The Browns added to their preposterous war chest of salary cap space by releasing quarterback Josh McCown and cornerback Tramon Williams, the team announced Tuesday. McCown and Williams each spent two years in Cleveland, and their releases will save the Browns more than $11 million in cap space.
Cleveland climbs back over the $100 million mark in available 2017 funds by making these moves.
McCown was scheduled to make $3.62 million in 2017, the final season of his three-year contract, and count $5.04 million toward the Browns’ cap. The Browns will create $4.37 million in cap room by releasing the soon-to-be 38-year-old quarterback.
Williams was going to count for $7.42 million of Cleveland’s 2017 payroll. They represented the Browns’ fifth- (Williams) and sixth-highest-paid players. But neither factored into this rebuilding franchise’s equation any longer.
McCown functioned as Cleveland’s best quarterback over the past two seasons, holding down the job the team wanted Johnny Manziel to have in 2015 and coming back for some additional starts in ’16 after the Browns signed Robert Griffin III and drafted Cody Kessler. Both Griffin and Kessler remain on the team, but a Griffin release may not be too far behind this move. Despite Hue Jackson’s praise of the former Heisman Trophy winner, an RG3 cut would save the team nearly $7 million.
Not that the Browns need more cap space; excluding the 49ers, they have at least $40 million more than every NFL team. But neither McCown nor Griffin profile as players who will be around long-term. McCown signed for three years and $14 million in 2015 and made 11 starts in two years. The journeyman completed nearly 64 percent of his passes in 2015 but regressed last season and couldn’t surpass a 55 percent completion rate prior to going down with an early-season injury, creating a Kessler audition window. Cleveland is projected to draft a quarterback early in 2017.
A former Packers starter, the soon-to-be 34-year-old Williams was benched last season, starting only seven games. He was a full-time starting cornerback for five seasons in Green Bay and one in Cleveland.
Flyer on either?
Cleveland climbs back over the $100 million mark in available 2017 funds by making these moves.
McCown was scheduled to make $3.62 million in 2017, the final season of his three-year contract, and count $5.04 million toward the Browns’ cap. The Browns will create $4.37 million in cap room by releasing the soon-to-be 38-year-old quarterback.
Williams was going to count for $7.42 million of Cleveland’s 2017 payroll. They represented the Browns’ fifth- (Williams) and sixth-highest-paid players. But neither factored into this rebuilding franchise’s equation any longer.
McCown functioned as Cleveland’s best quarterback over the past two seasons, holding down the job the team wanted Johnny Manziel to have in 2015 and coming back for some additional starts in ’16 after the Browns signed Robert Griffin III and drafted Cody Kessler. Both Griffin and Kessler remain on the team, but a Griffin release may not be too far behind this move. Despite Hue Jackson’s praise of the former Heisman Trophy winner, an RG3 cut would save the team nearly $7 million.
Not that the Browns need more cap space; excluding the 49ers, they have at least $40 million more than every NFL team. But neither McCown nor Griffin profile as players who will be around long-term. McCown signed for three years and $14 million in 2015 and made 11 starts in two years. The journeyman completed nearly 64 percent of his passes in 2015 but regressed last season and couldn’t surpass a 55 percent completion rate prior to going down with an early-season injury, creating a Kessler audition window. Cleveland is projected to draft a quarterback early in 2017.
A former Packers starter, the soon-to-be 34-year-old Williams was benched last season, starting only seven games. He was a full-time starting cornerback for five seasons in Green Bay and one in Cleveland.
Flyer on either?
