Cleveland Browns: Signing Rashard Higgins now top priority

With left tackle Greg Robinson now locked up for 2019, John Dorsey and the Cleveland Browns have more projects to move to. Paying free agent wide receiver Rashard Higgins should now be the first priority for Cleveland’s front office.

The NFL offseason is picking up, with the new league year right around the corner. So as the hustle and bustle of football free agency begins, the Cleveland Browns are making sure they have all their ducks in a row. That is to say, they’re working on paying the free agents they’d really like to have back for 2019.

While Cleveland is still working on cutting the fat from their awful 2016 and 2017 seasons, there are some players that blossomed in 2018. On Tuesday, they signed left tackle Greg Robinson to a one-year deal, in hopes of bolstering their offensive line. Now, they should be turning their attention to the wide receiver corps, specifically Rashard Higgins.

Even with the Robinson deal now on the books, the Browns still have plenty of money to spend in free agency. Not only that, but Cleveland’s receivers really began to gel together after Freddie Kitchens took over the offense. Higgins, along with rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield, made for one of the NFL’s most surprising connections throughout the back half of 2018.

Higgins and Mayfield have undeniable chemistry, and that’s extremely important for a young quarterback to have. For as good as Jarvis Landry is on paper, Higgins is Mayfield’s partner in crime and greatest weapon. He flourished, even as a backup, during training camp with Mayfield, and carried that momentum throughout the year.

At only 24 years old, Higgins still has a ton of untapped potential. With 572 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2018, Higgins could be in for a breakout year next season. For the Browns, it may be best to re-sign him before it’s too late, especially on a team like the Browns, who have a need for explosive wide receivers.

As a restricted free agent, John Dorsey and the Browns can choose to bring Higgins back with an extension before 2019, and they absolutely should. Baker Mayfield needs Higgins just as much as he needs Mayfield, and the two helped each other to succeed in 2018. There’s too much chemistry here for the Browns to ignore, and re-signing Higgins would lock up a great piece at receiver, both for the present and the future.