Top 4 Cleveland Browns who could be cap casualties in 2023
By Randy Gurzi
1. Deion Jones, Linebacker
Cap Hit: $13.14 million
Pre-June 1: $13.14 million Savings, $0 Dead Money
Post-June 1: $13.14 million Savings, $0 Dead Money
Sure, he has yet to even take a snap, but there’s still no guarantee Deion Jones will be with the Browns in 2023. For his first few seasons as general manager, Andrew Berry has gone out of his way to avoid paying big money to linebackers.
He let Joe Schobert walk despite his status as a fan-favorite and has plugged in players such as Anthony Walker and Malcolm Smith. Now with Walker out for the season, he suddenly pulled the trigger on Jones, a former Pro Bowler with a massive price tag. However, Berry didn’t take on the entire salary.
Not only do the Falcons have a $12.14 million hit this season compared to a $1.39 base for Cleveland, but he’s also owed no guaranteed money from the Browns in 2023. That means they can free up his entire $13.14 million cap hit by moving on from him.
While it’s true Jones could blow the front office away and convince them he should stay, they could just as easily save that money, bring back Walker for a fraction of that, and still have a lot more flexibility. Teams haven’t been shy in recent seasons when it comes to renting players for a season, and the Browns might do just that with Jones.
