The big news of the day for the Cleveland Browns is the contract restructuring for cornerback Denzel Ward. An additional $11.3+ million of space has been cleared, getting Cleveland back onto the positive end of the salary cap spectrum. While it is a great start, they do not appear to be finished in that arena.
Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot suggests that more restructures could be on the way, specifically noting Deshaun Watson and Amari Cooper. While nothing is imminent at this time, and this is not an actual report of a restructuring being in the works, it is notable.
Cap Relief To Help Now And In The Future
Watson ($63.9 million) and Cooper ($23.7 million) have the two-highest cap hits next season. It is crucial for the Browns to bring those numbers down. Having a quarterback who has been more mediocre than good taking up a quarter of the salary cap is tough to live with. Lowering this number so it is more manageable will be better for all parties involved. Should this happen, it will add more cap space and hopefully lead to a few impactful additions this offseason.
There is something else at play that must be addressed. The contract of Amari Cooper. Cooper is set to become a free agent after this season but will still have money owed via void years. Finding a way to restructure and possibly extend Cooper would be a huge win for the Browns. It would allow the front office to add complementary playmakers rather than primary ones, in addition to maintaining offensive continuity. Being able to build upon the offensive structure instead of another overhaul should lead to better results all around and potentially mean a return to the postseason is on the table. But the only way to get there is with more restructures, and it appears they could be coming.
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