completely if he’s already on the payroll? Or, is it impossible to justify a huge payday on a new contract and the remaining money from the old one? Berry certainly has a lot to think about with this one.
Worst Cleveland Browns Contract No. 2 – John Johnson
One of the big signings the last offseason was the ball-hawking safety, John Johnson. While this signing seemed to pay dividends overall, the contract on the other hand is not team-friendly in any way.
Johnson signed a deal that has money spread from 2021 through 2026, but he is only required to play for the Browns through the 2023 season.
Because the team still has rights to him for two more years it makes this a little easier to swallow but come next offseason, this is a deal that will look awful on paper. Johnson will be impossible to cut with heavy guaranteed money, and he’s on the books for more than $8 million in 2024, when he won’t play a down for the Browns.
This is another instance where Berry was forced to spread the money out because of the salary cap going down. He also knew that 2022 and 2023 would likely be big years with big cap hits from Garrett, as well as extensions to Mayfield and Ward likely.
Remember, when this deal was signed, we all still believed that Mayfield was going to be a top-10 quarterback in the league for the 2021 season.
Johnson struggled at the beginning of the season but came on strong to end the year. I expect him to be a great asset in 2022, but I’m still not sure he warrants the contract that he has. It will be a huge detriment for the 2024 season.
Worst Browns Contract No. 1 – Austin Hooper
The two contracts above from Berry have some justification because of the salary cap situation. And, those two players have performed quite well for the team. Clowney has been a star, and I think it’s safe to say that Johson has met (or is close) to expectations.
The Austin Hooper contract has been far from that. This deal was signed in March of 2020 when there was no thought of a salary cap decrease in 2021, and the deal was still signed. Not only does this deal have a voided year in 2024 with a $3.75 million hit, but the guaranteed money is also significant.
On top of all this, Hooper just has not lived up to expectations. After back-to-back pro-bowls with the Falcons in 2018 and 2019, Hooper has had his two worst years since he was a rookie with the Cleveland Browns.
Not only has he struggled to get in sync with the quarterback, but he has also had some timely drops. Hooper is a tremendous blocker, but this isn’t a league where you pay a blocking tight end $10 million-plus average per year.
This is a tricky one this offseason. The deal is bad, but the Browns can save themselves $19 million if they cut him post-June 1st. The team would be eating over $10 million the next three years, but it may be worth it to get out from under this deal.
If Berry thinks he has a shot to resign David Njoku, I expect Hooper to be gone. If Njoku’s market price skyrockets, Hooper may have a chance to remain a Brown for one more season.