Cleveland Browns: 3 possible surprise cuts that could happen this preseason

Rashard Higgins

You would think that a player as talented and beloved as Rashard Higgins would get more than just a one year, $910k contract but that’s exactly what he got. Some people will shriek “but who else do they have at receiver?!” No one knows that’s why this is unexpected. Higgins is clearly not beloved by franchise’s new management, as this is very much a “tryout” type of contract. If Higgins doesn’t impress in the preseason but another wide receiver does, then cutting Higgins won’t be hard to do at all.

Yes, Higgins and Mayfield have a rapport with one another, Higgins also has a history of angering coaches. He rarely played under Hue Jackson, and the team was starved for wide receiver help during his tenure. Then Higgins had a public spat with Freddie Kitchens that saw him all but benched for the year. He only had four receptions for 55 yards and one touchdown in 2019.

Now, personal opinions about Jackson and Kitchens aside, it’s obvious that Higgins and the fans are hanging on to his one season of productivity in 2018 as a sign of his potential. It should be noted though that his one year of productivity never resulted in one single 100-yard game. Nor did he have more than six catches in one game.

Now, with all that said he did outperform all but one other wide receiver (Jarvis Landry). As a slot and the third receiver, he outperformed starter Antonio Callaway; performing near-identical numbers with 26 fewer chances. So he clearly made the most of his chances. So why wasn’t he given more in 2018 when it was obvious that Higgins, not Callaway should be the starter? What did interim head coach Gregg Williams see? Clearly something, otherwise Higgins would’ve been utilized far more.

There are clearly question marks around Higgins. Who is he? What kind of player is he? Was 2018 a fluke? All viable questions. Higgins has a lot to prove in this year’s preseason if he expects to make the roster.