The Browns acquired quarterback Deshaun Watson around this time last year and gave him a contract that they’ve restructured ahead of the start of the new league year.
According to multiple reports, the Browns have converted the bulk of Watson’s $46 million base salary to a signing bonus. The move creates nearly $36 million in cap space for the team.
As noted on PFT last month, the Browns were able to make a simple conversion without any negotiation with Watson, but any move to add voidable years to the end of the contract to spread the cap hit out over more years could only happen with Watson’s agreement. The amount of cap space gained indicates that they did add such a year to the pact.
The Browns have now moved under the cap ahead of the start of the league year on Wednesday.