DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum NFL Salary Cap To Take Another Big Leap in 2025

The league office informed teams of the expected salary cap range for 2025 on Wednesday, with a larger-than-expected jump from $255.4 million to somewhere between $277.5 million and $281.5 million

NFL teams, particularly those dealing with tight salary cap restrictions, got some good news on Wednesday. The league's per-team salary cap is about to make another big jump forward in 2025.

The league has informed team officials that the cap limit in 2025 will fall between $277.5 million and $281.5 million per team, a significant increase from last year's figure of $255.4 million. This is the second larger-than-expected increase in a row, as the cap limit has grown more than $53 million since 2023. Prior to the league's reveal on Wednesday, the 2025 cap was widely expected to fall in the $265-$275 million range.

There are currently seven teams that have projected 2025 cap hits over the limit, according to Spotrac, which has been using an estimated cap limit of $275 million. The New Orleans Saints top that list at more than $51 million over. Those teams will have to restructure some contracts and/or release some players to be compliant with the cap limit by the start of the NFL's new league year on March 12, but Wednesday's news at least makes that task a little bit easier.

The Buccaneers are listed as having close to $5.7 million of cap space to start the 2025 season, as the roster is currently constructed. They will be dealing with a list of 22 potential unrestricted free agents, a group headed by standout wide receiver Chris Godwin, ageless linebacker Lavonte David and starting left guard Ben Bredeson. The Buccaneers and Godwin recently agreed to move the date of the automatic voiding of his 2025 contract to March 12 in order to extend the negotiating period on a potential new deal.

https://www.buccaneers.com/news/nfl-salary-cap-take-another-big-leap-2025

#caphell

Here is a list of the salary cap standings currently going into the 2025 season without figuring in the upcoming raise to the salary cap. As of now, before the rise in the salary cap, the Browns stand at a negative $32,778,205 above the salary cap.

Salary Cap Space

https://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space

Even with the rise in the salary cap the Browns will still be well over the salary cap. If that actually means anything to you.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but if the Browns pursue the insurance claim on Watson's 2025 salary, then that will pay them cash back but will NOT impact Watson's hit on the salary cap.

The only way they can positively impact Watson's salary cap hit is if they restructure again or there's a massive development in one of his ongoing issues and they are able to void some/all of his contract due to breach.

That's my understanding but I'm not sure on that.

That is a good question

My understanding is that it will impact watson's cap hit but next year, not this year

I'm of the understanding in can impact both this year and next.

So it's settled. We can all agree that none of us has any real knowledge of the cap implications

Wait till they hear the rumor in a couple years the cap could explode again due to accurate streaming numbers…

The Cleveland Browns are casting serious doubt on the timetable of quarterback Deshaun Watson after he re-ruptured his Achilles while rehabbing at his home in Miami.

This means their massive $230 million investment likely never takes another snap again in the brown and orange and potentially ever in the NFL. The good news for the Browns, however, is that they had Watson’s contract insured in case the quarterback had to miss significant time due to injury or suspension.

They received some relief this past season for his time missed in 2023, they’ll receive some relief in 2025 for the time he missed this year, and they will see almost his entire salary covered by insurance if Watson cannot take the field at all in 2025.

The Browns have $44.3 million of Watson’s $46 million base salary covered by insurance.

Yes, this means that the Browns will see $44.3 million put back into their cap space. However, this policy would not be cashed out until after the 2025 season, so the Browns would see that total recouped in their 2026 cap space.

After his latest contract restructure, the Browns are on a timeline to cut Watson with a post-June 1 designation after the 2026 season, so expect that money to be rolled over when they do collect it to completely wash out the dead cap burden of $35 million in 2027 and still have some cash left over to spend from the insurance payment.

https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2025/01/10/browns-deshaun-watson-contract-insurance-meaning/

So just a straight forward question.

Given GM's article above. And assuming in 2027 CLE takes a $35m cap hit on DW. . . . does that not matter? Or would that cap allowence be better spent on signing talent on the roster and high quality FA players of need?

It seems such an obvious answer to me but it seems that some people who want to believe Berry is a Cap savant is able to manage these contracts and it has zero impact on the team we field on Sundays.

Nice, informative post to the thread.

I don't know how in depth the projections go but the added space of that size is welcomed. Any way we cut it, it mitigates our cap situation. We were bound to cut a few players no matter the cap situation.

I think sometimes we lose sight of the cap going up and just focus on the number over and start to panic over how many players we will have to cut. I don't know that we will have to cut anybody we don't want to cut. The money will be tight but we will have the ability to get done what we need to get done.

We still may not be able to trade Myles before the June 1 deadline. That might not be feasible from a cap standpoint. I don't like the idea of pushing everything in to next year if we trade Myles. I'd want to get a plug and play player for this year in addition to whatever else next year.

So for us dummies who are also operating on minimal sleep this morning.


We get no relief this coming season, but...

we get all the relief (most likely given what we're hearing about the injury as well as assumption of Watson being cut after the 2025 season) next year.


So we the strategy is we have to "survive" the cap this year and then after we're kinda home free because that albatross contract will be dealt with.

2025 is a rebuild year whether we, or our FO, wants to admit it. We need to get younger and just play these guys and let the chips fall where they may. Don’t expect anything but improvement from the first game to the last. That will be progress in itself. 2025 will be a year of trial and error, assimilation for new players in our system and development for 2026. These are realistic goals. I wouldn’t expect us to win more than 5 games probably less. If we do we could put ourselves in position for another high pick in’26 and possibly a FQB.

Think we could be getting some this season, too. Not a ton, but "up to $13.9M." link

What this actually boils down to for the upcoming season is that the Browns will be able to cover a lot of their dead money with the salary cap increase while other teams will be able to use the salary cap increase to improve their rosters.

The Browns will cut/trade some players that do not fit in their plans, renegotiate contracts of players that fit in there plans to free more cap space in 2025, they will sign some free agents I do not expect a splashy huge free agent signing but some solid starter type players to 1-year deals and maybe 1 or 2 decent free agents to back loaded 2 to 3 year deals. The biggest off-season additions besides a bridge QB will be drafted players for the most part.

So other teams won't be doing those same things? The rules work the same for all 32 NFL teams. AB doesn't have some advantage over the other 31. The only real difference is the Browns are almost 33 million dollars in the hole to start off with.

Yes, they will be doing those same things as long as their owner is willing to sign checks for more signing bonuses to renegotiate contracts. No, it is much less than that after yesterday. I believe they are around 23 or 24 million over the cap and will be able to apply around 13 million of insurance money from Watson missing games in 2024 to the cap in 2025 so around 10 million over. Then they will start the process I described.

I understand the compliant that Mr. Haslam has spent all that money, and his return has been 2 trips to the playoffs but most recently 3-14 season. But we have an owner willing to spend. Most of the time we are complaining that our owner is tight and unwilling to spend. That is not the case with the Browns we complain that he spends and uses the cap to its fullest.

The cap restricts what you can spend. You can spend it if you want to kick the can down the road but the bill always comes due.

I'm certainly no expert on when that insurance money will work but from what was posted on this very board as being factual, none of that will apply until the 2026 season unless you have information to the contrary.

No matter how it is sliced or spun, the Browns are are just short of 33 million dollars above the salary cap before the raise in the cap hits. Any team that is even or below the current cap has at least 33 million dollar head start on getting talent for the 2025 season.

Being hopeful about the abilities of AB and pretending others can't do the very same things he does is what has gotten us to the point they are now. If some wish to continue down that path so be it. They have very right to. But math shows me we are way behind many other teams going into the 2025 season and this salary cap situation is only going to help make that divide even wider.

People need to consider that when the salary cap goes up so do the price of player contracts. And that works for all player contracts from the bottom up. Every roster goes through major player turnover from season to season. And every player the Browns replace will cost more than the players that just left if they are the same level of player. So you either sign lesser players to replace them or pay a lot more than you did to sign your former players.

Neither of which looks attractive.

If Watson does not play in 2025 the Browns insurance policy, they can claim will get them around 44 million back in the 2026 cap space. They also insured the 2023 season and the 2024 season. They got $$ back for last year's cap because of his should injury that caused him to miss games in 2023 and they are expected to get around 13 million of insurance money back from the games he missed in 2024 for the cap this year in 2025.

It was announced yesterday that the cap went up so instead of being 33 million over the cap the Browns are now around 24 million over the cap with the $ from Watson's 2024 season insurance claim still needing applied and they will be around 10 million over. Then they will cut and trade players that they decided don't fit into their plans and then restructure those that do and kick the can for those players down the road. The expectation is they will get to around 40 million under to sign some free agents and their draft class.

Yes, the entire situation would look much better if the team was 14-3 instead of 3-14 but none the less, they are not in cap hell and if they choses to try to win they have the ability to try. Will they we will see in 2025. The chicken littles that cry salary cap and dead cap space don't understand as longs the cap goes up and as long as the team decides they feel they can be competitive they can continue. Now if they chose to start over, they could do that as well. Same way. They would just be cutting and trading more players and accumulating more draft picks in the process. I think if 2025 does not work that will be the course of action in 2026. Watson's insurance money will cover quite a bit of the remaining dead cap on some older players. If that was to happen the Browns would be picking high again in 2026 and they will not hesitate to trade Garrett and Ward. Then they will cut Watson post June 1, 2026. This season they will keep the band back together 1 more year at least try to fix the run game and get a bridge QB to run a professional organization. If that works, then build upon that. As long as the cap does not go down like it did in 2020 with covid the team will be fine. Be happy you have an owner that is willing to spend. I am sure Berry and Stefanski hear it from him often about return on his investment.

You do understand that what you posted really doesn't change anything don't you? Any way you slice it no matter how much cap relief the Browns get so do the other 31 NFL teams. If they are at the cap limit they receive all of that cap money above the cap limit while the Browns are still below the cap level. 33 million over the cap limit now means that any team at or above the cap limit is 33 million ahead of the Browns.

I didn't say they were in cap hell. I'm saying their ability to sign FA's will be severely restricted compared to teams that aren't over the cap already. And that's a very large margin. We lost out on our last three first round draft picks and now we are in a situation that will leave themselves cash strapped compared to teams already below the cap. Many of these teams already far ahead of us.

With you being a fiscal conservative I would have though you of all people would understand this team has been traveling down a road that was unsustainable.

You may want to look at what the increased salaries of resigning some of those current players about to hit the FA market will cost before you go making claims about "keeping the band together".

The plan is to dump Watson after June 1st 2026 stay tuned.

9-days left before the Browns must be cap compliant. The Browns are currently ($22,814,016) over the cap.

Berry has stated that Watson would not be restructured in 2025 even though a max restructure would free up $35,796,000 in cap making the Browns cap compliant with a $12,981,984 surplus for team use after March 12th. However, a max restructure requires the approval of the player most likely through his agent. Maybe, Watson has already rejected the restructure idea.

Other possible moves:

The Browns only have 3 players worth max restructures left on the roster. As with Watson, each of these max restructures would require player and ultimately agents' approval and have serious drawbacks.

Conklin - max restructure would free up $9,558,750 in 2025 cap. Issues: Conklin has missed 33 games in the last 4-years. He only has 2-years left on his contract which would add a 3rd void year to his deal. Considering what Berry is doing to Garrett mainly because his prorated bonus structure IMHO, another year voided on Conklin would basically eliminate any chance of being traded and he'll have to play out his deal. Most likely won't approve a max restructure.

Ward - max restructure would free up $9,165,750 in 2025 cap space. Issues: Ward has already stated that if Garrett leaves, he'll strongly consider leaving. Approving a max restructure would not be in Ward's best interest if he's a wait and see on Garrett. He absolutely would not want to add additional dead money tied to the team making trading him impossible. Approving a max restructure would not be in Ward's best interest.

Pocic - max restructure would free up $3,303,750 in 2025 cap space. Issues: actually, none as far as Pocic is concerned since he is in the final year of his contract. It will add void years to his deal and if he leaves in FA next March 2026, the Browns will have a $4,368,000 dead money cap charge for 2026. Just kicking the can down the road.

The only other significant move would be to trade Newsome and his $13,000,000 guaranteed 5th year option contract. That would immediately free up $13,000,000 in cap space if they can find a willing trade partner.

If you don't believe that Berry is in trouble with the cap - the numbers say differently. Heck, he can't even trade players without costing the team 10's of millions in dead cap.

We'll know a lot more over these next 9-days.

When has Berry stated he will not restructure Watson this year? Berry has always stated he does not publicly discuss contracts. A maximum restructure is only used when looking to renegotiate a contract to extend the contract terms or add void years. I'm 100% confident Berry will use a simple restructure like he has always done with Watson and restructure his deal to free up cap space. He does not have much other choice. Simple restructures do not require the players approval. Also, who would turn down a massive paycheck all at once?

Simple restructures can be used on other players as well.

One thing I do believe is that the Browns were counting on Myles Garrett to sign a massive long term contract and use the maximum restructure to free up a bunch of cap space this year. Garrett not willing to sign a new deal becomes another issue for Berry to navigate regarding the cap.

I do.

Thanks to Jack Duffin LOL

I don't doubt he will try. But that doesn't mean watson will agree to restructuring. It takes both parties to make that happen. Not saying watson won't restructure. But it's not a simple as.... it will happen the way AB wants it to.

The key element is Berry can restructure w/o Watson needing to approve anything when doing that type of restructuring.

Actually, Berry could. You're not changing what or when Watson is getting paid. You're just changing when that $ counts against your salary cap. Watson's name will be on the Browns salary cap easily until 2030. Watson the player will be shown the door June 1st, 2026.

He can restructure it based on the time restraints of the existing contract which is two more years. . He can't move DW's salary into years he is not under contract without DW approving.

A simple restructure does not require permission or an agreement from the player and/or his agent.

They would need Watson's permission on a maximum restructure. The Browns have always done a simple restructure with Watson.

So you're saying what I just said then.

From my post above..............

Think he already agreed to void years since the original. Not sure whether the team can push more into them without Watson's approval or not.

Actually, it is 3 more years since Berry added a year to his deal in December I believe. If Berry wants to extend the prorate into a void year that has no money in it, Berry would have to have Watson's and/or his agents' approval. Keep in mind that in either case, Watson's dead cap money for 2026 will go from $99,596,678 to $128,233,470. Furthermore, a simple max spreads the cost over 3 years instead of 5. That means Watson's prorated signing bonus for 2025 of $26,732,678 already will increase to $38,664,745 thus reducing the cap savings for 2025.

That said, and believe what you want, I find it amazing that people are so sure Watson is going to be cut in 2026 when he will have $128,233,470 in dead cap due whether pre or post June 1 cut yet the Browns cannot afford to trade Garrett because of his $36M dead cap. I'll be waiting on pins and needles to see how Berry finds $128,233,470 in cap space even with the supposed insurance payout.

I can't really say for sure myself. What I based it in on was the difference between how the NFL defines as a simple restructure and a maximum restructure.....

Yes, a team can usually restructure a player's contract without their explicit agreement, especially for simple restructures that involve converting portions of their salary into prorated signing bonuses, as most contracts include clauses allowing for this type of unilateral action by the team; however, for more significant changes or "maximum restructures," player consent is typically required as it is considered a renegotiation of the contract.

That's the AI overview.

This is an explanation from Over the Cap.....

Restructure Potential

A tool that teams have to create cap space in the current or upcoming league year is restructuring, the conversion of scheduled payments such as base salary or roster bonuses into signing bonuses that are prorated equally across the length of the contract, over a maximum of five years. This graph and table illustrates the potential that each team has to create 2025 cap space with restructuring.

There are two types of restructuring:

A simple restructure converts payments into prorated signing bonuses within the confines of the remainder of the contract. Teams typically have the ability to unilaterally execute simple restructures without any action necessary from the player.

A maximum restructure increases the amount of cap space via conversion into prorated signing bonuses by either extending the contract or by adding void years to a contract, years that do not extend the contract but are only used as placeholders for the proration. Maximum restructures are typically considered a renegotiation of the contract that requires the player's consent to execute.

https://overthecap.com/restructure

Duffin Explains it well...

https://247sports.com/nfl/cleveland...mean-for-the-cleveland-browns-243038565/

I say this again.

If the cap goes up the players salary demands will almost immediately follow with and eat up the increased salary cap. So in the end this’s just a numbers propaganda by Andrew Berry to install some sort of blind belief among season ticket holders that everything is fine despite almost nothing has changed.

I thought "Math doesn't lie." How some guy in the UK explaining the math is Andrew Berry's propaganda you'll have to spell out for me, if you want me to understand, because I'm not following.

Business-wise/cap-wise, nothing has to change. What has to change is getting the QB right.

If QBs are a coin flip, the Browns are beyond due. (Sadly, probability doesn't actually effect outcomes)

Putting it here too.

Watson will be on the Browns books until 2030 in some fashion or another. It is what it is at this point. At least there is space to maneuver and hopefully put together a good 2025 season. Can't get any worse than 2024.

Let's step back and look at what is really happening.

First, the huge increase in the cap was larger than most had expected. The problem is that increase only reduced the 2025 cap deficit by about 8-9 million from what was predicted.

Second, this continued talk about not worrying about the prorated contracts because the salary cap increases does not add up. The Browns were 2nd in the NFL with $41.951 million carryover from 2024 and they led the NFL in Berry restructured contracts in 2024. The NFL and NFLPA have agreed to a 2025 salary cap of $279.2 million per club. The $279.2 million cap number represents a $23.8 million increase from last year's $255.4 million figure and is the latest record high. That means the Browns basically have had $65.751 million added to the cap number of $255.4 million figure from 2024 which gives the Browns a 25.74% increase in available cap in 2025. The issue rears its ugly head when you look at the available cap for 2025 of $321,151,049 is currently ($23,240,350) short of the available cap for the top 51 players contract liabilities right now of $344,391,399. That's means the Browns currently actually need $88,991,350 to cover their current liabilities, an overall increase of 34.84% of the 2024 cap.

There's a couple of huge issues with this Berry cap. The cap increase does not cover the prorated numbers as many believe. In fact, the Browns cap increase, and carryover money doesn't cover their current liabilities. Another issue is the 34.84% increase in liabilities (which must be balanced by March 12th) does not include any monies for free agency, contract extensions, or the draft.

Of the current 51 players currently included in the Browns liabilities, 30 of them have 2025 base salaries of the league minimum (depending on tenured years.) That's 58.8% of the current 51 players are at the league minimum base salary. Included within this group of 30 would include Bitonio, Njoku, Garrett, Delpit, JOK, Shelby Harris, DTR, and Hopkins. None of the 30 are eligible for a 2025 base salary restructure because they are already at the league minimum base salary.

Bottomline is no matter how you cut it, the $23.8 million 2025 cap increase (9.32%) does not cover the 34.84% increase currently needed JUST TO BREAK EVEN!

I am absolutely positive that the cap will not increase 35% in 2026 or 2027, but the Browns liabilities will continue to grow at a much quicker pace. Remember, the Browns and Berry led the NFL in 2024 in restructures which will have to be paid (accounting wise) over the next 4-years because the team cannot adjust those costs.

You've been wrong EVERY step of the way over many years, along with a couple of others about this cap topic.

It's time to move on.....

I am just glad the Browns have an owner that spends money and attempts to put a winner on the field. Last year was a miserable year no doubt. Let's hope things can turn around in 2025 and move forward. If the cap goes down or doesn't go up then the Browns will need to worry. not until then. You don't have to go thru life always worried the sky is falling.

I don't disagree about spending money and wanting to win. But Jimmy has made some terrible decisions and, arguably, infusing himself into the football/player side of things has done more harm than good.

Can't wait until JW gets his turn.
#DudeWipes

With all due respect, I have not been wrong. You choose to believe differently. I'm ok with that, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

I don't think you are wrong. It is just the cap can be manipulated and over the years GM's have found ways to manipulate the cap in different ways. The Watson deal has hurt the Browns flexibility no doubt and will continue to do so for probably the next 5 years. If and or when the Browns choose, to tear it down and rebuild they will then take the cap hit you are projecting and cut, trade the veterans on the team and rebuild with youth on their first contract and once the FO feels they have a window they will start to spend in FA again. This FO wants to win now with the veterans they have. They are trying to right the mistakes made last year and move forward. The cap manipulation allows them that flexibility. Now if the cap goes down like in the covid year that flexibility goes away. The bottom line is the NFL's cap is not the hard cap once thought it was. If the Browns can hit on a rookie QB this year or next, then the cap space, they can save having the QB for 5 years on a rookie contract can gain them the space to get out from under Watson's contract that does hurt and takes some of the flexibility Berry would like to have.

Summary of where we now stand with Watson Contract

Supposedly with the latest restructure we're basically there in terms of being out from under Watson's contract.

Minimal salary this year and $46m next.


I truly have no idea how any of this works. I think I understand how the cap works less every time I hear about stuff we do to this contract.

This is how quickly people forgot about 2017.

I can not get this pic of AB saying "hold my beer" out of my head.

Everything right here is exactly why now is the time to trade Myles Garrett, maximize his draft capital, begin the necessary rebuild rather delay the inevitable. Berry and Stefanski needing to save their jobs is counterproductive to what is best for the long term success of the organization.

Yes, please move on. We are on what..year 3 or 4(?) it’s became synonymous with sooner or later I’ll be right, you’ll see.

All that’s going to happen is Berry will save a certain % to roll over next year, another contract or more will fall off after the season , and the same cycle will happen again.

100% spot on!

It’s not about being negative, it’s about accepting that Berry’s salary cap manipulation and our bad decision making at some point will catch up to us.

I'm just curious how much people think 12 million in cap space will buy on the FA market? It's not "cap hell" in the purest definition of the term but it's pretty close to it. It certainly puts huge constraints on filling glaring holes on the roster.

Not really. Signing bonuses and back load the cap hits. Cash can make it work if the right value is there. Honestly, I don't see a FA that is worth paying a big contract for us really.

See what Fields wants. Maybe bring in a Tommy Tremble at TE. Other than that I'm looking at near vet minimum 1 year contract depth. Draft will be where we have a shot to improve. As it generally should be.

Back loading contracts has gotten them to the point they are now. Having one of the lowest available salary cap space positions in the NFL.

Yes, I'm quoting myself.

I just realized that I think I read this tweet wrong. He's talking about actual dollars flowing to Watson, and not cap impact.

And? Being at the cap is where you want your team to be. Just need to get it right at QB this time. Starting QB on a rookie contract is the most valuable commodity in sports from a cost-benefit standpoint. Cash is king, cap is a facade.

Exactly. Being 50 million under the cap and everyone will be saying Haslam is too cheap to spend money. I don't believe they are done yet freeing up cap space for 2025. I do believe they will spend on a few starters. I just do not see them spending huge $$$ on the top free agents. Not this year. They will get 1 or 2 players and sign them to 2-to-4-year deals and then round out the roster with 1 year deal players that have value to a team but are of age no team wants to commit long term They have done that quite a bit since being here.

All things considered; the Watson restructure was the only path Berry could take after the cap hole he created for 2025. The big negative is Watson now has a $135,394,566 dead money cap hit in 2026 if cut pre-June 1st or $81,681,678 in 2026 and $53,712,888 in 2027 if cut post-June 1st, 2026. To put that in perspective, the Total Existing Dead Money for 2025 is $52,131,941. The Browns and Berry needed 38.84% more than the 2024 cap just to be league compliant by March 2025. How much more will Berry need above the 2025 cap to cover all the new and current restructures to make the number by March 2026 if actually considering cutting bait with Watson? 2026's dead money cap w/Watson included is looking to be north of $125 million. But hey, the Browns don't have no damn cap problem.

How does insurance effect that? I think Watson's Achilles "never healing right" is in play, and he just rides out the contract on IR. It sucks, but it's not my money and there's "cap relief." I don't know enough about the sports injury insurance business to know how/if they protect themselves from multi-year/career ending injuries. I'm guessing, as Andrew Brandt says, "There will be lawyers."

All things considered; the Watson restructure was the only path Berry could take after the cap hole he created for 2025. The big negative is Watson now has a $135,394,566 dead money cap hit in 2026 if cut pre-June 1st or $81,681,678 in 2026 and $53,712,888 in 2027 if cut post-June 1st, 2026. To put that in perspective, the Total Existing Dead Money for 2025 is $52,131,941. The Browns and Berry needed 38.84% more than the 2024 cap just to be league compliant by March 2025. How much more will Berry need above the 2025 cap to cover all the new and current restructures to make the number by March 2026 if actually considering cutting bait with Watson? 2026's dead money cap w/Watson included is looking to be north of $125 million. But hey, the Browns don't have no damn cap problem.

Watson's contract will get restructured 1 more time probably next year around this same time. The remaining $$$ on his contract will get spread out to around 2030 and then they will designate him a post June 1st cut in 2026. They did collect some insurance money for the games he missed in 2023, they will get some money for the 9 games he missed in 2024, and if he does not play in 2025, they will receive around 44 million to use against the 2026 cap. The smartest thing they did was pay insurance on his seasons. Watson will be on the Browns books for the next 5 years.

The easiest way to look at this is Haslam is paying a lot of $$$ so Berry can maneuver around the cap. If Andrew Berry or Kevin Stefanski was the reason the Browns acquired Watson Haslam would have fired them long before now. The fact he has not fired them is very telling who made that decision. The problem was when the decision was made the Browns realized the QB they had was not a franchise QB and they tried to get a franchise QB and made a deal that cost Haslam quite a bit of money.

Berry's work with the cap is not the reason the Browns only won 3 games last season. Stefanski's coaching is also not the reason the Browns went 3-14. He had to relinquish the play calling and change the offense to try to better suit Watson. That is the main reason the Oline fell apart. They had lineman that are better wide zone blockers and not straight up man movers. If Stefanski's coaching was the problem Haslam would have fired him.

This season Stefanski is going back to what this Oline does best and that is wide zone blocking. That will be a huge difference. I believe Beery will revamp the run game. That is a QB best friend. They will sign a Vet and draft a rookie and Stefanski will get to hand pick his QB. Something he has not done in his 5 years here.

Are the Browns going to win a Super Bowl next year even if every move pans out. No. But I believe the product on the field will be much improved. Then after this year while Watson's contract will still be hitting the cap the % of hit the cap will take due to that terrible contract it will get less and less until it is gone in 2031. At least the Browns have an owner that spends $$$ and uses the entire cap. He probably needs to get out of his experts way more than he does. And Berry does a great job playing gymnastics with the cap.

Sarcasm?

Most of the salary restructuring that’s going on right now is done by force to avoid being over the salary cap and it’s because of earlier bad decision making.
In layman terms it’s called damage control.

Doing a great job is to prevent a situation like this to happen.
That’s why an organization like KCC let go of Hill, to name one example.

In no way has Berry done a great job.

Half of his decisions has been good to decent but the rest has been bad to disastrous even if I take in to account that he wasn’t totally at fault for the Watson deal.

Since the 2020 season the Browns have regressed on almost every crucial metrics.

The results don’t lie.
Our restricted salary cap speaks for itself.
The Myles Garrett conflict. The Baker Mayfield conflict. A bunch of other disputes with other former Browns players.
The carousel when it comes to hire and fire coaches and O/D-coordinators.
No FQB. Not even a decent backup.
Our poor recruitment history the last five seasons.
Our lack of talents. The age profile on our better players.

Honestly, is the standard in this organization so low that we call the restructuring of the salary cap a measure of doing a great job?

Increasing pay is the purpose of the salary cap.

However, everybody doesn't get a raise at the same time. All players are under a contract. They play out that contract unless the team decides to extend a select few players.

Teams like the Browns spend up near the cap. The increase allows more space to extend the players they want to keep and gives room to sign a free agent or two.

Salaries keep going up as the cap goes us. It is sort of like a profit-sharing program. As teams get more and more from outside sources, like TV money etc., the players share in that take.

It also needs to be noted that the owners have to spend a percentage of that money with players. We all read about salary cap but teams are required to spend a certain amount of money as a floor. I don't know the exact numbers, but say they have to spend 70% of the cap over a 3 year average.

It's not like owners can stuff the money in their pocket.

I hate to disappoint you, but you are incorrect on your Watson prorate salary being spread out until 2030. If, as you say, the Browns restructure Watson again in 2026 and then designate him as 1 of the 2 players they can designate for a post-June 1st cut prior to June 1st, his dead money cap has to hit the books in 2026 and 2027 only. They do not have the option to spread it out longer according to the NFL & NFLPA rules.

In your scenario, restructuring Watson in 2026 serves no purpose if they are going to designate him as a post-June 1 at the start of the league year. The dead money cap charge would be the same which is a dead money cap charge for 2026 of $81,681,678 and $53,712,888 in 2027.

If the Browns decide to restructure Watson in 2026 and let him finish out his contract here, then when his contract expires at the start of the 2027 season, the Browns will be charged a dead money cap charge of about $90,817,888 in March at the start of the new league year in 2027.

Here's how I see it. Let's say you went in for surgery to remove a cyst from your hand. The surgeon instead removed your entire hand. A year later you get a cyst on your other hand. Are you going back to that same surgeon?

Well...that non-FQB they didn't keep has thrown more TD passes than anyone else in the NFL over the last two years. The problem really WAS when the ^ decision was made.

Not only did that deal 'cost Haslam quite a bit of money'...it led to a 3-14 season with an old, shallow roster with a cap issue and no viable QB option.

Other than that...all is well.

We call making the playoffs half the time while having to constantly deal with this owner (that has dictated the worst QB decision(s) ever and made awful calls on GMs and Coaches before the current ones), these fans/media, public/outside player perception that formed years ago, and the worst injury luck in the league over their tenure to be doing a decent job and are willing to give them a chance to draft their own QB.

We've seen awful people in the jobs. This isn't that.

I'm willing to give a good human more slack. Is the patience running out and do they need a "good" (hope apparent) season/draft? Absolutely.

I agree finagling the salary cap doesn't automatically equal greatness. At the same time, he was referring only to the cap which has had a giant black hole to work around. If you believe the black hole was an owner decision, dealing with it was a Herculean task.

Baker is not a franchise QB. Never was one and never will be one. He is in a good situation for him. The weak NFC South. He seems to have improved his attitude and grew up after leaving here. I think life humbled him some. He was a cancer with the Browns and there is no denying that fact.

There is 100% the ability to deny that claim...a claim that is far from a fact.

You don't lead the NFL in TD passes over a two year span without being a damn good QB. More than Mahomes, Burrow...even the great Josh Allen. You lead your team to division titles and playoff wins and you are a FQB...a QB that is the face of the franchise and a guy you wouldn't get rid of..or let go.

Everywhere he goes, the players love him...they love them some cancer I suppose. The Bucs FO love him...they must love a brash, immature QB who throws the ball like a REAL NFL QB and wins games.

Thank you, Mrs. Mayfield!!! he single handedly destroyed the team that won a playoff game in 2020 with his own actions. Look at his paycheck and you can see what the NFL thinks of him. When he gets paid like a franchise QB then I will change my mind. The fact is he found a niche to be a good but not great QB that wins in a weak division.

Not before the FA signing period. Being at the cap limit is where you want to be going into the season. And if you've built your team right you will have players in back up roles to fill in for players whose contracts are expiring going into next season which will free up cap space then when going into the FA signing period.

Being close to the cap going into the FA signing period is counterproductive to filling gaps. With teams like the Browns you can't fill them all in the draft.

Starting a QB on a rookie contract is a wonderful way to relieve and free up your salary cap. But in the end it's a disaster if you don't draft the right rookie QB.

By playing injured the following season? In case you missed it, he was the QB that led the browns to the playoffs in 2020.


The hate is real.

You sound like a jilted ex-girlfriend. Are you the infamous girl in the Cheesecake Factory parking lot?

No, I am the fan is still bitter from the 2018 decision to draft Mayfield. Tried hard to get behind him and almost was convinced in 2020. The came 2021. I saw a QB that pouted and alienated a teammate OBJ and divided a locker room. Then pouted again when the Browns showed interest in a different QB. Johnny Manziel 2 sent a goodbye letter before he was ever released and before Watson was ever signed. Browns should have taken Darnold, Allen, or Jackson. That was the decision that set the franchise back. If a better decision at #1 was made Watson would have never happened.

So you've been a really mad fan for a very long time now, huh? I at least enjoyed the playoff years.

No, you're just angry at all the posters and starting arguments with everyone on the board. I just hated the 2018 draft pick and what that bad decision has in turn caused. I was hopeful that Watson who was until his legal trouble a much better QB than Mayfield would right that wrong, but it did not.

You are free to hate/dislike Baker...free to think he was responsible for locker room drama...free to be upset that he planted a flag on the O.

But it's not free to attempt to re-write history on why he was drafted...where he was drafted...and the circumstances on his first team...not to mention his continued success post-Cleveland.

"Browns should have taken Darnold, Allen, or Jackson."

None of those (3) guys broke Manning's rookie season TD pass record...and with fewer starts no less. None of those guys were drafted to a 1-31 team...HC'd by Hue Jackson no less. Two of those guys were drafted by playoff teams and STILL have the same HC since drafted. The other guy absolutely sucked until just this past year.

None of those guys have thrown as many TD passes as Baker over the last two years.

Baker has thrown more TD passes than any of those guys in his very first year...and most recently the past two years. What a turd.

None of those (4) guys have been to the Super Bowl.

I laugh when I think of Josh Allen and LJ being coached-up by Hue...and fans thinking they'd be the same QBs they are today if they were drafted by our dumpster fire.

Clueless Hue was gone 1 year later - not in place long enough to screw up Allen or Jackson.

You also neglect to mention ALL the rushing TDs Allen and Jackson have when comparing Mayfield to either and that Baker has led the league in interceptions the last 2 years.

Your hate is real. So you like the watson decision better than the Baker decision? So you think this FO made a better decision with watson? That turned it all around for you and put you in a better mood?

And yet, you think Baker would be the same QB he is today if he had stayed in Cleveland.

Yes, the rushing TDs keep being left out. Either of those two with Chubb would've been fun to watch.

Also, Baker led the league in fumbles this past year too. One added note to that: he did only lose one of those fumbles.

You are correct that Hue only lasted one (actually a partial) season...and then was replaced by Gregggg Williams for a few minutes...and then...wait for it...Freddie Kitchens...then a rookie HC with a now-5-yr losing record. I'm not going to count the number of OCs in that timeframe...one either recognizes that or they don't.

That's plenty of time to screw up a rookie QB.

Two guys from that draft went to garbage teams and shortly thereafter were gone...two guys went to playoff teams and are still there under the same coach...with talent and schemes that fit what they need. Crazy concept.