Browns: 5 most overpaid players for the upcoming 2021 season

Sheldon Richardson was the most obvious overpaid player on the Browns heading into the 2020 season and again early in the 2021 season. That’s no longer the case, as the Browns have cut Richardson, saving them $11 million against the cap for the upcoming season. Now that Richardson is off the team and his contract is no longer counting against the team, it’s time to assign a new top contender for the most overpaid player.

Now, let’s be clear, none of these players are “bad”. They all deserve a spot on the roster, just not at the current salary. This could be for one of three reasons;

1. Age
2. Performance against salary
3. Position on roster

The older you are, the less likely you are to maintain your expectations. Be it on-field production or health. When it comes to performance, if you’re getting paid $11 million like Richardson, you better be putting up stats. As for position, if you’re a backup or third on the depth chart, you better not be paid more than the guys ahead of you.

Now, everyone on this list has value for the Browns. That’s not to say they don’t. This is only to say that the players on this list need to perform better or restructure their deal or they won’t be around long-term. The NFL is a brutal business and in order to succeed you need to be able to live up to your contract or you’re going to find yourself unemployed.

So with that, let’s get started.