Getty Cleveland Browns WR Rashard Higgins
Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry are going to attract their fair share of attention, both in the media and on the field with the Cleveland Browns.
And that recognition is warranted, with the duo being acknowledged as the best wide receiver tandem in the NFL. Beckham has made a trio of Pro Bowls and is one of the league’s biggest stars. And Landry — OBJ’s best friend and college teammate at LSU — has quietly been one of the most productive receivers in the league since he was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2014 draft.
That leaves guys like Rashard Higgins battling both for attention, although the man with the nickname “Hollywood” doesn’t seem to mind being out of the direct spotlight too much.
Higgins is the team’s longest-tenured pass-catcher and was with the Browns during the dreaded 0-16 campaign of 2017. He spoke earlier this offseason about the changes around Cleveland and being apart of such a talented wide receiver room.
“It does feel like we are an ultimate team,” Higgins said while on Cleveland Browns Daily. “’Damn, y’all got Odell, ya’ll got Jarvis, ya’ll got Antonio, you got Rashard too? Ya’ll like a super team bro. What are ya’ll doing over there.’ I get that a lot from people. At the end of the day, we just want to win games and if we can acquire those people who can help us win games, that’s what we are going to do.”
Why Higgins Is Due for a Breakout With Browns
Higgins was selected by the Browns in the fifth round of the 2016 draft and has been progressively better each year with the team. He went from catching just six balls for just 77 yards his rookie season to 66 in his next two combined.
Last year, the speedy wide out caught a career high 39 passes for 572 yards and four touchdowns, showing off solid chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Higgins signed a restricted free agent tender with the Browns this offseason worth 2.025 million. He will become an unrestricted free agent next year if the Browns don’t ink him to an extension.
“I like guys that are where they’re supposed to be, when they’re supposed to be there and do what they’re supposed to do,” Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens said after Friday’s training camp practice. “Higgins is a very consciences guy. I like consciences guys that want to do things the right way. He falls into that mold. And usually when the ball is in his direction, he catches the ball.”
Kitchens thinks that the chemistry Higgins gained last offseason with Baker Mayfield running the second unit will pay huge dividends this season. Mayfield is obviously now the team’s top QB and Higgins also ran a lot of plays with the Browns top unit during Friday’s practice.
“I think there’s something to that,” Kitchens said of the chemistry between the two. “This time of last year, that was Bakers’ No. 1 guy because that’s who he was taking the reps with. So I definitely think there’s a relationship there from the standpoint that he kind of knows what he’s going to do and when he’s going to do it.”
Browns are Adjusting to Life With Odell Beckham Jr.
Higgins isn’t the only wide receiver dealing with an adjusted role. With the star power that OBJ carries, even Landry — a four-time Pro Bowler and the team’s leading receiver a year ago — has had to adjust.
“I want to win,” Landry told reporters following Friday’s practice. “I think this organization is doing everything their grasp to make sure that happens. I am just happy to be a part of it, whether people say I started it or not. It is not about that to me. It is about everybody inside this building is doing what is right by the organization to make sure we can win a championship.”
The good thing for all the Browns’ pass-catchers — from Beckham to Landry, Higgins, Antoino Callaway and tight end David Njoku — is that it will be very hard for defenses to roll coverage to a single player. If opponents decide to do so, Baker and the Browns will make them pay.
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