Getty Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns talks with Amari Cooper #2 during the Cleveland Browns offseason workout at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 1, 2022 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Browns appear just a few players shy of erasing all areas of obvious weakness from their roster. While the key unit left to address remains the interior of the defensive line, the team may also look to add another wide receiver to a position group filled with mostly young, inexperienced NFL pass catchers.
A handful of names have been discussed over the course of the offseason. The leader in the clubhouse for much of that time was recently released Browns wideout Jarvis Landry, who the franchise cut to clear approximately $15 million in cap space but who was almost immediately interested in re-signing when it became clear that quarterback Deshaun Watson would replace Baker Mayfield under center moving forward.
Cleveland eventually offered Landry a one-year contract at a discount from his previous salary but the wide receiver, for whatever reason, found that agreement not to his liking. After Landry rejected the offer, the Browns went into the NFL Draft intent on nabbing a pass catcher and did just that, adding David Bell out of Purdue University. Talks with Landry cooled and the five-time Pro Bowler eventually signed a one-year, prove-it deal with the New Orleans Saints.
Since then, Browns insiders like Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com have reported that the franchise is not in hot pursuit of any additions at wideout. However, multiple names remain available on the free agent market who would undoubtedly add experience to the Browns’ young pass catching corps, as well as layers to the offense.
Among them is Will Fuller, Watson’s former teammate with the Houston Texans, who the franchise has expressed interest in previously this offseason and who one ESPN insider says is the best fit for Cleveland.
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Fuller Would Slot in Well Alongside Browns Current Wide Receivers
Getty ImagesWide receiver Will Fuller, formerly of the Houston Texans, warms up before a game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on September 9, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Matt Brown of ESPN took a look at the top 10 remaining free agents in the NFL as of Thursday, June 2. Slotting in at No. 10 on that list was Fuller.
Brown said that while the former first-round pick and bonafide deep threat has some legitimate red flags, namely his inability to consistently stay on the field, he still makes a lot of sense for Cleveland on a one-year value contract.
Fuller’s availability issues are a real concern. In six pro years, he has never played a full season. Even so, the vertical element he brings to the field — the ability to run past the top of the secondary — should help him draw some interest over the summer and into training camp. Fuller’s 14.4 air yards per reception ranks third in the NFL since 2016.
He played with new Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in Houston, and coach Kevin Stefanski schemes his play-action concepts, especially shot-play throws off max-protection, to create third-level voids to target. The Browns traded for Amari Cooper this offseason, and they do already have some straight-line speed on the roster in Donovan Peoples-Jones and Anthony Schwartz. But why not take a flier on Fuller as another deep-ball option for Watson?
Fuller Would Not Come at High Cost or High Risk to Browns
GettyWide receiver Will Fuller, formerly of the Houston Texans, warms up before a game against the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium on September 20, 2020 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
Fuller was ranked 81st on Pro Football Focus’s (PFF) list of free agents heading into the offseason. Billed as both a deep threat and a No. 3 option on an NFL offense, PFF projected a deal of $7 million (with $6 million of that guaranteed) over one season for the wideout.
At that price, or even cheaper, Fuller would be a fit for a Browns team that has broken the bank this summer to compete in what is now an unreasonably stacked AFC. Due to some fancy cap maneuvering, however, Cleveland still has $40 million to spend before the season begins.
A suspension to close out the 2020 season was likely a factor in Fuller signing a one-year, $10 million flier with the Miami Dolphins for the 2021 campaign. However, the season did not go as planned, with a finger injury landing him on injured reserve for just about the entire year. He’ll again likely be fielding one-year offers, as teams need to see him stay healthy and active for a full season for the first time in his career.
Fuller is the ultimate receiver tease in the NFL. An elite deep threat who immediately makes every offense he is on better, he can’t stay on the field. Almost every NFL offense should be interested if the price is right, but they need to expect he will miss time, and that’s a gamble many teams want no part of.