5 best Cleveland Browns cap moves of the 2022 offseason

4. Re-signing Jadeveon Clowney

The team that wins the Super Bowl is probably going to be a team that has a top-five defense and manages to keep its quarterback salary cap hit under 14 percent of its total. How can we know that? Well, never say never, but since the start of the salary cap era in 1994, the Super Bowl has not been won by a team whose quarterback drew more than 13.1 percent of the team cap allowance.

Cleveland, because of the first-year discount on Deshaun Watson’s contract meet the bogey for quarterback salary.

Now, what about the top five defense? Believe it or not, in terms of total yards, they were right there last year with 311.5 yards allowed per game, fifth lowest in the NFL. The previous year, the Browns gave up 358.4 yards, 17th in the league. Why are people complaining about the Joe Woods defense? They were very good last season.

If the Browns get there, it will because they have a very tough defensive line bookended by mutants Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. If it’s just Garrett, opponents can double team him and have the quarterback roll out the other way, but when Clowney is on the other side, he closes off the escape route.

Clowney was initially reluctant to sign with the Browns, you will recall. Back in 2020, Andrew Berry was courting him strongly, but he was reluctant to come to Cleveland. So it is really exciting that once he got to know Cleveland and the Dawg Pound he wanted to come back.

He’s a former first overall pick, like Garrett, and just as talented. However, Clowney is 29 years old and has had significant injuries along the way in his NFL career, so he is not the same Clowney he was five years ago. But if used judiciously, he is still his brilliant self and is a devastating pass rusher with great top-end speed for a defensive lineman.

Cleveland also has veteran Chase Winovich, Curtis Weaver and rookie third-round pick Alex Wright. Winovich is coming off a down year with the Patriots due to hamstring issues, but had 5.5 sacks in both 2019 and 2020. Thus, the Browns have the personnel to form a very strong rotation.

There have been volumes and volumes written about Odell Beckham, Jr. who gave up millions to get away from Cleveland and Mayfield. Okay. What about some positive news about an equally important star who gave up millions because he wanted to be in Cleveland, and he wanted to be on the same team with Garrett and Watson?

Why don’t we hear more about Clowney? Instead of being jealous of Garrett and Watson, he came to Cleveland to be with his friends. That says a lot, especially because those two have been in the news and received a lot of negative publicity. I don’t know, I met Garrett only once and I’ve never met Watson so I’m not commenting on their character. But Clowney knows them both very, very well and he voted for them with his bank account. That speaks volumes.

Give an assist to Garrett and Watson for this, two superstar teammates who Clowney really respects. But it was a team effort when all is said and done. 31 other cities lost. Clowney chose Cleveland. That man deserves the respect of the entire city.