The Cleveland Browns overcame quite a bit of adversity in 2023 to make a playoff run, and they will be hoping they can build off their strong campaign this offseason. They will need some money in order to do that, though, so the team has been hard at work clearing up cap space ahead of free agency, which led them to revisit Jedrick Wills’ deal.

After being selected with the tenth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Wills quickly emerged as one of the brightest young tackles in the league. He picked up an MCL injury in Week 9 of the 2023 campaign that cut his season short, so the hope is that he can return at full strength in 2024. Either way, the Browns saw his deal as one that could be used to create cap space, which led to them reworking it to free up over $10 million.

Via Tom Pelissero:

“The Browns converted tackle Jedrick Wills’ fifth-year option, clearing $10.44M.”

Browns hoping Jedrick Wills can make big return in 2024
Wills’ injury was a tough blow for him, especially since he had been looking likely to command a massive extension from Cleveland this offseason. Instead, the team will use his deal to clear up cap space, and see how he performs in 2024 before deciding whether they want to extend him next offseason.

Keeping Deshaun Watson, who is also recovering from a season-ending shoulder injury, healthy under center is going to be key for the Browns, and Wills is going to play a big part in doing that. His future may be a bit up in the air, but the more money Cleveland has to go out and upgrade the team for 2024, the better off they will be, which makes this a very important move.