On Friday February 28, Rashard Higgins appeared on WKNR’s “The Next Level.” The receiver made it very clear that he wanted to re-sign with the Browns in NFL Free Agency and remain in Cleveland as long as possible.
““Don’t give up on me. I never gave up on y’all,” Higgins said Friday. “Tell [General Manager] Andrew [Berry] to send the papers, and I’m signing wherever I’ve got to sign. That’s all I’ve got to say.” (BrownsWire)
On Thursday evening, the two sides came to an agreement on a one-year deal worth $2.38 million. Shortly after signing, Baker Mayfield and Rashard Higgins made it official with this Twitter exchange:
I made the case earlier in the offseason that re-signing Rashard Higgins needed to be the team’s first goal heading into next year. Higgins played for the Browns last year on a contract that only paid him $910,000. Both sides seem to be happy that the man they call “Hollywood” will be back in orange and brown this fall.
How Rashard Higgins Helps the Browns
Higgins is more than just a third receiver to the Browns offense. With two good receivers on the outside, Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr., Higgins should see plenty of action playing in the slot and on the outside. Last year, Higgins had 37 receptions for 599 yards and four touchdowns. Odell Beckham Jr. should be healthy come opening week, as long as the Browns hang on to him, so OBJ, Landry and Higgins would be an outstanding trio of receivers for Baker Mayfield to throw to.
On top of his stats, Higgins seems to be Mayfield’s favorite target, other than Landry. All in all, this is a great signing by the Browns, as it assures that the Browns will retain all the main pieces of their offense into next year. However, the Browns in no way should be done in free agency.
Here are some other names to watch for in the Browns free agency.
Names to Watch in NFL Free Agency
Adoree’ Jackson, CB
Adoree’ Jackson was one of the surprising cuts in the NFL over the past couple of weeks. He’s still very young, only 25, and has blazing speed. On top of all of that, since 2018, Jackson ranks fourth in the league with a coverage grade of 85.6, when lined up on the outside. Jackson would be a huge lift for a secondary that just added an All-Pro-caliber safety. Surely other teams will be interested in Jackson. It will all come down to numbers with him.
Danny Shelton, DT
Danny Shelton is a familiar face around Berea. He was the Browns’ first-round pick in 2015 out of Washington. The Browns ended up parting ways with the nose tackle in a trade to the Patriots, in 2018. However, after spending last year in Detroit, he is once again looking for a new home. With Larry Ogunjobi signing with the Bengals, getting a low-cost guy like Shelton to fill in for him is a great idea. The truth is, Shelton was always a good player, he was just taken way too high in the draft for a nose-tackle.
Richard Sherman, CB
Just about 3-4 years ago, Richard Sherman was the best corner in the league and it wasn’t particularly close. However, now that we’re 3-4 years down the line, Sherman’s stock has dropped a bit. He is clearly not the same player he was in Seattle, but he is still one of the best corners in the game. The Browns would be wise to check on Sherman, and keep tabs on him, regarding the money he is getting offered. Sherman would come in right away and make the Browns secondary one of the best in the NFL. The Browns already signed John Johnson III, so Sherman would be an added bonus.
