A one-game playoff run wasn't what the Cleveland Browns hoped for after going 11-6 this season but it was still quite the accomplishment. They overcame some serious injuries on both sides of the ball — although their offense was hit the hardest. They not only lost Nick Chubb but also Deshaun Watson and Jack Conklin.
Cleveland continued to fight and find a way to win, even pulling off four in a row to lock up a playoff spot. The fact that they won with reserves should give them hope going forward. Even so, they're going to need to fill in a few holes and find some game-changers on offense.
That's easier said than done since the Browns are low on capital. Not only are they without a pick in Round 1 yet again, but they also enter the offseason nearly $17 million over the cap. With that being the case, here's a look at four contracts that are currently holding the franchise back.
4. Amari Cooper, WR
You would be hard-pressed to find a more avid fan of Amari Cooper than this writer but that doesn't mean his contract isn't an issue heading into 2024. Cooper is second on the team with a cap number of $23.77 million. That puts him ahead of Denzel Ward and Myles Garrett who are each younger — and Garrett is an NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate nearly every year.
Cooper, who is the first player in Cleveland history to record back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving campaigns, is a major weapon. He's been able to record 2,410 yards on 150 receptions despite inconsistent quarterback play but he's also going to be 30 next year and has had some injury concerns.
In 2023, he missed Week 17 and 18 — although Week 18 was a meaningless game where many starters sat. Then in the playoffs, he finished with just 59 yards on four receptions as he was noticeably banged up. As good as Cooper is, Browns fans should remember how quickly things fell off for Jarvis Landry when he started to get banged up.
This isn't to say Cooper needs to be cut, but they need to do whatever they can to re-work his deal. They'll never be able to fix the weapons on offense while paying him nearly $24 million.
3. Jack Conklin, RT
At the end of the 2022 season, the Browns decided to lock up Jack Conklin on a four-year deal worth $60 million. The decision was questionable, not due to Conklin's talent, but rather his durability. While he's one of the better right tackles in the NFL, he missed 10 games in 2021 due to an elbow injury early in the year and a knee injury later.
He did play in 14 games during the 2022 campaign but still had never played a full schedule in Cleveland. That remained the case this year as he was lost in Week 1 with a torn ACL and MCL. With him out, Dawand Jones stepped in and played very well before being injured as well.
Looking forward to 2024, Jones could easily replace Conklin without that massive price tag. Unfortunately, it's not that easy. The way Conklin's deal is constructed, it would cost an awful lot of money to move on. As a pre-June 1 cut, the Browns would be hit with $27 million in dead money and would actually lose $15 million against the cap. Pots-June 1 is better since it would eat up roughly $13 million in dead space with a negative impact of nearly $1 million.
Perhaps something can be worked out with Conklin in order to pay him his money and still provide the Browns with relief. Of course, that would lead to them being on the hook for many more years. But that's a risk teams take when they pay a player coming off an injury.
2. Nick Chubb, RB
Cleveland's running game started out hot in 2023 but that lasted for only a couple of weeks. With Nick Chubb going down with a knee injury in Week 2, things fell apart. They were able to rack up yards early in the season but the efficiency was a mess. And as the year went along, the numbers dipped dramatically.
Joe Flacco wound up giving their offense some credibility but he continually had to do everything himself. That led to some changes as the Browns moved on from running backs coach Stump Mitchell — as well as offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney. With them out, the offense is looking to change course, likely to better fit Deshaun Watson.
That doesn't mean they're not going to want Nick Chubb back but there's a belief they will want him to take a cut in salary. Chubb should continue to be a focal point of the offense once healthy but considering the severity of his knee injury, plus the fact that this is the second major knee injury he's had, the Browns would be smart to consider making plans as if he wasn't there.
Of course, that's hard to do when a player is making $15.8 million, as Chubb is. While it's true Chubb is an insane talent, hardly any team that has extended a running back has been happy with the move. The Cowboys couldn't wait to get Ezekiel Elliott off their books, the Titans were rumored to be shopping Derrick Henry constantly, the Vikings cut Dalvin Cook during his deal, and there's the whole Le'Veon Bell deal in New York as well which was as effective as clap on lights in a football stadium would be.
Throw in the fact that Saquon Barkley and Tony Pollard stunk it up on their one-year deals that eclipsed $10 million and it's going to be hard for running backs to get top dollar. It will also be hard for the Browns to feel good about paying Chubb $15.8 million — no matter how likable he is. That money will also make it difficult to help put players on the roster to help fill the void should he be unable to go in Week 1, or if gets hurt again.
1. Deshaun Watson, QB
This one might not need to be said, but we're going to go there anyway. Deshaun Watson signed a record-breaking deal in 2022 as he and the Browns agreed to a five-year contract worth a fully guaranteed $230 million. Other quarterbacks have gotten fully guaranteed deals in the past but none had that length. Nor did they have the dark cloud hanging over them that Watson had.
When Watson was traded from Houston to Cleveland, he was facing more than 20 counts of sexual misconduct. He settled many of those out of court but still has one case pending. It was known that Watson, who faced no criminal charges, was likely going to be punished by the NFL. Eventually, he settled with the league on an 11-game suspension.
That meant there would be closure for the team as they expected Watson back in Week 13 of 2022. The problem was that they would be getting a player who sat out the entire 2021 season due to issues with the Texans and then missed 11 games due to his off-field issues. Nearly two years away from meaningful action left him incredibly rusty during the final six games of the year.
Watson returned to the field this year and we were supposed to see a revitalized player. Instead, we got six more games where he was often rusty. Then, he was out for the season with a shoulder injury. Cleveland continued to win without him but they believe he's the one who can push them over the hump. Or at least they did believe that at one point — no one will admit if that's changed now.
What we do know is this team is talented but they're missing key pieces — especially when it comes to skill players on offense. Ironically enough, the quarterback they brought in to utilize their skill players is the main hold-up as they look to improve the offense.
Watson heads into 2024 with a cap hit of $63.98 million. Sure, they're likely going to kick the can down the road with a restructure but that will only help if they start adding years to the deal — and if he doesn't improve his consistency, that won't be ideal. That means the player they brought in to fix their issues might be in the way after a couple of years — unless he suddenly finds his 2020 form once again.