Browns now employ NFL's highest-paid long snapper

Everyone knows the first step in turning a perennial dud into a championship contender is getting the right long snapper.

Assuming that statement is correct (don't ask questions), the Cleveland Browns put an emphasis on the guy who chucks the ball through his legs for a living, signing Charley Hughlett to a six-year contract that will make him the NFL's highest-paid long snapper, according to his agent Brett Tessler.

Hughlett's salary wasn't specified, but Tennessee Titans' Beau Brinkley previously held the claim of highest-paid long snapper, earning $1.15 million per season, according to spotrac.com. Not a bad way to make a buck.

The 26-year-old Hughlett has been in the NFL since 2012, spending two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and making seven team changes in 2014 before landing in Cleveland.

The Browns lead the league in cap space with a whopping $108.8 million to spend. Cleveland can't just sit on that money as there's a minimum amount teams are required to spend on their roster, and signings like this will help reach the floor. The Browns won't know the exact minimum they need to hit until the official 2017 salary cap number is released in March.

Cleveland also helped close the gap by giving linebacker Jamie Collins a four-year, $50-million deal in January after trading for the defender in October.