JUST NOW: Targets for Wide Receivers in Cleveland Browns 2024 Free Agency

For the 2024 campaign, the wide receiver position could use some improvement and depth for the Cleveland Browns. These are a few players that Andrew Berry may choose to target in the upcoming free agency class.

Though not as great as in previous years, the positional needs of the Cleveland Browns this offseason will still have a big impact on general manager Andrew Berry’s decisions regarding free agency, the draft, and potential trades. In this article, we’ll examine unrestricted free agency options (players with expired contracts who have accrued four or more seasons of service) in specific positions where the Browns may benefit from an improvement, whether it be in terms of starting or depth/rotational players.

The Browns will likely pursue wide receivers with their first pick (number 54 overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft as well as through free agency and/or trade. The Browns need strong playmakers to help quarterback Deshaun Watson lead the offense to new heights because the output following Amari Cooper in 2023 was somewhat lacking. For our purposes, Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-signs with the team, while Tee Higgins of the Cincinnati Bengals and Michael Pittman of the Indianapolis Colts are assumed to be franchise-tagged.

Unless specified otherwise, please take note that all statistics were obtained from Sports Info Solutions, SumerSports, rbsdm.com, and Pro Football Focus.

A few metrics definitions used throughout

Amounts expected to be added (“EPA”) through Inside the Pylon: A football statistic called Expected Points Added (EPA) aims to quantify the worth of individual plays in terms of points. The Expected Points (EP) of the down, distance, and field position scenario at the beginning of a play are calculated, and the results are compared to the situation at the conclusion of the play. Conventional statistics typically fail to convey the differences between a three-yard gain on third-and-two and a three-yard gain on first-and-10. The Expected Points structure aids in converting unprocessed gains into useful information.

The prospect’s athletic testing results at a pro day or combine are compared to their size and past performance from players at the same position to determine their relative athletic score, or “RAS.” Each candidate receives a score ranging from 0 to 10, which is determined by comparing their RAS to historical data for the same position. compiled and computed by Pro Football Network’s Kent Lee Platte.

MOONEY, DARNELL

Age: 26.2

RAS: 7.03

PFF Projected Contract: 1-year, $9.0M

Notes: Darnell Mooney is one of the better buy-low options in the 2024 wide receiver free agency class. While his statistics in 2022 and 2023 were not of significance (less than 60 receptions and 500 yards in both seasons), he did play on a Chicago Bears team with a pass rate over expected of -4.5 percent in 2023 (6th-lowest). His best season came in 2021, during which he accumulated 1,055 yards on 134 targets and a respectable 1.72 yards per route run. He has shown an ability for separation with back-to-back seasons of average separation in excess of 3.0 yards (yards between a wide receiver and the nearest defender at the time of catch or incompletion). Mooney would serve as a nice complement to the current wide receiver room.

GABRIEL DAVIS

24.8 years old

RAS: 6.85

PFF Projected Contract: $12.0 million, one year

Notes: Gabriel Davis has spent the last four seasons with the Buffalo Bills as a vertical threat at the position, a position that the Browns have long sought. 2023 saw Davis hit 32.1 percent of his targets at a depth of 20 yards or more downfield, ranking him fourth among eligible wide receivers. On those targets, he totaled 11 receptions for 355 yards, with the sixth-highest average depth of target of 15.6 overall. The Browns will need to consider whether Davis’ explosive potential justifies the expense of trying to improve upon an offense that ranked 27th in the NFL in terms of explosive pass rate this season (6.13 percent). Davis has a history of disappearing during games.

JOSH REYNOLDS

Age: 28.9

RAS: 9.10

PFF Projected Contract: 2 years, $5.25M per season

Notes: A seven-year veteran out of Texas A&M, Josh Reynolds is coming off of his best season as a pro, accumulating 740 yards on 48 receptions (15.4 yards per reception) and six touchdowns. Further, he ranked in the top half of all wide receivers (minimum 50 targets) in EPA per target (+0.21) and positive play percentage (54.7 percent). Reynolds does his best work between the numbers, where he totaled 21 receptions on 26 targets for 375 yards, five touchdowns, and 99.2 receiving yards at the field position and at a depth of 10-19 yards downfield. As a projected cost of around $5M on an annual basis, Reynolds feels like a player Berry would target this offseason.

NOAH BROWN

Age: 28.1

RAS: 6.88

PFF Projected Contract: 2 years, $3.5M per season

Notes: After a few seasons of relative anonymity, Noah Brown has caught on in some ways over the past two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys (2022) and Houston Texans (2023). Over the two campaigns, he has generated 1,161 yards on 129 targets and five touchdowns. In 2023, Brown posted a respectable +15.65 EPA (+0.28 EPA per target), as well as 3.1 average yards after the catch above expectation, which was 2nd to only Deebo Samuel across the NFL. He may not have every down ability, but could be a depth piece at a reasonable projected contract.

MECOLE HARDMAN

Age: 25.9

RAS: 8.31

PFF Projected Contract: N/A

Notes: Outside of a brief, and somewhat bizarre short tenure with the New York Jets, Mecole Hardman has spent the entirety of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. His targets have dwindled over the past two seasons (2022 due to injury) after a career-high 89 targets in the 2021 season. Hardman’s speed and versatility could fit what the Browns would like to do on offense in the coming season(s), including pushing the ball downfield. Based on his talents, age, and assumed cap-friendly compensation, Hardman is a player who could very well outperform his contract.