On February 11th, 2024, Super Bowl LVIII concluded, and the Kansas City Chiefs were crowned World Champions for the third time in four years. This officially ended the 2023 NFL Season and simultaneously began the 2024 NFL offseason. Along with the NFL offseason comes a great deal of hot takes and speculation. Some of these takes and speculation are valid. Other takes are downright ridiculous.

Much of what fans that follow their team see online can be considered clickbait with headlines geared to get an emotional reaction. It is the time we live in now. Browns fans keep hearing how the team is in salary cap trouble. Nothing could be further from the truth. On February 22nd the 2024 NFL Salary increased $30.6 million dollars to $255.4 million dollars. This was a surprise to many fans and pundits. That put the Browns $6 million dollars under the cap before any contracts were restructured. The best person to follow on X is Jack Duffin. He is by large one of the most knowledgeable people on the NFL Salary cap.  Here is his X account post:

#Browns 2024 Cap Space +$3.6m
Change: Ward Restructure

2024 Cash Spend
Current $266m
Expected $307m (thanks Jimmy)

How Browns sustainably outspending the NFLhttps://t.co/wetdbHVKEW

Restructures (VIP)https://t.co/YHd6cqduZ4

Predicting 2024 Rosterhttps://t.co/QM3Q50W3YQ
.

— Jack Duffin (@JackDuffin) February 28, 2024

Because of this inaccurate take on the Cleveland Browns salary cap other outlandish stories have come to light. One was by a former New York Jets General Manager Mike Tanenbaum. He speculated on ESPN that the Cleveland Browns will trade Quarterback Deshaun Watson to the New York Giants for Quarterback Daniel Jones. The salary cap hit to the Browns would be over 90 million dollars with that trade. So, it is not going to happen. It’s not even worth discussing. Other speculation is the future of WR Amari Cooper and Running Back Nick Chubb. They are both in the final years of their respective contracts. With the Browns already being under the cap this offseason, and restructures of contracts being paid by the owner. There is no reason to release players for cap reasons currently. It is all silly talk.

My suggestion for Browns fans is to watch the moves the team makes this offseason. This will tell you more than a Berry Stefanski press conference.  You will see cap space cleared with restructuring of contracts. Free agency acquisitions and trades will be made to acquire players to fill needs prior to the NFL Draft in April. The draft picks selected will be developmental players on the backend of the roster, this is because the Cleveland Browns plan on contending in 2024 and for years to come.