[jwplayer sfc9vdNK-ThvAeFxT]
The Bills appear to be an early suitor for the services of former Texans defensive end JJ Watt… and a report even indicates that Watt might actually end up playing along Lake Erie in 2021.
But… potentially for the other team along the shore.
According to Cleveland.com, the Browns are a team that the former three-time Defensive Player of the Year is “seriously considering” now that he is a free agent. On Friday, the Texans and Watt mutually parted.
Ex-#Texans J.J. Watt is seriously considering the #Browns as one of his options because they have a lot of what he wants, sources tell clevelanddotcom https://t.co/8YITdBpPTJ
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) February 16, 2021
Shortly after being released by the Texans, the Browns were one of four teams who reportedly expressed early interest in him. One of the other three was Buffalo (Steelers, Titans).
In comparing the two Lake Erie destinations, the choice for Watt could come down to dollars. The Bills might be the better team for Watt in terms of the 31-year-old getting to a Super Bowl in 2021, however, the Browns have a much larger amount of cap space.
According to Spotrac, if the NFL decided to put the upcoming salary cap at $185 million in 2021, the Browns would have just under $30M in cap space. The Bills on the other hand would only have around $3.9M, and because of that, some already expect some cap casualties en route in Orchard Park this offseason. Exactly where the cap lands remains to be seen as COVID-19 has caused an expected drop in next season’s salary cap. Latest reports suggest it could be anywhere between $180-185M.
In 2020, Watt had five total sacks but graded as Pro Football Focus’ seventh-best edge defender.
In regard to Watt, stay tuned to Bills Wire for all the latest updates surrounding his decision, and for all Bills-related free agency news this offseason.
[lawrence-related id=78414,78385,78398,78381]