4 Cleveland Browns who have offered almost nothing in 2021

Cleveland Browns player with no production No. 1: Rashard Higgins

It feels like we are constantly asking what value Rashard Higgins brings to the team for the last three seasons. He’s a mystery man that we just can’t crack.

When he’s on the field he usually seems to have good chemistry with Mayfield, yet he has continued to be the third or fourth wide receiver on the roster even after the departure of Odell Beckham.

For the season, Higgins has just 26 targets, 14 catches, 168 yards, and one touchdown. With a 53.8 percent catch rate, that is down nearly 20 percent compared to 2018 and 2020. I’m throwing out 2019 data because he and Freddie Kitchens never saw eye to eye for whatever reason.

Like Delpit, I often wondered why Higgins wasn’t getting time on the field, but I’m starting to think fans (me included) may just be overvaluing who Higgins is. I’m not sure he can be a consistent second or third wide receiver on an NFL roster, and I think our expectations may be too high for him.

With Jarvis Landry and Donovan Peoples-Jones the clear one and two on the roster, Higgins had a chance to step up and claim the third spot. Instead, we have just seen more three tight end sets and rookie, Anthony Schwartz getting more snaps.

I know Mayfield has made the push to keep Higgins because of their friendship, but I don’t think this relationship will make it past 2021 unless the production picks up tremendously the last seven games of the season.