The Browns currently are $13.415 million over the salary cap, with a little over a week to get under the $224.8 million cap. They also need to create room to sign free agents.
Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports that quarterback Deshaun Watson is open to restructuring his contract to help with that.
Browns General Manager Andrew Berry said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine that a restructuring for Watson “could be on the table.”
Watson is scheduled to have a $54.993 cap charge for 2023, and the Browns could give him more bonus money up front to lower the cap charge. With his entire $230 million, five-year contract fully guaranteed, it’s a simple matter on when he is getting the money.
Berry already has acknowledged the Browns are releasing safety John Johnson III, which will save $9.75 million of his $13.5 million cap charge with a post-June 1 designation. The team also could lower the cap charges of Myles Garrett ($29.176 million) and Amari Cooper ($23.776 million) among others.