Breaking Down the Browns 2009 Salary Cap

ESPN’s Insider section just did a full-scale blowout about the salary cap for each and every team around the league. Here’s what they had to say on the Browns:

2009 salary cap: $137,427,147
Player with highest cap number: DE Corey Williams ($8,883,333; 6.5 percent of cap)
Highest cap number for a player no longer with club: RT Kevin Shaffer ($4,560,418; 3.3 percent of cap; eighth-highest on club)
Player who has to live up to cap number: QB Derek Anderson ($8,833,333; 6.4 percent of cap; second-highest on club)

Anderson has the cap number of a starting quarterback, but he might not win the starting job in Cleveland this season, which means he might not even get an opportunity to justify his paycheck. In 2008, Anderson’s cap number was $3,333,333, which is a good number for a starting quarterback, but last year FBO’s DYAR stats ranked Anderson 33rd of 41 passers who attempted at least 100 passes. If Anderson cannot win the starting job this season, don’t expect Cleveland to live with his 2010 cap number of $11,833,334.