Browns are in better cap space following huge jump for 2023
By Randy Gurzi
The Cleveland Browns got some cap relief when it was announced the 2023 ceiling would be increasing by $16.6 million in the new league year
Heading into the offseason, the Cleveland Browns were already feeling the pinch as they were near the top of the salary cap. But now, they have a little more room as the cap was announced — and the jump was significant.
According to Ian Rapoport, the NFL will raise the cap from $208.2 million to $224.8 million. That’s an increase of $16.6 million.
The NFL informed teams today that the 2023 salary cap will be a record $224.8 million per club, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 30, 2023
That’s up from $208.2 million in 2022, $182.5M in 2021 (COVID adjustment), 198.2M in 2020 and $188.2M in 2019.
Cleveland is going to still have to get creative as they’re currently around $14.4 million in the red due to some of their large contracts. However, there’s relief on the way for that as well.
Browns have more rollover than anyone
In addition to the $16.6 million jump, Cleveland will get more relief when they roll over an NFL-high $27.5 million in 2023. That means they’ll actually have about $13 million to spend this season before making any moves.
Having said that, there are definitely some moves coming. The Browns didn’t go out and trade three first-round picks for Deshaun Watson just to give him no talent to work with.
Instead, look for general manager Andrew Berry to continue to work his magic with the numbers. He could free up space with a few cuts but there’s also the likelihood that Watson’s contract will be reworked.
This doesn’t mean he will lose any of his $230 million, but just that he could get more upfront while Berry spreads that around as a salary bonus. He could also add years to existing deals for star players with the ever-popular void years — which means they will be paying later for players who suit up now.
In the end, the Browns will be able to do whatever they need to, but don’t be shocked if Berry again saves some of their cap space to roll into 2024 as well.
