3 wide receivers Browns could sign after missing out on Brandon Aiyuk trade

The Cleveland Browns appeared to be in the mix for Brandon Aiyuk, who the San Francisco 49ers might look to trade after the two are not on the same page concerning a contract extension. According to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports, Aiyuk isn't interested in joining the Browns and that means the dream of him donning the brown and orange jerseys isn't going to happen.

The Browns had reportedly offered to send the Niners Amari Cooper along with a second and fifth-round pick in exchange for Aiyuk but the 49ers wide receiver put an axe on the deal. Unfortunately, the Steelers still appear to be in the running for Aiyuk's services, meaning he could be coming to the AFC North, just not in a Browns uniform.

With Aiyuk not coming to Cleveland, who are some other receivers the Browns could look to add? It's worth noting that the team does have some pretty talented names at the position but more depth is always a good thing. Here are three wide receivers still waiting for an NFL home that the Browns could bring in.

Michael Thomas

Browns fans remember Thomas from his days at Ohio State where he played from 2012 to 2015 before hearing his name called in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. Thomas spent the next eight years in the Big Easy and had a sensational 2019 campaign where he won Offensive Player of the Year after tallying over 1,700 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

Thomas' production declined rapidly after that season and unfortunately for the Saints, they had paid him a lot of money to keep putting up those 2019 numbers and that didn't happen. The good news for if the Browns did decide to bring Thomas in is that he wouldn't be expected to be the main weapon like he was in New Orleans. Amari Cooper is the main threat for the receivers so there wouldn't be the same kind of pressure on the former Saint.

While Thomas could simply need a change of scenery, the recent injuries and inconsistencies are likely why he hasn't been signed anywhere else yet. He's also proven to be a bit of a drama king in recent years as well, which could be scaring teams off as well.

JuJu Smith-Schuster

Smith-Schuster played against the Browns frequently for the first five years of his career, having been a second-round pick by the Steelers in 2017. He looked to be on his way toward becoming one of the best receivers in the league over his first two years but dropped off after that and moved on from Pittsburgh after his rookie deal was up.

Smith-Schuster signed with the Chiefs in 2022 and ended up being their best weapon after Tyreek Hill was traded. This led to the former USC Trojan landing a nice deal with the Patriots in 2023 but after one year, he's back in the free agency pool waiting to find a new team to swim with.

The fear with Smith-Schuster is that he is coming off an abysmal season in New England, tallying just 260 yards and a touchdown in 11 games. The year before that, however, he had 933 yards and three touchdowns with the Chiefs. This really could have been a case of bad quarterback-itis in New England and there's no doubt that Smith-Schuster would have an upgrade in Cleveland.

Hunter Renfrow

It wasn't long ago when Renfrow was one of the best weapons in the NFL, finishing his 2021 campaign with 1,038 yards and nine trips into the end zone while donning the silver and black in Las Vegas. Renfrow and the Raiders parted ways this past offseason and he's still waiting to find a new team in 2024.

Renfrow appeared in every game in 2023 but had just 255 yards and the year before only totaled 330 yards. He's proven in the past that he can be a reliable weapon but he needs the right quarterback and the right offense. Kevin Stefanski could hopefully get more out of Renfrow and he wouldn't be tasked with being the main threat in the offense if the Browns did opt to sign him.

Renfrow could be a case of needing a change of scenery and it wouldn't break the bank to bring him to Cleveland.