Moving forward, the Cleveland Browns face a difficult situation in terms of cap space. According to Over the ceiling, they are expected to be $60 million over next year’s salary ceiling in 2025. There are solutions, but they will need to eliminate some players from the roster.
Christian D’Andrea of For The Win examined cut and trade candidates for all 32 teams and identified Jack Conklin as a cut candidate for the Browns.
“The Browns need cap relief — more so in 2025 than 2024, where they’re an estimated $60 million over next year’s salary cap (per Over the Cap),” D’Andrea said on August 8. “That makes Conklin, who is owed almost $19.5 million in cap hits in 2025 and 2026, a potential casualty.
“The high-profile free agent addition has played just 22 games in the last three seasons and will turn 30 before the season starts. Cleveland may save money by putting Dawand Jones in at tackle.
Browns Trading Conklin ‘Would Be A Total Mistake’
If Conklin hadn’t been plagued by injuries over the last three seasons, he would have made an excellent addition to the Cleveland Browns’ offensive line. However, he played one game in 2023 and seven in 2021.
He’s now on the PUP list, and it’s unclear when he will be removed.
Despite his ailments, Leigh Oleszczak of Dawg Pound Daily said that the Browns should not trade him.
“As we’ve seen in the NFL, having strong offensive lines is crucial. It’s difficult for quarterbacks to play their best game when the line in front of them isn’t capable of protecting them,” Oleszczak wrote on August 3. “Yes, Conklin has had injury issues and yes, Dawand Jones played well filling in for the veteran while he missed time but what’s also important is for teams to have depth on their o-line.”
Conklin appeared in 14 games for the Browns in 2022, and if he can play the same number of games this season, as well as in the playoffs if Cleveland makes it, he will remain an important member of the squad. He spent four years with the Broncos and was selected an All-Pro in his debut season, one of only two in which he appeared in more than seven games.
Browns would need to find his replacement.
The Cleveland Browns are in a win-now predicament as a result of what they traded for Deshaun Watson and how much they are paying him and other roster players.
Cutting Conklin would save them money in 2025 and 2026, but if they don’t have a clear alternative, it may jeopardize their chances of winning. The most important element with Conklin is his health; while he hasn’t been able to stay on the field in two of the last three years, he appeared in at least 15 games in four of his first five seasons in the NFL.
If the Browns have a successor who can deliver comparable value, saving money would be a prudent option. It’s difficult to replace a two-time All-Pro, even with his injury history.
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