Browns: Rashard Higgins should only be brought back if it’s a perfect situation

Rashard Higgins isn’t a bad receiver at all, but the Cleveland Browns need to find speed at the position and can’t afford to overpay for Higgins.

Rashard Higgins had a viable year as a Browns receiver. He stepped up in a huge way after Odell Beckham got hurt, and became the team’s second receiving option. Not a bad spot for him at all. He put up 599 yards, four touchdowns and did it all on 37 receptions. He was only targeted 52 times and really didn’t see much playing time before Week 6.

Had Higgins played at the same rate the whole year, it’s likely he would’ve broken 1,000 yards.

Higgins is a free agent now but he wants to stay. When talking to Emmett Golden of ESPN Cleveland, Higgins was adamant about staying.

"Don’t give up on me, I didn’t give up on you. Tell Andrew to send the papers and I’ll sign where I need to sign."

The problem is, the offense needs help. If there is no one else signed, traded for, or drafted and the Browns can bring back Higgins on a fair deal; then they should. The only problem is, someone will be signed, traded for, or drafted. So what happens if the Browns do obtain a new set of hands for the receiver corps, does Higgins come back?

Only if a perfect series of events occurs.

Firstly, let’s assume that the Browns are bringing in a speedster or just another receiver. If that happens, Higgins is, at best fourth on the depth chart. That’s without factoring in Donovan Peoples-Jones or Ryan Switzer who are both faster than Higgins. Secondly, what will Higgins want financially? Would it even make sense to offer him what he wants knowing he’ll be fourth on the depth chart?

This all changes if the Browns move Beckham, which they should; he’s far from what he once was.

If the Browns move Beckham and still bring in another receiver, then Higgins would be an obvious fit. The money wouldn’t need to be as limited and there’d be plenty of opportunities. That’s a big if, though. For whatever reason, the Browns love Beckham.

Hopefully, Higgins is brought back. He’s the only remaining player from the Browns 2016 NFL Draft class. As long as he’s on the team producing, that draft class isn’t an absolute disaster.