The Cleveland Browns’ decision to restructure the contract of Deshaun Watson was a move that Cleveland Browns fans saw coming. His NFL-leading $80.7 million cap hit had to be addressed, and the salary conversion announced Friday freed up around $36 million in space ahead of the start of free agency.
The Browns had an obvious opportunity to push that savings number closer to $50 million. Cornerback Denzel Ward held the team’s second-highest 2026 cap charge at $32.9 million. Cleveland could’ve carved out another $14 million by restructuring the contract in a similar fashion to Watson’s.