Cleveland Browns: 15 best free agent acquisitions of all-time

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Joe Jurevicius was seen as a hometown hero when he decided to join the Browns in 2006 on a four-year contract. This came after a successful career that started in 1998 when the New York Giants selected him at No. 55 overall. The Penn State product played four seasons in the Big Apple before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002 for three seasons.

While there, Jurevicius continued to be a reliable target — especially on third downs. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, he was the prototypical possession receiver. He was also a big part of the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl win after the 2002 season when they defeated the Oakland Raiders. In that game, Jurevicius had 78 yards receiving to lead Tampa Bay on just four catches.

He later joined the Seattle Seahawks and had his best season as a pro. At 31 years of age, Jurevicius recorded 10 touchdowns on a career-high 55 receptions. It was after that season when he signed his contract with the Browns.

In 2006, he performed well for them with 495 yards and four touchdowns and led the NFL with 29 receptions on third downs. That was even with him missing three games during the season. He played all 16 games in 2007 and was a big part of the Browns’ last winning season. Jurevicius was credited with 50 receptions for 614 yards and three touchdowns and led the NFL with 29 receptions on third downs.

Unfortunately, that ended up being the last we saw of Jurevicius, as his 2008 season ended before it began due to knee surgery and a subsequent staph infection. The Browns were named in a lawsuit filed by the receiver, as his career with the team ended on a sour note. Still, he was one of their few free agent receivers to ever live up to the expectations that came with his contract during his time with the team.