Getty General manager Andrew Berry of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns have the most cap space in the NFL after restructuring the contract of superstar defensive end Myles Garrett, according to ESPN’s Field Yates, revving up speculation that a blockbuster move could be on the way.
Garrett’s restructuring opened up $12.868 million, Yates posted on X (formerly Twitter) on August 21, giving the Browns a whopping $35.5 million in salary cap space — by far the most in the league. The move with Garrett came just days after the team made a similar move with Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio, which opened $7.868 million.
Creating additional cap space revved up speculation that a big move could be on the way, with much of the chatter online centering on Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald.
A notable name to chime in was Quincy Avery, Deshaun Watson’s private quarterback coach.
“Aaron Donald?” he posted on X, responding to another post about Garrett’s contract move. He later commented on his own post, “I’m just talking s*** frfr I don’t know anything.”
He wasn’t the only one with the thought, with others sharing the same line of thinking.
“Just thinking out loud here…but if the Rams are completely out of it & in rebuild mode by Week 6 or 7, the Browns now have plenty of cap space to take on Aaron Donald’s contract,” a Cleveland-area YouTube personality posted.
Browns Clearing Cap Space to Roll Over to Next Season
While the speculation is fun, the Browns are building cap space to roll over to next year, when many of their big contract extensions are set to kick in. Cleveland is currently set to be deep into the red and needs to make some proactive moves.
That being said, the Browns have given themselves some good flexibility in case of a key injury or if they’re not getting the most out of a certain position group. Defensive tackle will be in focus, although the team recently signed veteran Shelby Harris to play a big role in the rotation alongside Dalvin Tomlinson.
“I felt like out of all the teams I was talking to, they’re the most primed to win,” Harris said on August 14. “And, you know, how can I turn down the chance to play with those guys up front and playing it in Coach (Jim) Schwartz’s defense. I can’t pass that up. It’s truly a D lineman’s dream to play in.”
Jordan Elliott, Tommy Togiai, rookie Siaki Ika, Trysten Hill and Maurice Hurst are also competing for playing time.
Browns Have Already Made Some Big Splashes to Bolster Roster
The Browns have not been gunshy on making big moves this offseason. The team pulled off trades for wide receiver Elijah Moore and Pro Bowl pass-rusher Za’Darius Smith, also bringing in key free agents like Juan Thornhill, Tomlinson and Ogbo Okoronkwo.
Cleveland is all in on next season and the pressure is on to get back to the postseason, which they last did in 2020 — the first year under Kevin Stefanski.
“There’s pressure every year,” Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said in April when asked about the pressure to make the playoffs again this season. “You all know how hard it is to win in the NFL. We certainly do. … I think everybody has a sense of urgency that we need to play well this year.”
The odds point to the Browns finishing third in the division, behind the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens. But the AFC North is expected to be one of the tighter division races and the Browns can gain some traction early on with three of their first four matchups against divisional foes.
They will need a kicker by week 3.