Browns expected to clear another $15 million in cap space soon
· Yahoo Sports
After restructuring the contract of quarterback Deshaun Watson today, clearing $36 million in cap space, the Cleveland Browns are expected to make another cap-clearing move in the coming days.
ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi is reporting that the Browns are now expected to also restructure the contract of cornerback Denzel Ward soon. This move would clear over $15 million extra dollars in salary cap space for the Browns to play around with. Here is what Oyefusi had to say on the restructuring of Ward's deal and the Browns' mindset heading into free agency:
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"A restructure to Denzel Ward's contract is also expected to come soon, per source. The Browns have frequently restructured contracts, converting salaries to bonuses and spreading out the charges to free immediate cap space. GM Andrew Berry said the Browns will have "ample" cap space this offseason."
Where this move would put the Browns in cap space
It's hard to tell exactly how much cap space the Browns currently have. They sit at $18.5 million in cap space after restructuring the contract of Watson. However, this does not take into account the contract extension of right tackle Tytus Howard after he was acquired from the Houston Texans.
Right now, Howard's base salary is set at $17 million. This will not be the case on the extension, as the Browns tend to set the base salary at the veteran minimum and spread the guaranteed bonuses over the length of the contract, including potential void years at the end of the deal. Howard's 2026 base salary will likely be 1.3 million, but it's hard to estimate how much of the first-year bonuses will be prorated this year.
Estimating that $4 million of the guaranteed money will be prorated in 2026, expect Howard's cap charge to be around $6 million this year, rather than $17 million, where it is currently slotted. This would put the Browns right around $29 million in cap space before we even talk about the extra $15 million from Ward's restructure.
After the Browns execute Howard's extension at the beginning of the new league year on Wednesday, and after the restructure of Ward's deal, the Browns will sit at right around $45 million in cap space. And this is even before the decision of guard Joel Bitonio, which will clear even more space, no matter what decision the veteran makes.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns expected to restructure Denzel Ward's contract; add $15 million