DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Watson's contract

So given how bad DW played - given his interview - clearly there is no good reason to keep him on the team. That's not debatable at any level in my eyes.

Knowing that some Brown's fans are big fans of Berry - and knowing that I am not a cap specialist, all I can do it look online and ask AI ... can someone help me understand this (much of it posted in the postgame thread):

Here's the cap hit numbers (dead money) based on ChatGPT:

2026 release: $127.2m
2027 release, pre-June 1: $86.2m
2027 release, post-June 1: $34.7m in 2027 + $51.5m in 2028


Had the Browns never restructured Watson's original 2022 contract:
2026 release: ~$55.0m
2027 pre-June 1: $0
2027 post-June 1: $0

I have always said I give an equal portion of the blame for signing DW between the GM, HC and Owner. We can agree or disagree on that.

If the above numbers are accurate - how is the blame for this colossal disaster of a reworked contract not entirely and inequivalently on Berry's shoulders?

I suspect that we might redo his contracrt once more, so we can both be free of one another.

As far as the future dead money, it had to be done. The team had to be able to sign players, or even keep players we already had.

So ... if we had to do it, forced to in order to sign players (Garret, Ward etc?) and we've been led to this impossible/ridiculous position with dead money numbers as above ... then every poster that ever wrote or implied that the salary cap doesn't matter is ... very badly misguided. (I am being polite).

What would happen if Berry traded Watson? Would someone else pick up the contract and would that dead money be wiped off the Browns books?

I believe that the Browns re-structured the contract HOPING that Watson would commit another sexual related offense and he could be cut for conduct detrimental to the team. I have no knowledge of this but if a contract is re-structured language can be added or removed. It seems plausible and Pro sports in general, especially the NFL, are very cut throat in how contracts are structured. Maybe this was their plan and way out of that horrible deal. Once again, I have zero knowledge of this. We may find out ten years from now that this was the plan or NOT.

Is there a way for us to agree to a new contract with him that pays him a massive amount this season (like, more than he makes) but then makes him free (and us free) immediately?