Browns salary cap space going into summer break

The Cleveland Browns, along with the rest of the NFL, is now on summer break. NFL free agency is basically over outside of a few players including WR DeAndre Hopkins, RB Dalvin Cook and RB Kareem Hunt. For the Browns, Hopkins seems unlikely, Cook is just an afterthought and Hunt finally has a rumored team interested.

Cleveland’s GM Andrew Berry has been very active this offseason when many wondered how he would have cap space. Berry restructured QB Deshaun Watson’s contract to create space and has a number of other players he could do the same if needed.

Berry added significant salaries at a variety of spots this offseason including DT Dalvin Tomlinson, safety Juan Thornhill and DEs Za’Darius Smith and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.

Despite that, the Browns enter this summer break with a good amount of cap space for 2023:

It is interesting that while Yates shows Cleveland with just under $16 million, there are a wide varieties of numbers out there:

• NFLPA’s public information has the Browns with over $18 million
• Over The Cap shows just under $17 million
• Spotrac says the Browns over $17 million

As stated above, if Berry wanted to get extra aggressive he could restructure Myles Garrett to gain $12 million, Amari Cooper for $14 million and Joel Bitonio would add $7 million for this season.

Those moves are unlikely at this point but are likely necessary in the coming years. As of now, OTC has Cleveland about $60 million over the salary cap next season while Spotrac’s numbers are much higher at over $83 million. Rolling over cap space from this year and restructuring contracts will help those numbers quickly as will the ever-rising salary cap in the league.

For now, the Browns still have room to make moves this season if something comes up but would benefit from rolling over cap into next season unless an injury requires a move or a steal of a deal becomes available.