Cleveland Browns predicted to regret signing Austin Hooper

Bleacher Report came out with an article saying which free agent signing was the worst for each team. For the Cleveland Browns it was Austin Hooper.

The Cleveland Browns made a lot of moves this offseason and most got solid reviews. However, as Browns fans know all too well, not all of those moves are guaranteed to pan out. And according to Brent Sobleski, there’s one in particular that they might regret.

It wasn’t paying $6 million dollars a year to back up quarterback Case Keenum or signing the most coveted free agent in Jack Conklin who isn’t as good pass blocking as run blocking. Sobleski — who picked one player from every team that could be a regrettable signing — thinks tight end Austin Hooper was the worst move by the Browns.

Hooper was the best tight end on the market and he signed a four-year $44 million deal. The article points out that in two years Hooper is projected to be the highest-paid tight end, although somebody will probably sign a bigger deal before that.

More from Dawg Pound Daily

• How the Browns could maximize Nick Chubb in 2023
• Can Deshaun Watson get to Patrick Mahomes level for Cleveland Browns?
• 3 Cleveland Browns who should see an expanded role in 2023 and 1 who should not
• Is Marcus Davenport on the Browns radar in 2023?
• 5 Free agents from Super Bowl LVII Cleveland Browns should target

He also quotes an anonymous NFL evaluator who said that Hooper doesn’t have the ability to split out wide and win, those are the tight ends who should be highest-paid. He may not have the ability to split out but he hit the market at the right time so he will be the highest-paid that’s how it works.

Hooper has produced the number however, he made the pro bowl the last two seasons. In 2018, he had 71 catches 660 yards and four touchdowns and 2019 was his best he had 75 receptions 787 yards and six touchdowns.

Another tight end will need a new contract, like George Kittle, and then they will become the highest-paid so Hooper may never technically been the highest-paid tight end.

Even if he was, it wouldn’t be a bad move by the Browns and their new head coach Kevin Stefanski whose offense features two tight ends a lot. His old team the Minnesota Vikings drafted a tight end last year when they already had pro-bowler Kyle Rudolph.

Vikings tight ends caught 75 passes last season and that’s without the 17 receptions C.J. Ham had who is listed as a full back but he lines up at tight end as well.

With David Njoku on the roster the Browns will have a good combination that might be better than what Stefanski had in Minnesota and neither one of them should be asked to split out wide that often in this zone run offense.

Hooper knows how to get open and will be a safety blanket for quarterback Baker Mayfield so he will have a lot of catches. It’s debatable whether Cleveland overpaid for him or not but this offense needed him and he will have an impact.