The Cleveland Browns‘ first priority this offseason is rebounding from the litany of injuries that left them shorthanded for the playoffs. Also near the top of the list should be picking up another playmaker to pair alongside five-time Pro Bowler Amari Cooper.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report on Tuesday, January 16, put together a list of three things that Browns general manager Andrew Berry must accomplish over the offseason to first get back to the playoffs in 2024, and then avoid another early and embarrassing exit. Procuring a true No. 2 wide receiver was appropriately the second item on said list.
Knox mentioned both Tee Higgins of the Cincinnati Bengals and Michael Pittman Jr. of the Indianapolis Colts alongside perhaps the best candidate, Calvin Ridley of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“[David] Bell, [Cedric] Tillman and [Elijah] Moore are all mid-level, complementary receivers at this point in their careers. That may change as they continue to develop, but it’s time for Berry to go after a No. 2 target with more upside,” Knox wrote. “Targeting a receiver like … Ridley in free agency would be difficult — the Browns are projected to be $13.9 million over the cap [as of Tuesday] — but not impossible.”
Browns May Have to Pay Justin Ridley Upwards of $17 Million Annually on WR’s First Big NFL Contract
Ridley wasn’t a Pro Bowler in 2023, but his stat line put him in the arena for at least the second time in his relatively young career.
The 29-year-old appeared in all 17 games and finished the campaign with 76 catches for 1,016 yards and 8 TDs, according to Pro Football Reference. Ridley missed the entirety of the 2022 season due to a suspension over gambling on NFL games (not his own). He appeared in only five games the year prior due to a foot injury.
However, Ridley amassed 90 catches for 1,374 yards and 9 touchdowns for the Atlanta Falcons in 2020. That production combined with his production in 2023 is indicative of what the free agent’s next team can expect during the upcoming season, assuming relative health.
Spotrac projects Ridley’s market value at $68 million over a new four-year contract ($17 million annually). He played out the $11.1 million fifth-year option of his rookie deal in 2023. That year of Ridley’s deal would have come in 2022, however the NFL’s suspension of the wide receiver pushed it back one season.
Ridley will officially hit the market when free agency opens on March 13.
Browns WR Amari Cooper Put Up 5th Pro-Bowl Season in 2024
Ridley would likely prove a powerful option alongside Cooper in the Browns’ passing game, particularly if the offense continues to press the ball downfield with Deshaun Watson in the lineup — as they did so successfully over the final five games of the 2023 regular season under backup QB Joe Flacco.
Cooper was a beneficiary of that style, amassing 25 catches for 485 yards and 3 TDs across four games played with Flacco, the first of which the wide receiver exited before halftime due to a head injury. The strong end to Cooper’s season helped him earn Pro-Bowl honors for the fifth time in his career on the strength of 72 catches for 1,250 yards and 5 TDs.
It was the second consecutive strong season Cooper has produced since the Browns acquired him in trade from the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the 2022 campaign. Cooper is entering the final season of a five-year, $100 million contract and carries a salary cap hit of $23.8 million in 2024.
