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Cleveland Browns could address salary cap concerns by making one ridiculous move ahead of June

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Ian Kayanja | Last updated 2/16/24

Deshaun Watson's contract is the largest question in the 2024 offseason for the Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland is going to have to address real salary cap questions by restructuring several contracts, and if Andrew Berry doesn't want to restructure Watson's deal, one former NFL executive believes the Browns may make a trade to address the issue.

The Browns are set to be over $17 million above the salary cap in the 2024 season, according to Jason from Over The Cap. And former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum believes the Browns may want to move off Watson's contract via a trade with the New York Giants to help fix that number.

On ESPN's Get Up! on Friday, Tannenbaum proposed a trade scenario that involved the Browns sending Watson and a second-round pick to the Giants in exchange for quarterback Daniel Jones.

.@RealTannenbaum thinks the Browns should trade Deshaun Watson to the Giants for Daniel Jones pic.twitter.com/XoSbp47qv9
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 16, 2024

Trading Watson would signal that the Browns are giving up on the experiment that can only be described as a failure.

In his time with the Browns, Watson has appeared in 12 games and was mediocre at best.

He appeared to be rounding into form ahead of his season-ending surgery after a come-from-behind win against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2023 regular season.

Now, the fate of the 2024 season rests solely on Watson's shoulders. And at least one former executive believes it is time to abort the mission entirely.

A trade for Jones would be interesting as he processes the duel-threat ability that Watson has shown flashes of. But like Watson's run with Cleveland, Jones struggles with consistency.

His best season came in 2022 when he led the Giants to the playoffs and threw for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Regression in the 2023 season doesn't bode for excitement if the Browns were to make the move. But it is an interesting thought experiment for Cleveland - a team throwing everything into winning next season.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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