Browns Make Contract Move To Keep Offensive Lineman

Money is tight for the Cleveland Browns this offseason. That's why general manager Andrew Berry is trying to get creative when it comes to creating some much-needed cap space.

For his latest trick, Berry negotiated a revised contract with starting right tackle Jack Conklin. The new deal essentially removes a year off of his previous contract, which was slated to run through the 2026 campaign, gives him $10 million for the upcoming season and includes $2 million that can be earned in incentives.

Before the revised deal, Conklin was slated to be on the books for about $17.7 million. Now he'll cut that figure down by at least two million, depending on the type of incentives the Browns agreed to.

By removing a year of Conklin's deal, that means the 30-year-old is also now slated to be a free agent following next season.

Conklin has overcome serious knee injuries twice during his five seasons in Cleveland. Back in November of 2021 the Michigan State product suffered a torn Patellar tendon and was placed on the injured reserve, ending his season.

He returned the following season and earned a four-year extension from Berry and company after returning to his reliable form. Unfortunately, disaster struck again for Conklin in Week 1 of the 2023 season as he was carted off after tearing both his ACL and MCL.

Conklin spent more than a year recovering from the ailments and subsequent surgery to repair them. He was poised to make a long-awaited return to the field in Week 4 of last year before a hamstring issue kept him out of action for an additional two weeks.

He finally made his 2024 debut in Week 6 and went on to have a productive season in his usual right tackle spot. Conklin ranked 44th among NFL tackles, according to PFF last season.