In the NFL, money always speaks. And the key for any contract is the complete warranty of the signature.
The initial report concerning the Joe Flacco contract in Cleveland described it as a basic contract of one year and 4 million dollars. The warranty was not specified.
According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the full warranty of Flacco at the signing is $ 3 million.
With Kenny Pickett at $ 2,623,350 (fully guaranteed) and Deshaun Watson at 46 million dollars (fully guaranteed), or $ 51.623 million in cash commitments towards Cleveland quarters for 2025.
This does not necessarily eliminate them from the conversation for another quarter of the draft. They still need three on the active depth table (Watson will probably not be one of them), and a recruit would be at low cost, compared to a veteran.
At this point, it is unlikely that the Browns will take a quarter-arre with the second overall choice. They could take a quarter with their second round choice, or they could exchange the bottom of the first round. Or they could write one in any other round.
Then there is the possibility that Flacco or Pickett can be exchanged if they make another movement in the position. After the project, there could still be needs elsewhere. And the Browns could return one or the other guy, if they decide that they have a crowded house.
The biggest problem of Cleveland is the elephant in the room. Deshaun Watson’s Albatross of a contract makes the least difficult, to say, to respond to the most important position of the team. Although they do their best to prepare a batch of elephant salad, browns fans must feel stuck in a perpetual bunch of elephant shit.
