The Cleveland Browns currently boast one of the NFL's highest payrolls but also have one of, if not the, worst rosters. That's quite a troublesome combination for a club coming off a 5-12 campaign, to say the least.
Cleveland enters the offseason with glaring needs on both sides of the ball and a less-than-ideal financial situation. Their spending habits in recent years are coming back to haunt them; they are hamstrung when it comes to making meaningful upgrades. How Browns general manager Andrew Berry navigates this complicated circumstance in the coming months is worth monitoring.
Like any team, the Browns can cut players under contract to dump salary. However, an already talent-deficient squad like them may be wary of letting anyone walk out the door. With that in mind, Berry can do something he's all too familiar with instead: kick money down the road.
By restructuring the deals of quarterback Deshaun Watson and star cornerback Denzel Ward, the Browns can gain nearly $50 million in cap space for 2026.
Browns have a path to clearing a lot of cap space with a couple of moves
Player | $ freed up w/ restructure |
|---|---|
Deshaun Watson, QB | $35.76 million |
Denzel Ward, CB | $13.575 million |
Ward's outlook is much more straightforward, so let's start there. The Browns can shed roughly $14 million off the books with a renegotiated Ward pact. He's signed through 2027, though an extension is also within the range of outcomes.
It should be noted that Ward has put his desire to remain with the Browns on the record. The five-time Pro Bowler has ostensibly found a home in Cleveland. So, barring any unforeseen developments, don't expect to see him donning a different uniform next season.
Then, there's the albatross that is Watson. He's getting paid by the Browns, whether they like it or not. The question is: would they rather rip the Band-Aid off now or continue to spread his cap hit across multiple years?
Based on how Berry and Co. have operated in the past, they may very well take the immediate relief and worry about the repercussions later. The present regime has had no problem restructuring Watson's contract and leaving the next brain trust to figure it out. We've seen the Browns convert his salary into a signing bonus annually since 2023.
Either way, Watson's disastrous contract keeps him glued to the Browns' organization for at least one more year.