5 moves the Browns can make to free up $71 million in cap space

3. Extend Amari Cooper

It's still comical to think that the Browns landed Amari Cooper for a mere fifth-round pick. The Dallas Cowboys are still out there trying to find someone who can replace his production opposite CeeDee Lamb, whereas Cleveland has been sitting back watching Coop set records despite continued uncertainty under center.

Even with Deshaun Watson playing just six games in 2022 and six games in 2023, Cooper has been able to thrive. With Jacoby Brissett, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, P.J. Walker, and Joe Flacco all throwing him the ball, he hauled in 150 passes for 2,410 yards with 14 touchdowns over the past two seasons. He even became the first player in franchise history to record 1,000 yards receiving in back-to-back campaigns — and set the record for the most receiving yards in a single game (265).

Simply put, Cooper is a cerebral assassin at the position.

He's also entering the final yer of his deal and is scheduled to make $23.776 million. Set to turn 30 this season, he's not going to have too many more opportunities to cash in, so there's no telling if he's going to be willing to sign an extension now, or try and push it off until the offseason.

If Cleveland can get Cooper to start negotiating, that would be a great move on their part. Again, since he will be 30 when the season begins, they don't need to hand out a long-term contract. But if they can add two to three years to his current deal, they could save an estimated $15 million this season. That could be enough to find a top-tier WR2 or even another pass-rusher to play opposite Myles Garrett.