6 Browns’ players who will likely be cap casualties in 2023
By Chad Porto
John Johnson III
A post-June 1, 2023 cut is so likely for John Johnson III. He was awful in 2021, at least for what he was paid to do. The Browns don’t have much in the way of safety depth, having gotten so bad that the team re-signed Ronnie Harrison, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they took one or two in the NFL Draft this year.
I could also see Tony Fields at safety at some point. That’s how bad it is right now and why we aren’t talking about it more often is interesting. Maybe Troy Hill could play safety, he’s a hell of a tackler, could work.
To be frank, Andrew Sendejo had a fairly similar year to Johnson in 2021, and if that’s what you’re getting for nearly $8 million this year (and $13.5 million next), you better believe that someone like Johnson is on the chopping block to make cap space. They’ll save over $9 million in 2023 if they cut him and that may be the biggest selling point for the Browns, beyond his shotty play.
Johnson could still have a turnaround season in 2022 but that just makes cutting him all the harder. We already know they have no patience for underachieving free agents, so there’s no reason to doubt that Johnson could be an option.