Denzel Ward Contract Follows Similar Structure of Browns Extensions, Provides Added Flexibility
Denzel Ward's five-year extension nominally pays him $100.5 million with $71.25 million, but it's all about the details with these contracts and how it fits within what the team is hoping to accomplish.
The deal follows a similar structure that most of the Browns bigger contracts have, which pays a small amount the first year, then escalates to fit in with the growing salary cap.
| Year | Base Salary | Signing Bonus | Option Bonus | Per Game Roster Bonus | Roster Bonus | Cap Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | $1,035,000 | $4,000,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $5,035,000 |
2023 | $4,041,000 | $4,000,000 | $3,680,000 | $600,000 | $0 | $12,321,000 |
2024 | $15,324,000 | $4,000,000 | $3,680,000 | $600,000 | $0 | $23,604,000 |
2025 | $13,476,000 | $4,000,000 | $3,680,000 | $600,000 | $0 | $21,756,000 |
2026 | $16,900,000 | $4,000,000 | $3,680,000 | $600,000 | $2,500,000 | $27,680,000 |
2027 | $17,400,000 | $0 | $3,680,000 | $600,000 | $2,500,000 | $24,180,000 |
Total | $68,176,000 | $20,000,000 | $18,400,000 | $3,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $114,576,000 |
Ward was scheduled to earn $13.294 million on his fifth-year option. He was willing to drop that number down to $5.035 million, which creates $8.259 million in cap space. The Browns could use some of that to help fill out their remaining holes on the roster, but they may want to roll over as much of it as possible.
If the Browns were to roll over the entire amount, that $8.259 million would then pay for the entirety of Ward's second season worth $12.321 million and leave them with with $4.197 million to spare, providing additional flexibility. With contracts including Deshaun Watson's and Myles Garrett's set to explode in 2023, the Browns are looking to roll over as much money as possible to maintain their ability to contend at a high level.
Ward will earn a combined $17.356 million between 2022 and 2023 before his deal escalates to over $21 million the following four seasons. Some of that sticker shock should wear off as the NFL's salary cap spikes due to of an influx of revenue from sources including Amazon and some international outlets from nations like Germany.
The Browns could get out of the deal after the 2025 season, only paying $4 million in dead cap. That would work out to $66.716 million over four years for Ward. 2026 is the same year that Watson and Garrett's deals are set to end.
Should the Browns keep keep through 2026, 2027 represents a year when the two sides could look to renegotiate, potentially talking about a third contract.
Getting this deal done now allows the Browns added flexibility immediately with their finances. The team may not be inclined to spend that cap savings immediately as they continue to wait for Baker Mayfield's situation to be resolved. He represents another $18.8 million of potential cap savings. Austin Hooper's $7.5 million will be added in June.
The Browns could rollover almost $35 million of cap space in all, which would make a dramatic impact on how aggressive they can in 2023 and 2024.
