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Originally Posted by DJ's left nut
Yes and no.
They still have $145 million in salary cap obligations over the next 3 years and have to keep an eye on that horizon with how they SPEND that money. Because if they turn around and spend that $60 million now (which, honestly, is virtually impossible for them) and enter the 2025 season with the 'regular' $260 million cap while Watson accounts for $72 million of it, that's no bueno.
And where it's REALLY an issue, is if they approach Watson at all for a restructure next season or the season after. His leverage is MASSIVE. And it's a headache of Cleveland's own making.
The cap is something that can always be shirked for 2-3 years. And every time you kick the can, things get just a little tighter.
Cap Hell is a real thing. It's gonna eventually happen to you. But where the 'myth' comes is that Cap Hell should destroy a team for a sustained period of time. It doesn't.
One year of slash and burn can almost always clean a cap sheet. I wouldn't have been opposed to us being more aggressive this season with an eye on just such a season in/around 2027. We just go scorched earth that season and hack away at everyone we can. Accelerate a bunch of shit onto the cap, win 6 games and then jam the accelerator again in 2028.
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So is Cleveland setting itself up to be able to release Watson in the next season or two and not be absolutely decimated by the move?