The Browns gave themselves more salary cap flexibility with free agency set to begin.

Left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. had $13.05 million of his $14.175 million fifth-year option converted into a bonus, a league source confirmed for the Beacon Journal. The move frees up $10.44 million in salary cap space.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero was the first to report the move. Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot was the first to report the specific amount converted.

Wills will be entering into his final year on his rookie contract. The Browns had originally picked up his fifth-year option last May, assuring the initial $14-plus-million deal.

The 2020 first-round pick (No. 10) overall out of the University of Alabama sustained a season-ending knee injury against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9 when he suffered high-grade sprain to the MCL, a low-grade sprain to the PCL and bone bruises. He had arthroscopic surgery on the knee in December.

According to OverTheCap.com, before the restructure Wills had been a $14,581,352 cap hit for the Browns. This move should push the team to about $13 million or so in space under the cap.

The free-agency negotiating period begins noon Monday. All teams must be cap compliant by 4 p.m. Wednesday when the new league year begins and teams can officially sign free agents.

The Browns restructured two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward's contract last week. That move, in which they converted $14.199 million into a signing bonus and added a void year, freed up $11,359,200 in cap space for the team.

There remain other potential moves for the Browns to make between now and Wednesday to provide them the most flexibility as they look to add players in the initial wave. The two players who remain front and center in that are quarterback Deshaun Watson and running back Nick Chubb.

General manager Andrew Berry said at the NFL combine last week that it was "not necessarily" the case that the Browns needed to restructure Watson's deal for the second year in a row. The quarterback, entering the third year of a five-year, $230-million fully guaranteed contract, is currently a nearly $64 million cap hit this upcoming season.

Chubb will be entering the final year of his three-year extension signed in 2021, although he has no guaranteed money remaining from the contract. Although the Browns aren't expected to make the star running back — who's coming off two major knee surgeries last season — a cap casualty, they are expected to restructure his deal to lower his current number of just over $15.8 million.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns open cap space by restructuring Jedrick Wills Jr.'s fifth year