A look at Cleveland’s trades, cuts, and signings using the Browns free-agency tracker
When the Cleveland Browns traded for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy on Saturday from the Denver Broncos, they made a prudent, buy-low move to begin the new league season.
Jeudy ends up being a one-year rental for the time being due to necessity. With Jeudy, the Browns acquire both speed and experience at wide receiver at the expense of a fifth- and sixth-round choice. Jeudy’s contract is set to expire in 2024 at his guaranteed $12.9 million fifth-year option amount.
The Browns have historically spent a lot of money in March, and general manager Andrew Berry’s front office is known for its aggressiveness. Cleveland hopes to make the most of its current roster after finishing 2023 with 11 wins.
Though it has a lesser ceiling, the Jeudy transaction is somewhat similar to the one the Browns made to get wide receiver Amari Cooper two years ago. Both Cooper and Jeudy attended Alabama for their college careers, having grown up in South Florida.
We’ll soon start to feel more comfortable with Berry’s intentions and the Browns’ financial situation. More than Prior to the Jeudy deal, the Browns’ available cap space was listed by The Cap at slightly over $17 million. On Wednesday, the formal start of the league season, teams must be salary-cap compliant and trades and signings can be officially handled.
Berry has stated that the team does not have to use its option to rework quarterback Deshaun Watson’s contract in order to free up salary cap space by essentially cutting his current cap amount of $63.9 million for 2024. However, by doing so, Cleveland would gain more leeway in pursuing top-tier options while also keeping some of its own free agents. The Jeudy trade practically forces the Browns to open up additional cap space in the near future.
Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward and left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr.’s contracts were reworked by the Browns in early March, freeing up approximately $11 million in 2024 cap space for each player. The outcome of the restructuring remained the same even though Wills’ contract for the upcoming season is his rookie deal’s fully guaranteed fifth-year option. Wills’ contract expires in 2024, and the Browns added void years to extend the cap impacts to subsequent seasons.
Here, we’ll be monitoring every move made in the upcoming days and weeks as the official free-agent bargaining session gets underway on Monday.
