March 15 Was A Pivotal Day For These Browns Stars

March 15th was a very important day for the Cleveland Browns and a few key players.

Sep 24, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns guard Wyatt Teller (77) blocks the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

March 15th was roster bonus day in the NFL and it proved to be an extremely pivotal day for the Cleveland Browns. 

The major story of the day was the Atlanta Falcons paying quarterback Kirk Cousins his $10 million signing bonus that could put a major wrench in Cleveland’s quarterback plans. 

Three other moves flew under the radar, but are critically important to the Browns and how they will look in 2025. 

Wyatt Teller, Joel Bitonio and Jordan Hicks all were due roster bonuses to guarantee they will be on Cleveland’s roster in 2025. 

Saturday came and went and each of those players remain on the Browns’ roster signaling they will be with the team next year. Teller is the major one out of this group because he was identified as a guy who could have been a cap casualty if Cleveland was entering a rebuild. 

Teller is deservedly due $14.8 million in 2025 and is the highest paid right guard in the NFL. He wasn’t his best in 2024, but he has been a staple in the Browns’ run game throughout his entire tenure. Keeping him around is paramount to Cleveland’s hopeful return to success in 2025.

Bitonio is equally important, but less of a surprise. He indicated weeks ago that he was not retiring and that he would be back in 2025. Bitonio’s cap hit in 2025 is $15 million, making him the fourth highest-paid left guard in the league. 

Nov 21, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) scores a touchdown as guard Joel Bitonio (75) blocks Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen (6) during the first half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Although he is on the back end of his career, he played very good football to finish 2024. Another sneaky advantage to his return is another year of developing 2024 second-round draft pick Zak Zinter to be his future replacement.

The final guy that March 15th impacted is linebacker Jordan Hicks. Hicks came to Cleveland during the 2024 offseason and actually played as one of the league’s best linebackers. He finished as the No. 9 ranked linebacker per PFF out of 92 qualifying players. He was not an every-down player for the Browns, but was still impactful. 

March 15 further signaled that Cleveland is avoiding a rebuild and is going to do everything in its power to be a relevant playoff team in 2025.