At $23 million in the red, the Cleveland Browns' cap situation is beyond murky. It's unsustaintable.
Now that the team is approaching free agency opening up next week, they have to evaluate which players are worth keeping on the roster and which they're willing to let walk because of big paydays due to them. They've already tendered Blake Whiteheart and Winston Reid, so they're aware of the needs of the team at TE and LB.
But what about at other positions, like tackle or wide receiver. Or, especially at quarterback. These are a few of the positional groups that, given their cash constraints, will probably be patched up with rookies and veterans on one year, team friendly deals. That means several of the teams' actually talented free agents will likely be walking this offseason.
However, there's one that likely won't for the same reason Reid was tendered. Let's predict his free agency, as well as the status of four other Browns who will probably not suit up for Cleveland in 2025.
4 Browns who will walk in free agency (and 1 that will stay)
LB Devin Bush
Bush is going to be a key depth piece for the Browns' defense this coming season. The status of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is up in the air, and as a result, Cleveland has to find a veteran replacement for his snaps if he's in need of ramp up time this year. Bush played well in place of Owusu-Koramoah, scoring a 79.2 with PFF - ranking 16th amongst linebackers.
Cleveland should be doing everything they can to make the money work to keep Bush. He'd be a veteran presence in the locker room for the defense if Myles Garrett gets traded this offseason, and he is a reliable starter in place of Owusu-Koramoah.
T Jedrick Wills Jr.
The Wills experiment should be over. After a really subpar start to the 2024 season for the pass protector, he injured his knee and was out for the rest of the season after Week 7. Part of that might've been because he reportedly benched himself, but it just seemed like his knee was holding him back more than he was trying to let on to begin the year.
Wills is likely to go down as one of the worse draft picks under the Andrew Berry regime, as he went 10th overall in 2020 - before now-Super Bowl champions Mekhi Becton and Tristan Wirfs. It's never an easy pill to swallow, admitting that a player you took in the top-10 ended up being a bit of a bust for you. But, that's where Wills is at now.
Read more: Browns connected to intriguing quarterback plan in latest free agency projection
WR Elijah Moore
Moore had a really down year with the Browns in 2024, but that is likely due to the teams' inconsistent quarterback play and room. Moore didn't benefit in the way that Jerry Jeudy or even Cedric Tillman did under Jameis Winston, though, which makes you wonder if part of his struggles were simply due to his limitations as a receiver.
Moore's 2024 salary of $3,116,000 would probably be what he should expect to be offered to stay with Cleveland this offseason. That might be too low for him to stomach, but if Cleveland has a solid quarterback plan headed into the 2025 season, he might be tempted to take the deal on a short-term contract for a prove it year. But, it just feels like he'll walk.
QB Jameis Winston
Winston had such a strange year for the Browns. He signed as a backup to Deshaun Watson, so he likely didn't expect to be starting for so long throughout the year. He was a revelation in Week 8, and a hinderance to the teams' offense from Week 9 until his benching in Week 15.
His turnovers were brutal, and they overshadowed a lot of his better moments - namely, his wild 497 passing yard game against the Denver Broncos in Week 13. That's simply the Winston experience, though. He'll show exactly why he was such a heralded prospect back in 2015, going 1st overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and then he'll show exactly why he's become a journeyman since then.
Cleveland had a fun few weeks with him under center, but it's time to move on.
RB Nick Chubb
Chubb wants to be with the Cleveland Browns for life, but the Browns seem ready to move on from the former phenom running back. The 2nd round pick turned All Pro has suffered one too many terrible knee injuries for the Browns to feel comfortable offering him more than a small veteran contract, and that just feels disrespectful to Chubb at this point in his career.
With Cleveland loaded with draft picks in the upcoming draft, it just seems likelier that they'll find a replacement for his snaps in the draft than pay him out. And, according to recent reporting from Cleveland Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the team is ready to move on from Chubb with near certainty. Here's hoping he doesn't land with a rival, though.