It is not often that one can say the Cleveland Browns had a good week.
That is what happens when you are a franchise with just three playoff appearances since 1994, one playoff win in the same period, and 18 seasons with double-digit losses since 1999.
But this past week was one of the good ones.
It started on Wednesday with the news that left guard Joel Bitonio, the longest-tenured player on the team, will return for his 12th season with the team. A two-time All-Pro selection and seven-time Pro Bowler, Bitonio is still a talented player on the field and a steadying voice in the locker room, so having him back is a good thing.
On Thursday, general manager Andrew Berry restructured quarterback Deshaun Watson’s contract to open almost $36 million in salary cap space. The accounting maneuver took the Browns from being almost $23 million over the salary cap to almost $13 million under, giving Berry at least some money in his pocket to use when free agency opens this week.
The busy run-up to free agency continued on Sunday when the Browns agreed to a four-year contract extension with defensive end Myles Garrett. The deal ends weeks of back-and-forth between Garrett and the Browns over Garrett’s trade request. Rather than give in and trade the game’s best defensive player, the Browns helped Garrett see the error of his ways with a deal that includes $122.8 million in guaranteed money and makes Garrett the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. (At least until the next mega deal is signed by another player.)
Did Berry’s busy week solve all the team’s problems? Of course not as the Browns still need to figure out the quarterback position and the team’s ceiling will be limited until they do.
But having Bitonio and Garrett on the team makes the Browns better, and having a little bit of money to do some bargain shopping in free agency is always nice.
There is still work to be done, but the Browns are heading into free agency with some positive momentum and there is nothing wrong with that.