During this series Jack Duffin will be going position by position looking at everything contracts and roster construction to look at how Andrew Berry has built the team and what the future of the Cleveland Browns holds.
Jack Duffin
During this Cleveland Browns roster building and contract series I will be lookingoneposition roomper week and going deep into several different factors. If there is something in particular you would like me to cover then please let me know and I will try and work it in during this series or down the line.
Contracts
Looking at every contract the Cleveland Browns currently have as well as when extension might be due for particular players.
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2024 Roster Prediction
Giving you an idea of who the most likely players are to make the team in 2024 and then discussing the runners and riders for the practice squad as well.
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2025 & 2026 Roster Prediction(OBR VIP)
Why stop at just looking at 2024, what does the future of the position room look like over the next two years. Who could be departing and which position rooms are they most likely to change.
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Andrew Berry Roster Building Strategy & Philosophy(OBR VIP)
We now have a significant sample when it comes to Andrew Berry and building the roster, looking at how he has operated over the years from the team before he took over to where it is now.
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Contract Article (OBR VIP)
A lot of these articles will be looking at what someone's future extension could look like if the Cleveland Browns decide to extend them.
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PositionalSpending Under Andrew Berry (OBR VIP)
Going back over each season to see how much Andrew Berry has spent on the position and then using my cash formula to project what it could look like moving forward if Jimmy Haslam keeps investing in the team.
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Bonus Articles
Some articles just don't fit in any of the above categories so I will link them here.
Move On From Watson-DePodesta's Guardrails-Positional Spending Vs NFL-Which Positions Markets Have Stagnated-Proven Performance Escalator-Berry's Low Free Agency Spending-2023/2024 Offensive Snap Counts-2023/2024Defensive Snap Counts-Restructuring Watson: Help Or Hinder Cap Flexibility-2023/2024 Game Day Actives-Creating More Salary Cap Rollover-Newsome Fifth Year Option Impact
Dustin Hopkins
Hopkins recently signed a three year extension which in total means he is under contract for the next four years. As with all contracts it is important to focus on it as what is guaranteed and what the team has options to walk away from the contract.
Here is a breakdown of the cash in the deal:
2024 - $5,562,500 (guaranteed)
2025 - $2,800,000 (guaranteed)
2026 - $5,200,000
2027 - $5,400,000
If we look at the deal verses what he previously had signed, they have effectively paid him $4,822,059 to add one more contract year to his deal as he was already signed for the 2024 season. Then the third and fourth year of the deal are team options. He will stay if he is playing well and if he is struggling or they hit on a UDFA then he can be replaced.
He gets paid $45,000 a game in per game roster bonuses, which gives the team some form of injury protection if he goes down.
The extension creates $937,941 of cap space for 2024, backloaded in the way they do with all of these contracts.
Corey Bojorquez
He was a free agent this offseason and they extended him to keep him around for at least one more year. While there is $750,000 of guarantees out of the $2m he can earn in 2025 it is likely he would be picked up by another team so there is no real risk here. If they find another option next offseason then he will have a camp battle ahead of him. This kind of deal gives them the security at $2m a year while allowing them upside if a better option comes along.
Charley Hughlett
It is a really easy contract to follow now with it being the league minimum each year and no guarantees. As a player who has at least four years his contract will guarantee for theyear at the first week of the season. He will likely retire a Cleveland Brown with only Bitonio being here longer currently.
Cade York
He only has one accrued season from his first year in Cleveland,this is important for the team as two seasons means he takes one of the six veteran spots on the practice squad where as only one means he doesn't. He is just on the minimum contract with no guarantees but isn't going to make the roster. I would expect them to offer him a spot on the practice squad to try and keep him around.
