What Could The Market Look Like For Cleveland Browns Free Agent Rashard Higgins?

The Cleveland Browns have bigger needs than depth at wide receiver. Still: Rashard Higgins’ free agency figures to be one of the most interesting ones to follow.

Higgins, 26, was originally picked by the Browns in 2016. He hit free agency after last seasontoo, ultimately coming back to Cleveland on a one-year contract. Higgins was able to put forth a better season under Kevin Stefanski after ending up in Freddie Kitchens’ doghouse the year before. Statistically, he essentially matched this breakout 2018 season where he and Baker Mayfield first developed a real chemistry. From Weeks 7-7, per PFF, Higgins was one of the top-30 receivers in the league.

Reportedly, Cleveland has already talked to Higgins about a contract extension, but it doesn’t appear that those talks have gone anywhere specific. It’s also unclear how much the Browns will want to pay for Higgins considering big cap hits for Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, plus having drafted Donovan Peoples-Jones last season.

Schematically, there also may not be a big need for a third receiver. Per Sharp Football, the Browns ran 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, three wide receiver) more than only two teams in the league. That would seem to indicate that third receiver isn’t worth a ton of money for the Browns.

However, Higgins clearly has a strong rapport with Mayfield and that probably has to matter here. It doesn’t mean the Browns should break the bank to keep Higgins, but maybe it’s worth keeping him around if the price is right. Plus, having depth at receiver can’t be bad with Beckham coming off of an ACL injury and draft resources needed to be used elsewhere for the Browns to keep moving forward. And while Peoples-Jones did have moments, but Higgins is clearly better right now.

Beckham’s future could also play a role in this. If he is dealt, that likely opens up some money for Cleveland to spend and some of that could go to Higgins. The trick there is that Beckham, as noted, is coming off of a significant injury and it seems unlikely he can be dealt for anything resembling a package that matches his talent level. So, at least to start the year, it seems likely that Beckham will in a Browns uniform.

So what would a fair deal for Higgins look like? PFF, for what it’s worth, predicted Higgins to sign a two-year deal, $10 million deal with the Titans with $5.5 million in guarantees and $4 million guaranteed at signing. That, for Cleveland, seems like a reasonable deal to work with. But it’s also possible that number gets bumped up once the top receivers on the market — Chris Godwin, Kenny Golladay, Allen Robinson, etc. — are off the board. All it takes is one team to take a flier on Higgins and pay him a little bit extra to bring him in if they miss out of one of the big names. Higgins’ camp, for that possibility alone, should probably wait to sign a deal until the other receivers are off the board. Worth noting: The NFL’s cap situation itself is still unclear and that will have a direct impact on what Higgins will make.

So will Higgins be back in Cleveland? It’s unclear right now. The price could make sense and Higgins has a fit here with Mayfield that he might not have immediately elsewhere. But the market will likely market how likely that is.