In March, the Browns proposed moving the trade deadline until the Tuesday after Week 9. And between now and the Tuesday after Week 9, the Browns could end up selling.
As previously reported, a trade of pass rusher Za’Darius Smith is expected — with the Lions as the primary candidate. Other veterans could be in play, too.
One name to watch is tight end David Njoku. Trading him would trigger a $20.87 million cap charge; keeping him would result in a $14.25 million cash commitment and a cap number of $22.185 million.
The key becomes getting draft picks. They’ll need them, given the damage the Deshaun Watson contract will do to the salary cap in the coming years, especially if they release him in 2025.
Either way, it’s a massive financial commitment. He’s owed another $92 million. His cap number next year exceeds $72 million. That makes it important for the Browns to stockpile draft picks, since it gives them low-cost talent to offset the massive cap drain coming from the disastrous Watson deal.
