The Browns have made a cost-cutting move on the offensive line. The team is releasing center J.C. Tretter, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The move saves the team roughly $8.2MM in cap space. 
The 31-year-old was recently named as a cut candidate, given his projected cap hit of over $9.8MM in 2022. That was the final year of his contract. After five seasons in Cleveland, the former fourth round pick will now look for a new home.
After three season in Green Bay, Tretter joined the Browns in 2017, and was the team’s full-time starter at center for his entire tenure there. That durability led general manager Andrew Berry to recently compliment the veteran, despite the questions around his contract status.
“J.C.’s been a real productive veteran for us, he’s been a starter since 2017 for us and played a lot of really good football, we expect him to continue to play some really good football” Berry said. Given today’s news, though, the team will be moving in a new direction looking for a younger, less expensive option in the middle of their offensive front.
Tretter – the president of the NFLPA – has remained a consistent if unspectacular player during his career. He has never been named a Pro Bowler, but has earned a PFF grade of at least 72 in each of the past four seasons. Now, he will enter a center market which has shrunk considerably in recent days. Beside Bradley Bozeman, Tretter will likely find himself near the top of the list for available options.
He shouldn’t have to leave the state to find his next team if the Bengals were smart.
Best interior lineman on the market by a country mile, no offense to Bozeman. This is a real gift to someone.
Tretter is older, but also more proven than Bozeman. I think either is a good choice for a center needy team. If the Packers weren’t in the cap situation that they’re in and negotiating with Adams, Tretter’s return to Green Bay would have been something I expected.
It really sucks to see Tretter go. I was hoping they could keep him, and someone out there is getting a really good player.
The Browns won’t be looking for a new center though because it seems pretty likely that they’ll just plug Nick Harris in as their new starter.
Freeing up Watson money?