3 Cleveland Browns make the ESPN Top 100 list but will all three be back for 2023?

The Cleveland Browns may not be able to carry all three of their Top 100 players in 2023.

The Cleveland Browns saw three of their players get selected to the ESPN Top 100 list, and the names should surprise no one. Myles Garrett came in at No. 9, Nick Chubb came in at No. 63 and Joel Bitono came in at No. 65. Chubb and Bitonoi deserved higher marks, but it’s Seth Wadler’s list so, what can you do?

It makes sense these would be the three names that make the list, however. They’re the Browns’ best players at key positions, and they deserve the attention. With praise comes higher salaries and higher salaries bring a host of unique issues. Which one would need to be moved to save the team from salary cap hell?

All three of these men make a lot of money, and because of that are in the Top 6 of money against the salary cap. Garrett is second, Chubb is fifth and Bitonio is sixth. So if any of the Browns’ best players would be on the block, so to speak, it’d be one of the three.

But of those three, which is the likeliest to be moved before the start of 2023?

Which of the three Cleveland Browns is likeliest to be moved before the 2023 season?

The Cleveland Browns may not want to consider moving one of their best players, but the team is running out of options. Andrew Berry isn’t navigating the cap like it’s 4D chess, he’s simply delayed the inevitable. The team has got to get the most out of their distasteful quarterback and to do just that, they have got to make the offense more in line with his skills. The team can’t do that and fix the defense with the cap number they currently have.

The salary cap is very real, which is why this is so dang difficult to fix.

Garrett isn’t likely to be moved. Trading him would save the Browns $17 million this year, but would cost them $12 million this year just by trading him, so you’re really only freeing up a few million there. Plus you’re going to owe him about $23 million next year, so there’s no point in moving Garrett.

Bitonio is far more likely. If you trade him he’s only going to cost $3 million against the cap this year, while saving you $11 million. Next year, however, he’s going to carry a nearly $9 million hit, so maybe trading him isn’t realistic. After all, the Browns are already over next year’s cap as well just with the contracts that are on the books for 2024.

Lastly, there’s Chubb, who’s the most likely, as he’ll only cost the Browns $4 million this year and next while saving them nearly $11 million this year. Not only that, the Browns are re-working their entire offense, and he may no longer be the guy in the backfield if the team decides they want to go ahead with more four-receiver sets.

Chubb isn’t known for his pass-catching acumen.

It’d be great if the team could find the money to keep Chubb, but the more and more we get through the offseason, the more and more likely it is that Chubb gets dealt. This isn’t a statement of desire, far from it. Chubb is among my favorite players, but with a cap situation that’s pretty bad, a brand-new offense being installed, and a need to fill spots on both sides of the ball, I’m not sure the Browns can even keep Chubb going forward.

I just hope the Browns can, because Chubb deserves to break all of the club’s records.