The Cleveland Browns knew they were getting an immensely talented quarterback when they signed Deshaun Watson, but they also knew they were bringing in an enormous contract. After recent news came about in the restructuring of Watson’s contract, many are left to wonder what this will mean for the Browns moving forward. In this article, we will dive deep into the contract restructure details, why it happened, and what this might mean for the future.
Understanding Deshaun Watson’s Original Contract
Deshaun Watson’s initial deal with the Cleveland Browns was historic. A five-year deal he signed in 2022, worth an astonishingly fully guaranteed $230 million. It not only made Watson one of the highest-paid players in the NFL but also set a new bar for quarterback contracts around the league. But such a high-priced deal came with a hefty cap hit, leaving the Browns little room to improve other aspects of their roster.
Why Did the Browns Restructure Watson’s Contract?
Several compelling reasons were present for this action to take place.
1. Cap Space Concerns
The NFL has a hard salary cap, meaning an NFL team is only allowed to spend a certain dollar amount on salaries in any given year. Immediately, the first contract of Watson’s contained a massive CCH for every single season to have, really making it difficult for the Browns to do anything to improve. With his high salary taking up most of the cap space, that leaves little room to operate in free agency or extend other key players.
2. Building a Competitive Team
The team also needs the financial capability to sign other players to make them competitive, which includes retaining the current talent on the payroll. In its move to restructure Watson’s contract, the Browns freed up cap space to bring in more talent and build a complete roster. You want to pay a star quarterback and field a team capable of competing for a playoff position.
What Does the Restructure Entail?
Less technically, restructuring a contract means an alteration in pay due without impacting the total the player will receive. In Watson’s case, that would likely involve converting part of his base salary into a signing bonus. Such a move spreads the cap hit throughout the remaining years of the contract to take some of the sting off from the team’s perspective in the near term.
Key Changes in Watson’s Restructured Deal
- Lower Immediate Cap Hit: In return for converting some of his salary to a signing bonus, the Browns lowered Watson’s cap hit for this year, opening up more cap space for the team to use now.
- More Flexibility with Future Signings: The extra cap space will allow the Browns to be more active in free agency to perhaps bring in some impact players or extend key contributors currently on the roster.
Implications for Deshaun Watson
Even though Watson is ultimately getting the same dollar amount from his contract, there is a potential way in which this restructuring could affect him:
Security of Payment: The fact that such a large portion of his salary is now assured upfront in the form of a signing bonus; provides immediate cash flow to Watson and aids in financial planning.
- Long-term commitment: The restructure could also mean the Browns are committed to Watson for longer. Converting salary to a signing bonus usually means an increase in dead cap if the player is cut or traded. This means the Browns are all in on Watson into the future.
What This Means for the Browns’ Future
The restructuring of Watson’s deal opens avenues on which the Browns can travel. Accompanying are a few:
1. More Cap Space for Key Additions
Additional cap space gives the Browns extra room to fill in the gaps in their roster. It could be signing a high-end free agent, extending a current one, or even making in-season additions to gear up for a playoff run.
2. Financial Flexibility Down the Line
In this case, the cap hit of Watson has been spread across the life of the contract, giving more flexibility to the Browns in the following seasons, which simply means that they will not feel strangled financially for several years to come, hence the capacity for better planning and sustainability.
3. Increased Expectations
A restructured contract for Watson shows that the Browns are committed to building a winning team. It’ll bring increasing expectations on Watson and the front office to succeed, with the organization now having more resources to build around its franchise quarterback.
Conclusion
The restructuring of Deshaun Watson’s contract is a strategic move by the Cleveland Browns in their goal to better handle their finances for a more competitive team. While the immediate benefit is increased cap space, the long-term implications could be even bigger, providing the team with flexibility and the ability to adapt to future challenges. The restructure for Watson cements his status as the franchise cornerstone, where player and team alike are aligned in one common mission: winning a championship.
FAQs
1. What does restructuring a contract mean in the NFL?
Restructuring of a contract simply means another way of paying to free up more cap space without affecting the total that must be paid to the player.
2. How does the restructuring affect the Browns’ salary cap?
That just means that Watson’s cap hit is lower in the near term, giving the Browns more cap space to use on other players.
3. Does Deshaun Watson take a pay cut with this restructuring?
No, he gets the same dollar amount, some of it upfront via a signing bonus.
4. What are the risks associated with restructuring Watson’s contract?
The biggest risk is the overhanging financial squeeze in the future, considering the cap hits increase in the back years and can strangle flexibility for the team.
5. What does this do to the Browns’ perspective in moving forward, both for this coming season and in general?
It does provide the Browns with more cap flexibility to execute more strategic signings and field a stronger team around Watson.