The Cleveland Browns and wide receiver Rashard Higgins have reached an agreement on a one-year contract. Per ESPN, which first reported the agreement, Higgins will make $2.38 million in guaranteed money in 2021, his sixth season with the Browns.
How he fits: Higgins is reliable. He has excellent chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield that has spanned three different offensive systems, and Higgins had his best season last fall when he took over as a starter after Odell Beckham Jr. suffered a torn ACL. Higgins is back on a one-year deal for the second consecutive year. He likely had outside interest this year, but he knows he’ll get a chance to be a chain-mover for a Browns team that enters the season with high expectations. Higgins, 26, had 37 catches for 599 yards and four touchdowns last season.
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2021 impact: The wide receiver known as “Hollywood” will be third on the depth chart when the Browns are whole, but in his second year in Kevin Stefanski’s offense, he’ll know that he’ll have opportunities to beat zone defenses and to score touchdowns. Higgins is a shifty, sure-handed wide receiver who doesn’t have outrageous physical gifts but has a knack for getting open and making difficult catches. He’s had a fascinating career that includes getting cut by an 0-16 team but bouncing back from the practice squad to become a full-time player. He clearly believes he’ll again have a significant role on this year’s Browns.
Draft impact: None. The Browns still need to get faster at wide receiver, and they still enter this season knowing they have little to nothing committed to their top three wide receivers — Jarvis Landry, Beckham and Higgins — past this season. The Browns are invested in 22-year-old second-year player Donovan Peoples-Jones, but he’s still developing and is strictly an outside receiver. Higgins can play any position, and though he’s not considered a true deep threat, he averaged an impressive 16.2 yards per reception last season.
Cap update: Higgins is back at a team-friendly price, and the Browns maintain more than $18 million in available cap space to chase outside free agents and weigh potential trade options. There’s still a lot that must be fixed on a leaky defense if the Browns are going to become true AFC contenders, but bringing back Higgins at a reasonable price always made sense.
Outlook: Staying put was always Higgins’ best play. Given his contributions last season and his ability to get open in the red zone, the Browns wanted Higgins back. This move does not shift the balance of power in the AFC, but it helps an already loaded Cleveland offense.
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(Photo: Nic Antaya / Getty Images)
