Browns: Understanding why Sheldon Richardson got released

Like all decisions that any sports teams make, the fanbase of the Browns is split over the release of Sheldon Richardson. While some consider him a “top talent”, he was anything but. That doesn’t mean he’ll be easily replaced, after all, this is the NFL and you never know what you’re going to get until that player gets on the field. It’s very possible that Richardson was the best option for the 2021 season. It’s possible he wasn’t.

So why was he released?

It all comes down to dollars and sense. No, that wasn’t a typo. Sense, as in common sense. Firstly, a player of his caliber isn’t worth $11 million a year. That doesn’t mean he’s worthless, far from it. Yet, it seemed unlikely he’d take a pay cut to mirror what he was more deserving of.

That isn’t really the issue though. The Browns were still under the cap with him and new signing Jadeveon Clowney; the acquisition that triggered Richardson’s roster purge. They even had enough money under the cap with both men to pay for the rookies; though just barely.

As Mary Kay Cabot from Cleveland.com wrote;

"The Browns were down to a little more than $10 million in 2021 cap space after signing Jadeveon Clowney on Wednesday, and that would’ve just about covered their rookie pool of about $9 million. They need cap space in the event they want to trade for a player or extend some of their own players this offseason. After the draft, they’ll pick up the fifth-year options of Baker Mayfield and Denzel Ward, and then decide if they’ll extend them this offseason or wait."

So why did the Browns release Richardson? If you’re reading the tea leaves, it’s because they’re gearing up to make some more moves.

Whether that’s picking up fifth-year options on the three musketeers of the 2018 NFL Draft class and working on extensions, or possibly going out to get someone like Stephon Gilmore. The Browns by all appearances don’t appear to be done. What happens next is anyone’s guess, however.

Whatever happens, the draft seems like a likely place for something novel to happen.