The Cleveland Browns will have a busy offseason to try and determine who to bring back and who to part ways with in free agency
The Cleveland Browns and their group of free agents available to move onto other teams for the 2022 season could be big this year.
While there are several current Browns that that team should try to re-sign like tight end David Njoku and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, there are several others that will likely leave to get better contracts and better opportunities.
Let’s take a look at some of these players.
Cleveland Browns free agent No.4 to leave: D’Ernest Johnson
D’Ernest Johnson has played with the Browns these last three seasons. He went undrafted out of the South Florida University but Cleveland picked up this former fisherman from the Florida Keys and he’s been a very valuable asset to the team’s running back group.
He had a great season and filled in nicely for the primary backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. He finished two games running for over 100 yards in the two starts he made this season. He had 534 yards total and scored three touchdowns.
The highlighted game for Johnson was a Thursday Night Football contest in November when he ran for 146 yards on 22 carries against the Denver Broncos. He certainly seemed to know when the lights were on the brightest and played his best.
The fact the team has two other All-Pro backs in front of him on the depth chart will make bringing him back more difficult this offseason. He made $850,000 this season but he’s likely going to strike gold with some other NFL team. The Browns can match any offer he gets because he’s a restricted free agent, but it’s not likely that the team will counter an expensive offer.
The thought of keeping Johnson and re-signing him to a multi-year contract seems to be a stretch. However, the Browns would save some significant money if they parted ways with Kareem Hunt. His contract for 2022 is tied to being active and making the roster. Cleveland could save just under $5 million if they release him.
One wouldn’t think the team would go that direction for many reasons, including Hunt’s ties to his hometown of Cleveland. We’ll just have to see what types of offers Johnson receives.
Cleveland Browns free agent No. 3 to leave: Chris Hubbard
Chris Hubbard may have played his last season in orange and brown. He was injured early on this year and never played and now is a free agent after having signed a five-year deal for $37 million back in 2018 — which was re-worked before the 2020 season. He has been the backup tackle ever since the team had signed Jack Conklin back in 2020. Hubbard’s versatility on the line was a big plus to the team.
However, he will be 31 years old next season and may be seeking a new deal with a different team. There certainly will be a market for his talents on the line. The fact that the Browns have also been using players like offensive lineman Blake Hance in his place will make Hubbard’s likely departure something the team will be able to handle.
Hubbard’s willingness to redo his contract a couple of seasons ago to help the team sign other players during the free agency period made him a popular player for the fans and respected for his hard work and commitment to the team.
Cleveland Browns free agent to leave No. 3: Rashard Higgins
Rashard Higgins has had his high and low moments with the Browns. He came to Cleveland after being drafted by the team in 2016. The former Colorado State Ram wide receiver product has had a somewhat roller-coaster career in Cleveland.
When the Browns drafted their quarterback Baker Mayfield in 2018, Higgins had a good year and he and Mayfield seemed to have a good connection when they were both on the field. Higgins had 572 yards and four touchdowns that season.
Then 2019 happened and it was more like the “disappearing act” of Higgins. Former coach Freddie Kitchens rarely played him. It seemed to be a very odd situation all season long and he ended up with only four receptions for the entire season.
Kitchens got fired and Higgins stayed and after the next coach Kevin Stefanski took over in 2020 it became the “welcome back” show for the receiver. He produced 599 yards receiving on 37 catches. This past summer he re-signed with the Browns on a one-year contract after he had attempted to seek a new team.
What was hopefully going to be a good year again didn’t happen as he struggled to find a role in the offense. It didn’t help either that he only caught 24 passes while targeted 47 times. That’s not a good percentage and has led to speculation that Higgins will be looking elsewhere.
The team has struggled at the wide receiver position and may be looking to bring in some new free agents and draft a player or two at the wide receiver position.
Cleveland Browns free agent No. 4 to leave: Ronnie Harrison
There was a lot of hope that Ronnie Harrison would provide the Browns defense that security in the secondary. The former Jacksonville Jaguar third-round pick out of Alabama has played well in stretches but hasn’t been the impact player Cleveland was hoping to find when they made the trade for him in 2020.
Part of that is because Harrison has missed multiple games each season due to an injury. He tallied 58 tackles this year and had one interception. Last year his highlight was a big interception he made against the Indianapolis Colts where he stole a pass and ran it back 47 yards for the score. It was a great moment in time. It’s unfortunate that it was one of just a few highlights that anyone remembers.
With other players stepping in over the course of the season, like teammate M.J. Stewart, it’ll be an interesting decision by the Browns to determine who to pursue and who to say goodbye to. Stewart seems to be the fan-favorite at the moment. Would he also be the team’s favorite to reach a contract with?
With the number of unrestricted free agents at 11 for Cleveland and numerous other restricted free agents, like D’Ernest Johnson and tight end Stephen Carlson, available to explore other options for themselves, it’ll make the Browns general manager Andrew Berry and his staff a very busy group as they try and make important decisions to keep this team moving forward.
The benefit of already having built a solid nucleus of a team will help as they try and fine-tune this team and get back to the playoffs next season.