Cleveland Browns Free Agent Review: WR position – Injury issues and return men

Marquise Goodwin, Jakeem Grant, and James Proche — does the team bring them back?

Next up on our preview of Cleveland Browns’ free agents is the wide receiver position. The Browns have three receivers set to hit the open market in March: Marquise Goodwin, Jakeem Grant Sr, and James Proche II.

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How and When They Joined the Browns

Grant signed with the Browns during the 2022 offseason. He had been one of the best special teams returners in the NFL, having been named a second-team All-Pro in 2020 and 2021 with the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears.

After spending 10 years in the NFL with the Bills, 49ers, Eagles, Bears, and Seahawks, Goodwin returned to the AFC last year when he signed a 1-year deal with the Browns.

Proche spent the first the first three years of his career with the Ravens, and then the 2023 preseason. He didn’t make their final roster, though, and ended up signing with the Browns on October 31 to the practice squad. He was signed to the active roster on November 7 to be the new return man after the team dealt Donovan Peoples-Jones to the Detroit Lions.

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Productivity Level Last Season

Grant Stuck With the Injury Bug

Sadly, Grant’s time in Cleveland has been a complete nightmare for him due to injuries. During training camp in 2022, he injured his Achilles tendon in practice, ending his season. Then, in the last game of the 2023 preseason, Grant was carted off with a knee injury, which was revealed to be a ruptured patellar tendon that ended his season again.

Goodwin’s Threat and Health

Goodwin beat out Anthony Schwartz to be the team’s new deep threat receiver. Goodwin’s offseason took an unexpected turn, though, when he was placed on the active/non-football injury list in July due to having blood clots in his legs and lungs. It was unknown when he’d been able to return, but then at the end of the preseason, it was revealed that he was good-to-go.

Despite playing in 12 games, Goodwin finished the season with 4 catches for 67 yards, only having been connected with once on a deep ball (57-yard pass from Joe Flacco). There were a few other close connections, but either the quarterback missed or Goodwin couldn’t hang on. Goodwin also had 4 rushes for 33 yards.

Proche Bridging the Gap

Proche only served as the Browns’ kick returner in the final week of the season, having 1 return for 19 yards. He primarily contributed as a punt returner for 10 games, where he had 22 returns for 197 yards (9.0 YPR). He had a costly fumble against the Ravens that Cleveland overcame, and made a couple of questionable fielding decisions down the stretch, but overall was a decent punt returner for the team.

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What the Browns Should Do

I felt bad for Grant being injured in back-to-back seasons, but I think you just have to bite the bullet and not re-sign him, meaning he’ll never have played an actual regular season snap with the Browns. Take your chance on retaining Proche, or a new player. Proche can be signed for the minimum salary.

Goodwin is a player who I like the concept of having a deep guy to stretch the field, but he’ll be entering the 12th year of his career now. I was fine with the idea of taking a shot on him for one season, but it didn’t amount to much. Now, Cleveland needs as many young wide receiver bodies as possible in camp to see if they can strike gold on someone.