Black Monday is known around the NFL as the day after the NFL regular season ends where most coaches and general managers end up getting the boot. This year will likely continue the trend with coaches such as Mike Pettine, Tom Coughlin, and Jim Tomsula as names that were fired or stepped down today.
While all of the focus today will be on the coaches and general managers we can also start to think about what players might be cut too. It’s still a long way away without possibly having a coach and GM, but here are some of our picks for players unlikely to wear the brown and orange next season.
WR Dwayne Bowe
Let’s just start with the obvious one and get it out the way. There is no way Dwayne Bowe is back next year with his eight million dollar salary cap hit. Cutting him will result in 4.6 million of dead cap but the Browns can at least spend that other three and a half million or so elsewhere to improve this team. He’ll finish his tenure with the Browns with more healthy scratches than catches recording five for 53 yards. Thanks Ray.
DE Desmond Bryant
Bryant was supposed to be one of the big free agent signings of the Lombardi era. Instead he was just another dud. The sad fact is that he will lead the team in sacks this year with six. He was thought to be a possible cut last offseason and his name will be mentioned again this year. Being a starting DE on the NFL’s worst run stopping defense for two straight years with a cap hit of seven million next year does not sound good for him. The Browns can save five million by cutting him. The team gave Larry Hughes a long term extension and drafted Xavier Cooper this year so they would be among the likely guys to step in and replace him.
OLB Paul Kruger
Cutting Paul Kruger would also save the Browns about five million dollars next year. Kruger was the biggest signing of the short lived Lombardi era and it looks like he’s another possible cut candidate after just three of his five year contract. Kruger ended up with a minimal 2.5 sacks and 29 tackles in 2015 after having 11 and 53 last year. Cleveland drafted Nate Orchard in the second round to be a pass rusher and are also in possible contention to draft star DE/OLB Joey Bosa of Ohio State.
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