Getty
Cornelius Lucas #71 of the Cleveland Browns
Much has been made in recent weeks of a fact that was pretty well known throughout the 2025 Cleveland Browns season–the offensive line was a mess, and it could get worse before it got better as all five players up front are heading into free agency. Cleveland could come back with five entirely new linemen in 2026, which might not sound like such a bad thing, excepting that the team has limited funds on hand in free agency and the Browns’ offense is not one that players are clamoring to join.
Wyatt Teller has said his goodbyes and declared his intention to go elsewhere next season. Joel Bitonio has delayed his retirement decision, but even if he plays again, it might not be in Cleveland. The Browns do not have any incumbents worth holding, and thus are likely to use the draft to pick some high-upside blockers, and scour free agency for a new group up front.
Browns Could Cut Cornelius Lucas to Save Money
But they’ll need money for that. One guy up front who could be sacrificed to help the cause is 34-year-old veteran Cornelius Lucas, the tackle the Browns signed last season. He played 10 games and started five, but was mostly ineffective last year, and is on the books for $3.6 million with a $1.6 million dead-cap hit.
It’s not a huge financial windfall, but in the Browns’ cap situation, in which many contracts have been restructured already to cope with the $230 million Deshaun Watson deal, the relief will be welcomed.
At The Athletic, in tabbing players who are top cut candidates across the league, beat writer Zac Jackson pointed out Lucas.
He wrote: “Their biggest moves will be post-June 1 cuts of void years of contracts from players who are actually free agents, most likely tight end David Njoku and guard Joel Bitonio (who may retire). Among the players signed, Lucas stands out as an easy decision because the team will save around $2 million in cap space. Rebuilding the offensive line will be much tougher than handling the accounting for veteran linemen leaving.”
Deshaun Watson Cap Move Would Be Tricky
Indeed, the Njoku and Bitonio moves, assuming the Browns make them, will create another $30 million in cap room and despite the repeated restructures of Watson’s contract, Cleveland could go to that well again and carve out more space by redoing Watson’s deal this offseason–but that would only cause his already sizable hits in 2027 and 2028 (he will be cut after this season) to balloon.
The Browns do have other tools, including rolling over cap space from 2025 and perhaps restructuring the deal of Denzel Ward to create more room. But, again, they will probably need five new linemen, and they will need to pay 10 incoming rookies, including two first-rounders, after the April draft. Cap space gets chewed up rather quickly.
So the $2 million from cutting Lucas, while a drop in the bucket for a team that sits $9 million over the cap in effective space, according to OverTheCap.com, will come in handy as the Browns try to rebuild up front.
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
More Heavy on Browns
Loading more stories