Five non-stars that the Cleveland Browns should think about extending
When comparing rosters on paper, the Cleveland Browns stack up with any other team in the NFL. Everyone knows who Cleveland’s stars are, but the depth at key positions is just as important. The Browns have only 24 players under contract for the 2023 season, and 11 of those are rookies, whether drafted or not.
The long-term depth of the roster could certainly use improving, and Cleveland has a lot of really good backups on the team right now.
Here are five guys who may not start (or play every down), but still play important roles, and should be kept around if at all possible.
5. WR Rashard Higgins
After Odell Beckham Jr. went down in Week 7, Rashard Higgins was Cleveland’s best wide receiver. In fact, he was the team’s best target in 2018 as well.
#Browns Rashard Higgins has been one of the most consistently efficient WRs in the NFL when given the opportunity
— Sam Penix (@Sam_Penix) May 23, 2021
2018:
11th in DVOA
12.0 ADOT
7.1% drop rate
51% first down rate
7.8% TD rate
2020:
3rd in DVOA
14.6 ADOT
6.4% drop rate
50.8% first down rate
6.6% TD rate pic.twitter.com/KJCJ7dPcso
When Higgins is targeted, he produces. He’s not a great athlete, but he hasn’t let that stop him from becoming a quality pro. He isn’t limited to the short area of the field like another WR on the team; he can get open in the intermediate and deep spaces, and makes the difficult catches when he’s asked to.
From the 2018 preseason, Higgins and Baker Mayfield have had wonderful chemistry with each other, which does count for something.
Higgins played 2020 on a one-year deal and will do the same thing season, counting for less than $1 million against the salary cap. That’s a steal for a player as efficient as he, and giving him a long-term deal to be part of a new-look WR corps in 2022 would be smart. He certainly deserves it.