Stay updated on the moves
“March Madness” is typically reserved to describe the NCAA basketball tournaments and the craziness that surrounds the event. The NFL, though, has its own version of March madness: free agency.
The league year gets underway Wednesday at 4 p.m. However, starting Monday at noon, the team representatives and agents can start talking — and essentially wrapping up — deal for literally dozens of players.
The Browns, coming off a second consecutive losing season, are expected to be among the teams active when free agency gets underway. Some of their moves may involve trades, but regardless, they’re going to be looking for established NFL players to add to their roster.
Here’s a one-stop shop to keep track of all of the moves which the Browns are making throughout one of the busiest weeks on the NFL calendar:
Deshaun Watson, as expected, has deal restructured
The first move the Browns needed to make before doing anything was to restructure quarterback Deshaun Watson’s deal. That’s exactly what they did Monday morning.
A league source confirmed to the Beacon Journal Monday morning that the team had restructured Watson’s base salary of $46 million to free up nearly $36 million in cap space, just hours before the NFL’s legal tampering period begins. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport was the first to report.
Deshaun Watson’s deal reworked:Browns restructure Deshaun Watson’s deal to create nearly $36 million in cap space
According to Spotrac, the Browns converted $44.835 million of Watson’s salary into a signing bonus, while adding a void year in 2027. The move cleared $35.868 million cap space, down from a league-high $54.993 million.
Watson’s base salary in 2023 will be $1.165 million. The new cap number for Watson this season is $19.125 million. The next three seasons, 2024-26, the number will be $63.96 million, while there will be a $8.967 million void year in 2027.