Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver Contracts & Analysis

After trading for Jerry Jeudy the Cleveland Browns extended him to a three year deal worth $52.5m. While this might seem like a lot of money it is betting on the upside of what the player can produce. The goal here is for him to become an above average wide receiver two for the Cleveland Browns. He should easily be able to produce to this level and if he can be top eight of second choice wide receivers then they will have a really talented group to help elevate their quarterback.

Here is a look at the highest wide receiver deals from Over The Cap, all the active ones are in green. The value of getting a deal done early is while he is currently the 21st most expensive wide receiver in the league, it will not take long until he is outside of the top 32. This could even be close before he even plays the first snap of the new deal which kicks off for the 2025 season.

After Jeudy’s deal we have to jump to $15m a year for Tyler Lockett & Courtland Sutton and then after this it is $13m for Darnell Mooney, Gabriel Davis & DeAndre Hopkins.

He is going into the final year of his rookie deal, he achieved the proven performance escalator so he is due $3,116,000 for the 2024 season but there is no guarantees in this. They could look to restructure this and move some money into the future but it would take the player to agree to the deal. An extension seems unlikely after they paid Jeudy, it would only work if they didn’t extend Cooper.

Hopefully he can have a good year during the 2024 season as the teams third wide receiver and then cash in during free agency, potentially netting the Cleveland Browns a compensation pick depending how active they are in free agency next year.

There are no guarantees remaining in Tillman’s deal, the aim will be for him to try and work his way up the depth chart this season and become the Cleveland Browns third wide receiver next offseason. He remains cheap for the next few years so even if he only becomes depth as the fourth choice on the depth chart there is value to offer.

David Bell has disappointed in his first two years with the Cleveland Browns, year three is going to be his most important and it is for the majority of NFL players. This is the year when teams want to make decisions on the future of the player with this team. It is the first time they can go ahead and extend the player or in the following year they are looking to the draft to try and find a replacement for the player.

I struggle to see a future for David Bell on the team but if he doesn’t have a good season in 2024 then there is a good chance he isn’t on the team beyond 2025 training camp.

JAMARI THRASH

We likely won’t see much of Trash in his first year, that isn’t a surprise as they have a deep and talented wide receiver room already. It will be seeing if he can step up and take a role as the teams third or fourth wide receiver next season.

He missed the 2023 season on the non football injury list as well as having some time suspended. It seems unlikely that he can make the 53 man roster this season, he might stand a chance to make the practice squad. He didn’t get an accrued season for 2023 meaning he won’t take one of the six veteran practice squad spots.

He signed a veteran salary benefit deal worth $1,125,000 but it will only count as $985,000 on the salary cap. The deal has no guarantees and he is trying to battle for a roster spot, he would need the team to want him as their sixth wide receiver and a key member of the special teams unit. He is trending to be a practice squad player who they might call up as an option for the return game if Hines goes down.

Darden has two accrued seasons and is under contract for $985,000 in 2024 and if he made the team for a year he would be a restricted free agent in 2025.

Since he already has two accrued seasons he would need to take one of the teams six veteran spots on the practice squad.

Given the fact they were willing to give him $150,000 of guaranteed base salary they certainly have an interest in putting him on the practice squad for the upcoming season.

He got a minimum deal worth $915,000 in 2024 with no guarantees. He only has one accrued season so they have two years of cheap control before he would become a restricted free agent. For me he is a camp body, that while chasing the chance to make the practice squad, has a low chance.

He played 92 preseason snaps with the Seahawks last season as a UDFA, and he then spent time on their practice squad before moving to Carolina. As a result, he will probably sign a one-year contract of $795,000 with no guarantees because he has no accrued seasons.

If he makes the 53-man roster before turning become a restricted free agent in 2027, he will then be an exclusive rights free agent for the 2025 and 2026 season.

His 40-yard sprint time of 4.37 and his 9.85 RAS demonstrate his exceptional speed, making him an excellent athlete. He provides value to the defensive staff by enabling them to test their secondary against elite speed, even though these are the players you want to take a chance on to try and make the squad and have a breakout in camp.

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