The Cleveland Browns replenished their wide receiving corps on Friday, officially announcing that they have re-signed Rashard Higgins to a one-year deal.
Selected in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, the 25-year-old Higgins has spent the first four seasons of his professional career in Cleveland. In 54 games, he has totaled 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and 7 touchdowns, with his best season with the Browns coming in 2018 when he caught 39 passes for 572 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Despite entering 2019 with high expectations due to the attention that opposing defenses would be paying to Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, injuries and conflict with Cleveland's coaching staff limited the Colorado State product to appearing in just 10 games, in which he caught 4 passes for 55 yards and 1 touchdown. The high point of any otherwise underwhelming 2019 campaign came when he caught the game-winning touchdown in the Browns' win over the Buffalo Bills.
In returning to Cleveland, Higgins rejoins a Browns receiving group that still includes Beckham and Landry and just drafted Donovan Peoples-Jones in the sixth round of this past weekend's NFL Draft. Additionally, Cleveland possesses a plethora of talented tight ends in Austin Hooper, David Njoku and fourth-round pick Harrison Bryant.
To make room for the re-signing of Higgins, the Browns have waived defensive lineman Brandin Bryant.