The Cleveland Browns have terminated the contracts of QB Josh McCown and DB Tramon Williams

The Browns announced Tuesday that they have terminated the contracts of quarterback Josh McCown and defensive back Tramon Williams. Both players were entering the final year of their contracts with the Browns.

McCown was due $4.375 million between salary and bonuses. The 37-year old quarterback intends to continue his NFL career, as long as he can find a way onto an NFL roster. He has proven to be a valuable backup quarterback throughout his 14 seasons in the league and should attract the attention of at least one organization going forward.

McCown appeared in 13 games with 11 starts after signing with the Browns in 2015. He went 1-10 in his 11 starts in his two seasons as a Brown. He set a Browns single-game record with 457 passing yards at Baltimore on Oct. 11, 2015. In 2016, he started three of his five games and completed 90 of 165 passes for 1,100 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions. McCown struggled with injuries in his 2-year stint in Cleveland.

DB Tramon Williams signed a three-year, $21 million deal in 2015, Williams started 22 of the 27 games he appeared in for Cleveland the past 2 seasons. He was due to make $5.7 million with $1.3 million roster bonus in 2017. Williams struggled with knee and shoulder ailments throughout the 2016 season, forcing him to miss five contests. Going on 34, Williams also played some safety down the stretch in 2016, and will likely look to market his versatility as a free agent.

Neither move should have come as a surprise. The moves leave the Browns with about $105 million in salary-cap room for the 2017 roster. The team carried over $50 million in cap room from 2016 to '17.

The amount of space raises the possibility of adding a quarterback via free agency (Tyrod Taylor, Kirk Cousins), or attempting to trade for one (Jimmy Garoppolo). It will also make it easier for the Browns to franchise Terrelle Pryor.

Also, look for Browns to pay big to get help on defense, a few names to keep in mind:

CB Trumaine Johnson….above-average CB who played for Gregg Williams…
CB Stephen Gilmore...he will demand top dollar, and the Browns have it available…
G Larry Walford...only 25 years old and would be an instant upgrade.
S T.J. McDonald...played for Williams and will follow Johnson here…. will help players learn the system and he is just 25.