Lately, there have been serious concerns surrounding Diontae Johnson, whom the Browns recently signed to a one-year deal after a disastrous season in which he spent time on three different teams’ rosters. Johnson, who brings with him a less-than-sterling reputation, has yet to take the field with his new team in OTAs, a move which thus far hasn’t sat well with Browns fans. If, as some fear, Johnson fails to fit into the role as the team's starting slot receiver, Browns brass will have to begin searching for someone else.
Of course, there’s already some extra receiving talent hiding deeper in the depth chart, such as David Bell, DeAndre Carter, and Jamari Thrash, to name just a few players looking to fill Johnson’s shoes. Any one of these young players may very well rise to the challenge and seize the role as starting WR3 alongside solid starters Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman. However, if the Browns decide that none of these are the perfect fit, there are plenty of other fish in the sea worth a look in the form of free agents.
Here, the Browns face a difficult challenge. Without much money to spend, thanks in part to Deshaun Watson’s record-setting contract, which is yet to yield any positive results, the Browns are looking to get the most bang for their remaining bucks. They need to solve their receiver problem on the cheap, especially if they want to have some pennies left in the piggy bank to shore up some glaring needs at other positions.
The consensus best receiver available on the free agent market is Keenan Allen. Unfortunately for the Browns, the possibility of landing this big fish can be dismissed out of hand with an understanding of Allen’s Average Annual Value (AAV), the total contract value of a player, which is then divided by the number of years the contract is for. According to Spotrac last year, Allen’s AAV was $20,025,000, which is far more than the Browns could even imagine spending on a WR3 right now.
The same logic applies to Amari Cooper. If any Browns fans were hoping to bring Cooper back to Cleveland, they can keep dreaming, as his AAV last year was a similarly unaffordable $20 million.
Moving on down the list of available receivers closer to the Browns’ limited budget, there is Gabe Davis, who would be an excellent option if he were only a bit cheaper than his likely $13 million price tag. The Browns could probably pull together the cash to sign Davis, but then would have little left over to invest in other critical position needs.
D.J. Chark is certainly affordable, with an estimated market AAV around $1.45 million, but from a sheer production standpoint, he inspires little more interest than Diontae Johnson, who the Browns already have tentatively as their current WR3.
Not that anyone is clamoring to have him back in Cleveland, but even though Odell Beckham is currently a free agent, burned bridges and poor production almost ensure that he is crossed off the list, too.
Browns Must Pursue WR Tyler Boyd in Free Agency
There is one player on the free agent market, though, who is not only affordable but has the full package the Browns need in a starting WR3. Tyler Boyd is more than his modest stat lines suggest; he is a young man with an inspiring rags-to-riches story who deserves to write his next couple chapters in Cleveland.
Once a division rival in Cincinnati, Boyd proved he could thrive in the three spot during his years playing alongside more well-known stars Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. This season, he’ll be looking to bounce back after an underwhelming year in Tennessee on a new team willing to put him to work.
Spotrac estimates Boyd’s market AAV at just north of $2 million, which would mean that the Browns could pick up Boyd at a price they can afford and still have plenty left in the rainy day fund to pursue additional talent where they need it most, especially on defense.
For those who know even a little bit about him off the field, it's clear that Boyd’s a natural fit for the ongoing (and yes, uphill) Browns’ redemption story. He would not only add some needed character caché to the locker room but would also bring depth, experience, and production to a receiver corps that has many onlookers wanting more.