UPDATE: The Browns have also agreed to terms with former Chicago Bears wide receiver Earl Bennett, according to reports. Bennett had 32 receptions for 243 yards and four touchdowns in 15 games last season.
Browns agree to contract terms with Miles Austin, Earl Bennett
The Browns finally obtained some receiving help for Johnny Manziel. Can Miles Austin regain the form he showed in his prime with the Cowboys?
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Browns have finally addressed their wide receiver woes, signing Miles Austin, the team announced Thursday. Austin had been on the free agent market since being released from the Dallas Cowboys in March coming off an injury-plagued 2013 season. He is now arguably the best (available and healthy) receiving target on the team.
The Browns' receiving depth chart may have taken major blows during the week of the 2014 NFL Draft. It was revealed that Josh Gordon, coming off two breakout seasons, could be facing a yearlong ban for testing positive for marijuana. During the draft, news arose that Nate Burleson had suffered an arm fracture and would be forced to sit until training camp, at the very least. Despite uncertainty surrounding their top two targets, the Browns neglected to draft a wide receiver this past weekend.
Excluding Gordon and Burleson, the Browns' depth chart includes Greg Little and Andrew Hawkins in addition to Austin. Little was considered a breakout candidate prior to the last two seasons after a strong 2011 rookie campaign, but his receptions and receiving yardage have declined each year since. Hawkins had just 12 receptions in eight games with the Cincinnati Bengals last season.
Austin caught 81 passes for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2009, but has struggled to reproduce those numbers. He has not had a 1,000-yard season since 2010, falling 57 yards short in 2012. He appeared in just 11 games last season due to hamstring issues and finished the year with 24 receptions for 224 yards and no touchdowns.
The Browns drafted Johnny Manziel with the 22nd overall pick last Thursday, presumably so he can become the team’s starting quarterback. He is entering the league at the same time that the Browns’ AFC North foes are stockpiling defensive talent. The Bengals, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers combined to draft defenders with seven of their 10 picks in the first three rounds.
It remains to be seen whether the Browns have done enough to help their quarterback. In addition to Austin, the Browns added offensive tackle Joel Bitonio and running back Terrance West in the second and third rounds, respectively, to combat their rivals’ defensive reinforcements, but they may still have more work to do. Cleveland finished 17th in the NFL in total offense last season, and 27th at 19.2 points per game.
Terms of Austin’s deal have yet to be revealed. The timing of the announcement is somewhat curious, coming one day after Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett told the team’s official site that Dallas would welcome back the wide receiver.
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