Most of the personnel difficulties the Cleveland Browns confront as they prepare for Super Wild Card Weekend will be resolved by returning to health next season, but the wide receiver room may be a different story.
Amari Cooper was named to the Pro Bowl in 2023, but he has a salary cap hit of over $24 million following season, which could make him a cut candidate. Given Cooper’s worth to the offense during the last two seasons, even at such a steep price, the Browns will do almost anything to avert that outcome.
Beyond Cooper, Cleveland’s options at the position dwindle quickly, with Elijah Moore as the apparent No. 2 and serious questions about every other pass-catcher on the roster — save for tight end David Njoku, who also reached the Pro Bowl this season.
The Browns’ top free-agency objective, according to Bleacher Report’s NFL Staff on Wednesday, January 10, is finding another playmaking receiver to complement Cooper. Their recommendation was Marquise Brown, who is currently with the Arizona Cardinals.
The Browns’ cap position appears to be dire on paper, but they have options to free up substantial space.According to Jason Fitzgerald of Over the salary, the Browns could free up around $42 million in salary space through cuts and restructures.
That would be enough money to cover their own free agents while still leaving enough money to cover some of their most pressing requirements. One of those needs is a No. 2 receiver who can be a deep threat for [Deshaun] Watson. Both the Cardinals and the [Baltimore] Ravens have attempted to make Brown their No. 1 receiver. Although it hasn’t worked out, his quickness and propensity to make splash plays [make] him a perfect No. 2.
Marquise Brown Has Been Good, not Great, Since Entering NFL in 2019
Brown, a former Baltimore first-round pick (No. 25 overall) in 2019, is looking for his second NFL contract this offseason. He spent the first three years of his career with the Ravens before being traded to the Cardinals along with a third-round pick in exchange for a first-round pick (No. 23 overall) in 2022.
That season, the wideout completed his four-year, $11.8 million rookie contract, and Arizona re-signed him with a $13.4 million team option for the 2023 season. Brown will be eligible for free agency in March unless the Cardinals use the franchise tag to keep him, which is unlikely given his production.
Brown hasn’t been a poor pro, but he hasn’t lived up to his draft position either. According to Pro Football Reference, Brown has 313 catches for 3,644 yards and 28 touchdowns in five years in the NFL.
Spotrac estimates Brown’s market worth to be $14.8 million per year over a new four-year contract.
Browns Offense Can Capitalize Off Big-Play Threat Marquise Brown Represents
Brown has had drop concerns throughout his career, which is unfortunate, but some of his value stems from how much teams must fear his game-breaking speed. In other words, depending on the overall system, receptions are sometimes secondary to Browns.
Because of the big-play threat Brown brings, the Browns could send him deep frequently and clear spaces on the field for Cooper, Njoku, Moore, and others to operate more freely if they acquired him.
As a result, he is a logical candidate for Cleveland to target this offseason as the team looks to assemble a successful core of skill players around Watson, Joe Flacco, or both.
