The
Cleveland Browns
still don’t know who their quarterback will be in 2017, but their receiving corps is starting to come together. On Thursday, the Browns signed free agent receiver
Kenny Britt
to a four-year deal worth $32 million, including $17 million guaranteed, according to ESPN.
Signing Britt could be an indication that free agent receiver
Terrelle Pryor
won’t return to Cleveland, but we’ll see what happens with Pryor and his next move. If Pryor leaves, then Britt will likely be No. 1 on the depth chart.
The Browns drafted four receivers in 2016, including first-rounder
Corey Coleman
, fourth-rounder
Ricardo Louis
and fifth-rounders
Jordan Payton
and
Rashard Higgins
. Britt and Coleman could be the starters in Week 1, and Coleman would be the Cleveland receiver with more Fantasy upside.
We’ll see what the Browns do at quarterback before ultimately deciding on Britt’s Fantasy value, but if Cleveland brings in a rookie — the Browns own the No. 1 and No. 12 overall picks in the upcoming NFL Draft — then Britt will again be dealing with a first-year passer. Last year, Britt was the No. 1 receiver for the
Los Angeles Rams
, who had rookie quarterback
Jared Goff
.
That wasn’t exactly a bad thing for Britt, who finished as the No. 26 Fantasy receiver in standard leagues. Aside from the touchdowns, every other stat was a career high for a receiver who will be 29 in September and is entering his ninth year in the NFL.
He showed plenty of promise early in his career with the
Tennessee Titans
, especially in 2010 when he had 42 catches for 775 yards and nine touchdowns, but he’s never developed into a reliable receiver — in Fantasy or reality. Last season was easily his best year, and hopefully he’s matured.
If Britt does replace Pryor, he will step into a role that had 139 targets for 77 catches, 1,007 yards and four touchdowns last season, and Pryor was the No. 21 Fantasy receiver in standard leagues. Pryor also had to deal with the Browns’ carousel of terrible quarterbacks, which included
Cody Kessler
,
Josh McCown
,
Robert Griffin III
,
Charlie Whitehurst
and
Kevin Hogan
.
Britt will hopefully have a better quarterback situation in 2017, and he offers promise at 6-foot-3, 223 pounds with good speed. He averaged at least 14.74 yards-per-catch in each of his past three seasons with the Rams.
He’s only worth drafting with a mid-round pick in most Fantasy leagues, and I still consider him a low-end No. 3 receiver at best. There isn’t a great track record when receivers have a breakout season and then leave for a new team and a big contract, especially with a sketchy quarterback situation.
I’d rather gamble on Coleman, who struggled as a rookie with 33 catches for 413 yards and three touchdowns on 74 targets, but he started off playing well before he suffered a broken hand in practice prior to Week 3. He had seven catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns in his first two games, and hopefully he can take a big step forward in his second year.
Like Britt, Coleman’s Fantasy value will be determined by what the Browns do at quarterback. And when we get that answer, then we can decide where to draft both receivers in 2017.