Cleveland Browns roll out the red carpet for Higgins

Hollywood Higgins will still be in a starring role with the Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns fans got one of their wish list items checked off on Wednesday night as it was reported that Rashard Higgins will return to the team for the 2021 season.

ESPN’s Jake Trotter reported that Higgins will have a one-year deal worth $2.38 million and all of it being fully guaranteed.

Higgins is a huge fan favorite in The Land and this move should please (most) Browns fans. The deal is like a hometown discount, as Higgins likely could have gotten more money on the open market as he was an unrestricted free agent.

General manager Andrew Berry is having yet another good offseason, despite many on social media wanting him to speed up the process and spend some money. Berry bringing Higgins back on such a cheap deal is a win-win for all involved.

Higgins gets to continue to grow in head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense, which is big for the continued development of quarterback Baker Mayfield. Higgins gets a fully guaranteed deal and it can be a “prove it” type of deal. Next season, should the two parties decide to part ways, Higgins will likely have a lot of suitors who could potentially give him a higher payday.

This, of course, depends on the play of Higgins in 2021, but if 2020 was any indicator, Higgins will be just fine.

The 26-year old caught 37 of 52 targets for 599 yards and four touchdowns last year. According to a tweet from Pro Football Focus, he was graded at 73.4, good for 46th in the NFL at his position. He stepped up in a big way when fellow wideout Odell Beckham Jr. went down with a season-ending injury. An underrated part of his game is his downfield blocking in Stefanski’s run-heavy offense.

Now, back to the chemistry between Higgins and Mayfield. This is something you hear ad nauseam any time you hear of Higgins and his impact on the Browns. But to take it a step further, Mayfield had a passer rating of 119.2 when targeting Higgins. The two connected on seven of 11 passes of more than 20-yards downfield. As aforementioned, Higgins will play a pivotal role in the progression of Mayfield.

While the majority of Browns fans would have hoped to have landed a premier EDGE rusher to compliment Myles Garrett, with the addition of safety John Johnson, many will be happy that the Browns rolled out the red carpet for “Hollywood” Higgins.

The Browns and Higgins are a good fit together and this deal made all the sense in the world for both the organization and the player.