The Cleveland Browns have been adding players and restructuring contracts like crazy over the past few years, but the team is finally in store for some significant roster turnover this offseason.
Some of that is probably going to come at quarterback, as starter Deshaun Watson re-tore his Achilles tendon and could potentially miss the entirety of his fourth season with the team in 2025. The Browns own the No. 2 pick in the upcoming NFL draft and could make a swap via that asset or trade down for a haul and go another route, depending on how they feel about the top prospects in a weak QB class.
Cleveland’s decision(s) under center may well decide the immediate future of star edge rusher Myles Garrett, who remains under contract for two more seasons but wants a blueprint to winning immediately or an express ticket out of town via a trade.
But while the team’s quarterback position and its pass rush remain questions, the status of the offensive line is clear.
“The Browns have enjoyed the benefits of one of the best guard duos in the league for several years in Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end eventually,” Bleacher Report’s NFL Scourting Department wrote. “Bitonio is the more likely of the two to be moved. Ideally, there would be a trade market for him, but he will turn 34 during the next season. The Browns could only cut him with a post-June 1 designation, though. That would clear $8.4 million in space, while there is no space to be made with a pre-June 1 cut.”
Joel Bitonio Has Proven Worth the Money to Browns
GettyOffensive guard Joel Bitonio of the Cleveland Browns.
Considering how much money Cleveland has committed to horrible contracts for players who have barely played and have been bad when on the field (i.e. Watson), less than $8.5 million in savings doesn’t necessarily seem worth it when it comes to parting ways with a five-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler in Bitonio.
But the Browns find themselves in salary cap hell for a number of reasons beyond Watson’s $230 million fully-guaranteed contract. The franchise has made several moves in recent weeks — including pushing even more of Watson’s cap hit down the road — to bring its projected 2025 salary cap total down to -26.9 million, which is currently the second-worst number in the NFL.
The Browns are also carrying nearly $40 million in dead salary cap hits as of Wednesday, which also ranks 31st out of 32 teams in the league.
Cleveland has to trim some of the fat and saying goodbye to Bitonio, an 11-year veteran who has spent the entirety of his career with the organization, is one way to do it. If he remains with the team, Bitonio will enter the final season of his three-year, $48 million contract in 2025.
Browns Likely to Move on From Several Offensive Linemen During Offseason
GettyCleveland Browns offensive tackle Jack Conklin.
If the Browns bail on Bitonio, they can probably afford to keep Teller. However, it’s likely that both of the team’s starting tackles play elsewhere come spring.
Right tackle Jack Conklin is a two-time All-Pro but has been unable to stay healthy for several seasons. Meanwhile left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., a former top-10 pick, has been bad for a while and landed on the bench mid-season. The fifth-year option on his contract is up, as is the team’s patience with him apparently, so it is highly unlikely he will return in 2025.
Considering all of the pieces the Browns need to replace on the offensive line, it is reasonable to expect they will at least consider trading down out of the No. 2 spot in a QB-thirsty draft where the supply of signal-callers doesn’t meet the widespread demand in exchange for a massive haul.
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