Browns, Beckham negotiating contract restructure in advance of being waived

The Cleveland Browns and Odell Beckham Jr. will be parting ways. The drama that started earlier in the week with the player’s father sharing a video on social media and LeBron James tweeting his opinion will end in Beckham being waived by the team.

While the wide receiver has been in the league for over four seasons, once the NFL Trade Deadline passes all players are placed on waiver instead of being released. Any team with the cap space to take on a waived player’s contract can place a claim on that player. The team with the higher waiver priority (worst record) that placed a claim then gets the player and his contract.

The contract details are important for the Browns and Beckham. If he is claimed, the team saves salary cap space and doesn’t have to pay the remainder of his salary, around $8 million, for this season. However, if he goes unclaimed the Browns owe him all of that money and he can sign with another team for even more money.

According to multiple reports this morning, first by Charles Robinson, the team and player are working on renegotiating his contract to make his departure more palatable for the team and make it more likely he is claimed:

Beckham will end his three years in Cleveland playing 29 games and accumulating 114 receptions for 1,586 yards and seven receiving touchdowns.

Once placed on waivers, Beckham will not be eligible to be claimed for Week 9 but can be claimed early next week.