CLEVELAND -- As yet another era of Cleveland Browns football gets set to begin, turnover in Berea is all but inevitable. And one of the potential casualties of yet another regime change in Cleveland could be a player many some still have high hopes for.
According to Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland, the Browns could part ways with wide receiver Corey Coleman later this offseason. Grossi made the declaration on the Monday episode of The Really Big Show on WKNR 850, where he said that some in the Cleveland organization have soured on the former first-round receiver.
It was less than two years ago the Browns first acquired Coleman with the No. 15 pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, which they acquired following a pair of trade downs after initially owning the No. 2 pick. In his two seasons in Cleveland, the Baylor product has struggled to stay healthy, having already missed 13 games over the course of the last two years.
When on the field, Coleman has shown some promise but has largely been viewed as a disappointment -- particularly in relation to where he was picked. He's caught a combined 56 passes for 718 yards and 5 touchdowns in the last two years, topping the 100-yard mark in just a single game.
Off the field, Coleman has also underwhelmed -- which might be one of the biggest reasons why the Browns could be quick to cut ties. Although never charged, Coleman was investigated for a New Year's Eve 2016 incident, in which his brother and an associate were each indicted for felonious assault. Earlier this year, Coleman was named as a defendant in a lawsuit regarding the same event.
Last season, Coleman and veteran Kenny Britt were each sent home from the Browns' road trip to Houston for missing curfew. Coleman was still recovering from a broken hand at the time.
After Coleman dropped a fourth-quarter pass in Pittsburgh to clinch an 0-16 season for Cleveland, head coach Hue Jackson discussed the importance of the upcoming offseason for the 2016 first-round pick.
"Does he need to get better? Yes. Does he need to continue to work in our program and get better? Yes, he does. I think he will," Jackson said.
Should the Browns indeed opt to part ways with Coleman, there would be financial ramifications. According to Spotrac.com, a release pre-June 1 would result in $6,887,044 of dead cap space, while a trade by the same date would cause a $3,338,181 hit.
After June 1, releasing Coleman would cost $5,217,953 in cap space in 2018 and $1,669,091 in 2019. A post-June 1 trade, however, would save the Browns $1,509,545 cap space.
For a team short on talent, it would behoove the Browns to do everything they can to make 2018 Coleman's breakout season. But as Cleveland general manager John Dorsey showed with Britt, who he cut on his first day on the job, he's not going to let finances dictate how he handles his roster.
