The Cleveland Browns' offensive line woes continue to be a major talking point. Most of their leaders in snaps played will either test free agency or retire, including star right guard Wyatt Teller, who just announced he will be leaving the team.
Teller hoped to stay in Cleveland for at least another couple of years. However, he should be in high demand at a position where there won't be many feasible options in free agency, so it makes sense for him to pursue a more lucrative deal elsewhere.
The Browns will likely designate Teller as a post-June 1 cut to spread his cap hit over the next couple of years, and avoid a "poison pill clause" that's baked into his contract, as explained by Browns insider Spencer German.
"Teller carries a dead cap charge of $21 million that was initially spread out over multiple void years that were added to the contract for book keeping purposes," German wrote. "One additional stipulation in Teller's contract allows the deal to not officially void until after the start of the new league year. It also includes a poison pill that would guarantee a $99 million base salary in 2028 if he's not cut by the third day of the new league year."
Hidden clause made Wyatt Teller’s exit from Cleveland inevitable
German adds that the Browns will spread the remaining $21 million of his cap hit over the next two years. As things stand now, the Browns have $3.2 million in available cap space, according to Over the Cap, and they're still waiting on Joel Bitonio's decision on whether he'll return or retire.
Andrew Berry and company can create $48 million in cap space by restructuring the contracts of Deshaun Watson and Denzel Ward. But with the latter being a potential salary cap casualty or trade candidate, it'll be interesting to see how the Browns handle the financial juggling required to add more firepower to the team.
As for the offensive line, they will probably have to spend at least three draft picks and pursue a prominent name in free agency. Regardless of their quarterback issues, Todd Monken's team will need to bolster the pass protection, and there's no better way to fix their broken running game than by dominating in the trenches.
Losing Teller is going to be a big hit to this unit, but he's earned the right to play meaningful games and get another huge paycheck while he still can.