Browns cap space: Any contracts worth cutting to save significant space?

The Steelers just got rid of players to save cap space but does Cleveland have that option?

The name of the game is talent, cash, draft picks and salary cap space in the NFL. For the Cleveland Browns: They have a lot of talent, an owner who will spend the cash, not a lot of high draft picks (but eight total) and a very flexible salary cap.

As we saw Monday after the Super Bowl, teams are moving ahead in the offseason with the Pittsburgh Steelers cutting three players who started multiple games for them last year. The Steelers did so primarily to save salary cap space even though they had to eat dead cap hits.

For the Browns, a look at the players they have under contract and what kind of savings they could get under the salary cap, there are very few that could provide significant savings, as Pittsburgh got, but are too talented/important to the team:

(All in numbers in millions, pre-June 1st numbers)

• WR Amari Cooper – Save $12.5, $11.3 dead cap hit
• RB Nick Chubb – Save $11.8, $4 dead cap hit
• OL Joel Bitonio – Save $3.4, $8.7 dead cap hit

Releasing TE Jordan Akins would save the team $2 million in cap space with a minimal dead cap hit.

If designated as after June 1st cuts, some of the numbers change but Cleveland still doesn’t have players that aren’t performing that cutting would save significant cap space.

Chubb’s contract and health could lead to some kind of adjusted contract this offseason like the team did in the past with OL Jack Conklin.

Where GM Andrew Berry has the most flexibility is with contract restructuring and extensions. K Dustin Hopkins, for example, is set to count $3 million against the salary cap but an extension should lower that number significantly.

Any of the above players you think the Browns should move on from? Who do you think deserves the next extension on the team?