Dawgs By Nature
Cleveland has 13 players on their dead cap list, with Amari Cooper checking in at No. 1.
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry has become a master at utilizing the various mechanisms available to keep the Browns compliant with the NFL’s salary cap rules.
While that is part of a general manager’s job, it has become even more important ever since the Browns signed quarterback Deshaun Watson to a five-year contract in 2022 that fully guarantees $230 million.
Related: Browns have led the league in spending since 2021
The team would have gladly paid that bill if Watson had been the same player he was with the Houston Texans. However, injuries and a league suspension have left Watson a shadow of his former self, which has led the Browns to close the door on the Watson era, even with two years remaining on his contract.
The NFL is examining some of the loopholes that teams utilize as they prepare for the next round of negotiations with the players’ union, as the current Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to expire after the 2030 season.
While that is still in the future, the Browns picked up a little more than $10 million in salary cap space today as the post-June 1 designated release of safety Juan Thornhill and defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson became official.
Thornhill and Tomlinson will still impact the team’s salary cap this year, even though they are no longer on the team, in the form of dead cap money. According to spotrac, “any guaranteed base salary that has yet to be paid out is considered dead cap on the contract. Should the player be released, all guaranteed salary will accelerate and be treated as dead cap in the current season. If traded, any unpaid guaranteed salary will transfer to the new team.”
All told, the Browns will carry more than $60 million in dead cap money, covering 13 players, for the 2025 season. The list includes linebacker Nathaniel Wilson’s $122,043, defensive tackle Siaki Ika’s $428,756, and offensive tackle Jedrick Wills’ $11.8 million.
Topping the list, according to spotrac, is wide receiver Amari Cooper at $22.58 million. While that is a lot of money for a player who last caught a pass from a Cleveland quarterback on October 13, 2024, there are other teams dealing with similar hits:
The full list of Cleveland’s dead cap players is available here.
