The Browns are expected to part ways with wide receiver Rashard Higgins, according to sources who spoke with Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Nothing’s official yet, but that’s the likely outcome as the Browns look ahead to free agency later this month. Cabot also hears that defensive tackle Malik McDowell is trending towards a non-tender. 
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The 2016 fifth-round pick has spent his entire career in Cleveland, appearing in 82 regular season games in parts of six seasons. The wideout had one of his best seasons in 2020, hauling in 37 receptions for 599 yards and four touchdowns. In 2021, he finished with just 24 grabs for 275 yards and one touchdown in 15 games. All in all, the 27-year-old has collected 137 career receptions for 1,890 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Higgins re-upped with the Browns last year on a one-year, $2.37MM deal. He likely could have fetched a similar contract in 2021 but, this time around, he’d be looking at a much softer market.
Just a year ago, the Browns figured their receiving corps was set for years to come with Higgins backing top targets Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. Now, OBJ is in Los Angeles following a messy divorce and Landry profiles as a potential release candidate. The five-time Pro Bowler has one year left on his deal with a 2022 cap hit of $16.4MM — cutting him would clear the bulk of it with just $1.5MM in dead money remaining. A restructuring is also possible, though they’d have to furnish Landry with more in the way of guarantees.
In other Browns news, the team is reportedly willing to keep tight end David Njoku off the market with a ~$10MM/year deal.
Well this is silly. Letting Beckham walk opened up a starting spot, or at least one with more field time, for Cleveland at receiver. Mayfield has probably the best connection with Higgins, and looks much better with him on the field. I can’t imagine Higgins commanding a huge contract, certainly less than Cleveland is willing to shell out for Njoku, so I don’t see how they plan to “fix” their offense by letting their receivers go.
With OBJ being useless and then gone and Landry struggling you would think Higgins had every chance to shine this past year and didn’t. I like Higgins and he’s a serviceable 3rd/4th receiver but there’s no reason to pay him when you can replace his production easily with someone cheaper, younger, or better depending on how they want to allocate funds. I agree with you that paying Njoku a ton is baffling.
I’ve never understood why Higgins hasn’t put up better numbers. He’s very similar in that regard to James Washington of the Steelers. Everyone constantly talks up both guys as prime candidates to be major contributors but for various reasons they seldom have been.
Higgins biggest problem this past year was the timing of his drops (Landry too). It’s hard for a QB, even one that’s desperate for reliable receivers like Baker to go back to the guy who just dropped a big 3rd down conversion. Between Peoples-Jones and Schwartz (who they drafted last year) that’s an acceptable 3rd and 4th WR, just need to make a splash and get a new 1st and 2nd and probably draft a mid-round receiver to develop.
I see that point, but do you really want to leave your QB who struggled last year with a corps of completely new receivers? It would behoove the Browns to retain at least that Mayfield has a connection with so he won’t have to rebuild completely in a make it or break it year.
Aside from Peoples-Jones,Hollywood was the only chemistry Baker has. I don’t think Baker figures in long-term here.