CLEVELAND — Thanks to several big contracts, the Browns have had to get creative in order to get under the NFL's $224.8 million salary cap, having to rework some deals in order to give themselves some flexibility.
That strategy has continued over the past couple of days, with the latest moves involving two of their best players.
According to multiple media reports, the Browns have restructured the contracts of offensive guard Joel Bitonio and defensive end Myles Garrett. OverTheCap.com first broke the Bitonio news, which will see Cleveland convert most of the All-Pro's 2023, 2024, and 2025 salaries into signing bonuses.
Then on Monday, ESPN's Field Yates shared that Garrett had agreed to a similar restructuring of his contract, which currently runs through 2026. When combining both changes together, Yates says the Browns now have $34 million in cap space, the most of any team in the NFL.
Cleveland's retention of its spending power is quite remarkable, especially when factoring in quarterback Deshaun Watson's massive $230 million guaranteed contract signed just last year. It was Watson himself who actually began this restructuring trend, converting his own 2023 salary to a signing bonus in order to get the team under the limit. This helped open the door for moves like trading for wide receiver Elijah Moore and signing Pro Bowl defensive end Za'Darius Smith.
What the Browns could do with this newfound cap room remains anyone's guess. The regular-season opener — a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals — is just under three weeks away.
