:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53632721/114267303.0.jpg)
Before Free Agency officially started on Thursday, we estimated that the Cleveland Browns had $99.74 million in available cap space. After Day 1, though, they spent a lot of money to complete the following transactions:
- Extend LG Joel Bitonio through 2022
- Sign free agent RG Kevin Zeitler, C J.C. Tretter, and WR Kenny Britt
- Absorb the cap hit in the trade for QB Brock Osweiler
- Smaller moves to retain CB Marcus Burley, DT Jamie Meder, and RB George Atkinson
In the table below, we list the Top 51 cap hits, since only the highest 51 cap hits are included in the available cap space calculation at this time of the year. The full calculations of how much cap space we have left are all the way at the bottom, below the table.
NOTE: We have updated the data to reflect the official release of RG III.
Browns’ Top 51 Cap Hits
| Player | 2017 Cap Hit |
|---|---|
| Player | 2017 Cap Hit |
| Brock Osweiler | $16,000,000 |
| Joe Haden | $14,400,000 |
| Joel Bitonio | $12,237,813 |
| Jamie Collins | $12,100,000 |
| Kevin Zeitler | $12,000,000 |
| Joe Thomas | $11,500,000 |
| Kenny Britt | $8,000,000 |
| Demario Davis | $4,800,000 |
| Desmond Bryant | $4,000,000 |
| Gary Barnidge | $3,812,500 |
| J.C. Tretter | $3,609,375 |
| Jamar Taylor | $3,275,000 |
| Danny Shelton | $3,191,910 |
| Britton Colquitt | $3,150,000 |
| John Greco | $3,075,000 |
| Isaiah Crowell | $2,746,000 |
| Corey Coleman | $2,648,860 |
| Cameron Erving | $2,571,564 |
| Alvin Bailey | $2,333,333 |
| Christian Kirksey | $1,962,625 |
| Marcus Burley | $1,797,000 |
| Marcus Martin | $1,797,000 |
| Emmanuel Ogbah | $1,502,191 |
| Charley Hughlett | $1,465,000 |
| Tank Carder | $1,400,000 |
| Nate Orchard | $1,218,083 |
| Carl Nassib | $840,548 |
| Duke Johnson | $830,023 |
| Shon Coleman | $784,884 |
| Xavier Cooper | $775,071 |
| Cody Kessler | $770,246 |
| Ibraheim Campbell | $743,002 |
| Joe Schobert | $698,489 |
| Cody Parkey | $690,000 |
| Ricardo Louis | $681,962 |
| Derrick Kindred | $664,839 |
| Seth Devalve | $635,848 |
| Mario Alford | $615,000 |
| Gabe Wright | $615,000 |
| Gabe Ikard | $615,000 |
| Ed Reynolds | $615,000 |
| Cam Johnson | $615,000 |
| Jamie Meder | $615,000 |
| George Atkinson III | $615,000 |
| Jordan Payton | $601,000 |
| Spencer Drango | $591,913 |
| Rashard Higgins | $586,096 |
| Randall Telfer | $569,384 |
| Dominique Alexander | $545,833 |
| Tracy Howard | $541,666 |
| Austin Reiter | $540,000 |
| Top 51 Total | $152,989,058 |
CONFIRMED BY NFLPA
NFL 2017 Salary Cap (Projected): $167.0 million
Browns' Rollover from 2016: $50.123 million
Browns' 2017 Adjusted Salary Cap: $167.0 million + $50.123 million = $217.123 million
ESTIMATED BY OVER THE CAP (WITH DBN ADJUSTMENTS)
Browns' Top 51 Cap Total: $152.989 million*
Browns' Dead Money for 2017: $6.432 million + $1.75 million (RGIII dead money)
Browns' Total Cap Spent for 2017: $152.989 million + $8.182 million = $161.171 million
When you subtract the two subtotals above ($217.123 million - 161.171 million), we conclude that the Browns have about "$55.952 million in cap space.” That gives the Browns plenty of room to still make a few more high-impact signings if they choose to, such as WR Terrelle Pryor.
* As of this post, we do not know the exact 2017 cap hits for Zeitler or Britt. Therefore, I decided to use their per-year average as the estimated cap hit for 2017. When more details become available, we will update our numbers.