Browns move to save considerable money against the salary cap

The Cleveland Browns made a significant move Wednesday to improve their salary cap situation.

The Browns adjusted Denzel Ward’s deal to free up $11.359 million in salary cap space, according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.

Ward signed a five-year, $100.5 million contract in 2022. He earned approximately $21 million in 2022 and $22 million in 2023.

He turned just over $14 million in base pay into a signing bonus to help the Browns and offer them more options in free agency.

The Browns are now in a favorable cap scenario, particularly if they can persuade Nick Chubb to restructure his contract in order to stay with the organization. The Deshaun Watson deal remains the biggest issue for them.

Watson is under a five-year, $230 million contract that is completely guaranteed. He has a base salary of $46 million for the next three seasons, but he also has a cap hit of approximately $64 million in each of the 2024-2026 seasons.

Last year, the Browns were able to get Watson to restructure his contract. This offseason, the two parties may be able to accomplish something similar.