Amid a flurry of NFL news that included trades, cuts, signings and the new Brandon Aiyuk contract, the Cleveland Browns made a move that could set the table for a big trade at some point this season.

The Browns restructured Deshaun Watson’s contract to free up $36 million in cap space. They converted $44.8 million of Watson’s 2024 salary into a signing bonus and added a void year giving them a league-high $51.7 million in cap space.

The cap gymnastics gives them a lot of freedom to make moves right now, but a lot of that space will likely be rolled into next season when Watson’s cap hit now stands at $72.9 million.

In short, the Browns are putting a lot more eggs into the Watson basket. Thus far the Deshaun Watson era has not produced great results. The quarterback has dealt with multiple injuries and his QBR of 42.9 would have ranked 24th in the league if he played enough to qualify.

Some of the Browns newly found financial freedom could be used to make one last major addition to the roster during the season.

DeAndre Hopkins is a logical hypothetical target. The 32-year-old showed he’s still got it with a 1,000-yard season in 2023, but the Titans are in the middle of a rebuild and the veteran is on the final year of his contract.

That’s not to mention the chemistry that Hopkins already has with Watson from their days together in Houston.

A receiving trio of Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy and DeAndre Hopkins would leave Watson with no excuses not to return to Pro Bowl form.