Myles Garrett is in line soon for a new deal, and he already highlights the highest-paid position group on the Browns. (fanbuzz.com)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
According to their official Website, the Browns’ roster stands at 75. They will get to the offseason limit of 90 after signing a batch of undrafted free agents.
Some names of undrafted players have surfaced on social media. But until the Browns announce their undrafted signees, we’ll consider the 75 to be their official roster.
It’s possible the Browns may add a few veteran players to the roster they eventually take to training camp.
For now, we analyze the 2020 roster and rank the position groups from strongest to weakest.
Included in the rankings are the dollars committed to each group in 2020 and where it ranks among all 32 teams. Figures are provided by spotrac.com and include only the top 51 highest contracts. Rookies are unsigned at the moment.
1. Defensive line
Projected starters: DE Olivier Vernon, DT Sheldon Richardson, DT Larry Ogunjobi, DE Myles Garrett.
Main backups: DE Adrian Clayborn, DT Jordan Elliott (r), DT Andrew Billings, DE Chad Thomas.
Others: DE Porter Gustin, DE Robert McCray, DT Daniel Ekuale, DT Eli Ankou, DT Justin Zimmer, DT Brandin Bryant.
Total dollars: $52.3 million. Rank: first.
Analysis: If you get what you pay for, this should be the Browns’ strongest unit. Vernon's salary cap figure (salary + bonuses) ranks first on the team, Richardson is fourth and Garrett sixth. New veteran additions Billings (14th) and Clayborn (23rd) are solid additions signed for only one and two years, respectively.
2. Offensive line
Projected starters: LT Jedrick Wills (r), LG Joel Bitonio, C JC Tretter, RG Wyatt Teller, RT Jack Conklin.
Main backups: OT-OG Chris Hubbard, OT Kendall Lamm, C Nick Harris (r).
Others: OG Drew Forbes, OG Willie Wright, OG Malcolm Pridgeon, OG Evan Brown, OG Colby Gossett.
Total dollars: $37.9 million. Rank: 18th.
Analysis: The money commitment will increase when Wills signs for a projected $19.7 million over four years, with a fifth-year option. Conklin’s three-year contract for $42 million begins with a 2020 cap hit of only $8 million, which ranks 10th on the team, lower than Tretter’s (fifth) and Bitonio’s (eighth). Conklin’s cap figure rises to $13 million in 2021. One deft move was redoing the contract of Hubbard, whose cap figure shrunk from $7.2 million in 2019 to $3.6 million in 2020. Teller ($750,00) is in the third year of his rookie deal signed with the Bills.
3. Running backs
Projected starters: RB Nick Chubb, FB Andy Janovich.
Main backup: RB Kareem Hunt.
Others: RB Dontrell Hilliard, RB D’Ernest Johnson, FB Johnny Stanton.
Total dollars: $8.6 million. Rank: 20th.
Analysis: Because Hunt was a restricted free agent and received the first-round tender from the club, he’ll make $3.259 million while Chubb, in the third year of his rookie contract, makes $1.15 million. Janovich, acquired from the Broncos, will make $1.19 million with a roster bonus. Chubb is the biggest bargain on the roster, by far.
4. Defensive backs
Projected starters: CB Denzel Ward, CB Greedy Williams, NB Kevin Johnson, FS Grant Delpit (r), SS Karl Joseph.
Main backups: CB Terrance Mitchell, S Andrew Sendejo.
Others: S Sheldrick Redwine, CB Donnie Lewis Jr., CB Robert Jackson, CB Tavierre Thomas, S J.T. Hassell, CB Donovan Olumba, S Montrel Meander.
Total dollars: $27.3 million. Rank: 22nd.
Analysis: Spending is relatively low here because three of the five projected starters are early in their rookie contracts. In the last year of a three-year contract he signed as a free agent in 2018, Mitchell’s cap figure of $3.666 million ranks 12th overall on the club, which has led some to believe he could be a cap casualty down the road.
5. Wide receivers
Projected starters: Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr.
Main backup: Rashard Higgins.
Others: KhaDarel Hodge, Damion Ratley, Donovan Peoples-Jones (r), Taywan Taylor, JoJo Natson, D.J. Montgomery, J’Mon Moore.
Total dollars: $34.2 million. Rank: fourth.
Analysis: Landry ($14.55 million) and Beckham ($14.25 million), inseparable as ever, rank second and third, respectively, in salary cap order. At $33.6 million, Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins is the only receiving duo exceeding that total. Higgins’ return for a one-year deal of $910,000 – more than a 50 percent paycut from his 2019 salary of $2.025 million – was another deft financial and football move by the Browns.
6. Quarterbacks
Projected starter: Baker Mayfield.
Main backup: Case Keenum.
Others: Garrett Gilbert.
Total dollars: $13.3 million. Rank: 19th.
Analysis: Even though he is just entering the third year of his rookie contract, Mayfield’s cap figure of $9.003 million still ranks seventh on the club, due to the fact he was the No. 1 overall pick of his draft. That’s still a bargain, of course, for a franchise quarterback hopeful. This was considered a huge year for Mayfield because he is coming off a setback sophomore season and there is a new coach and GM on board. Also, Mayfield becomes eligible for a new deal after this year. Recently, Philadelphia’s Carson Wentz and the Rams’ Jared Goff received new $100 million+ deals after their third seasons. Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes is next in line.
7. Tight ends
Projected starters: Austin Hooper, David Njoku.
Main backup: Harrison Bryant (r).
Others: Pharaoh Brown, Stephen Carlson.
Total dollars: $8.5 million. Rank: 19th.
Analysis: Hooper’s $4 million cap figure ranks 11th in the first year of his free agent contract. But that figure rises to $9.33 million in Year 2. Also, Njoku’s cap figure escalates from $3.03 million this year to $6.013 million in 2021 as a result of the Browns picking up his fifth-year option. Njoku’s fifth-year option is guaranteed only for injury, meaning the Browns could change their mind if Njoku doesn’t have a bounce-back season.
8. Linebackers
Projected starters: WLB Mack Wilson, MLB Sione Takitaki, SLB Jacob Phillips (r).
Main backups: MLB B.J. Goodson.
Others: SLB Willie Harvey, SLB Trevon Young, MLB Tae Davis, WLB Jermaine Grace.
Total dollars: $8.1 million. Rank: 30th.
Analysis: The projected starters have 15 career NFL starts (Wilson, 14; Takitaki 1). If Goodson breaks the starting lineup, he brings 29 starts in four seasons with the Giants and Packers. It’s possible new coordinator Joe Woods will continue the 4-2-5 alignment prevalent in the NFL against multi-receiver formations and lessen the demand on this unit.