Browns WR Called Out as Name on Offseason Chopping Block
The Cleveland Browns could decide to shake up their wide receiver depth chart this offseason and Elijah Moore has been identified as a potential casualty.
Moore came over to the Browns last offseason in a trade from the New York Jets. He had a solid, yet slightly underwhelming season as the Browns’ No. 2 option behind Amari Cooper.
Moore finished his first campaign in Cleveland with 640 yards on 59 catches — both career highs. He only found the end zone twice and did not break 100 yards in any contest.
The Browns have Moore for one more season on a very affordable $1.87 million deal. That being said, the 23-year-old was identified as a player the Browns “must” consider cutting this offseason by Bleacher Report’s Joe Tansey.
“The contract length could be the reason why the Browns let go of Moore in the offseason. Cleveland probably will not be able to afford Moore on a new deal because of its current cap situation and the need to sign young players, like Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, to longer deals. The development of David Bell and Cedric Tillman could accelerate Moore’s exit timeline as well,” Tansey wrote. “The Browns could feel comfortable going into the 2024 season with Amari Cooper, David Njoku, Bell, Tillman and a potential high draft pick to save some money on offense.”
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Browns Need to Add More Around Amari Cooper
Cutting Moore would be a puzzling move by the Browns during an offseason where they’ll likely have to pinch pennies. Moore is on an affordable deal and proved he can play in the Browns’ system, albeit he might be more of a third option.
The top option for the Browns will be Cooper. He’s coming off another Pro Bowl season, catching 72 passes for 1,250 yards and 5 touchdowns. Cooper is also heading into the final year of his deal. The Browns will likely look at an extension this offseason.
Cleveland is heading into a crucial year when it comes to quarterback Deshaun Watson. He’s played in just 12 games over two seasons and the results on the field have been mixed. Assembling a strong arsenal of pass-catchers will give the Browns the best chance of getting the maximum results out of the move for Watson that cost the team three first-round picks and a $230 million guaranteed contract.
“I think that’s definitely [GM Andrew Berry’s] desire to add as many good players as you can,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on January 14. “But I feel really good about the guys on our roster.”
Deshaun Watson Wants Tee Higgins to Join Browns
There are some intriguing free agent wide receivers for the Browns to consider this offseason. Deshaun Watson’s preference is Tee Higgins. Higgins has spent the last four seasons with the Browns. He caught 257 passes for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns over that span.
Watson voiced his feelings on Higgins during a recent episode of his podcast “QB Unplugged.”
“We want to pass the ball,” Watson said while making his public pitch to Higgins. “That’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to pass it a lot. And we’re going to take good care of you. The Cleveland fans are going to love you to death.
“We’ve got the Clemson ties. We didn’t get to play with each other, but this is our opportunity. So like man, c’mon over to The Land.”
The Bengals have expressed that they want to find a way to keep Higgins in Cincinnati. The franchise tag could potentially be in play for the Bengals, which would take Watson’s preferred target off the market.
