The Cleveland Browns‘ official roster now has 53 players after they made cuts on August 27. While the roster is set for now, the Browns will have an opportunity to sign released players. Many players who could potentially make an impact were released ahead of the 4 p.m. Eastern time deadline on August 27, including former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
The Browns have shown interest in trading for a wide receiver after inquiring about Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers, so they could look to bring in a cheaper one.
Alex Frank of Pro Football Network named the Browns as a “best fit” for the two-time Super Bowl champion, highlighting the lack of “proven depth” on the roster.
“After Amari Cooper, the Browns’ receiving corps doesn’t have a lot of proven depth,” Frank wrote on August 27. Jerry Jeudy has been in the NFL since 2020 but has yet to top 1,000 yards or 70 receptions in any of his first four seasons when he was with Denver, and he’s never had more than six touchdowns in a season.
“Elijah Moore had a solid first season in Cleveland in 2023, but can he get to the point of a true No. 2 wide receiver behind Cooper? David Njoku will help mask any lack of production from the Browns’ receivers beyond Cooper, but adding another WR is never a bad thing to do for any NFL team.”
Toney’s Interesting NFL Career
Toney was drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft and was expected to be a potential superstar wide receiver. Fast forward to 2024, and if the 25-year-old signs with another team, it’d be his third team since he entered the league.
The New York Giants drafted him before he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for a third and sixth-round pick in October during the 2022 season.
In his three seasons, Toney has struggled to get going. His best year came in 2021 when he had 420 yards on 39 receptions. Since entering the league, he’s posted 760 yards on 82 receptions with three touchdowns.
He has talent but hasn’t put it all together and has dealt with a few injuries.
Known for his speed, Frank wrote that the Cleveland Browns could be “the fresh start Toney needs.”
How Toney Would Help the Browns
With the lack of unproven depth in the Cleveland Browns wide receiver room, Toney would have an opportunity to show if he can be half of what he was expected to be when he was drafted.
While the Browns are in a win-now window due to Deshaun Watson’s contract, and they might not have much time for a project player like Toney, he could be a low-risk, high-reward signing.
The Browns wouldn’t have to trade anything for him and could sign him to a relatively cheap contract.
According to Adam Teicher of ESPN, the Kansas City Chiefs hoped Toney would be their WR1 entering 2023.
“They hoped he could become their No. 1 wide receiver in 2023, but that never developed,” Teicher wrote on August 27.
Despite not coming to fruition, it shows that Toney was highly regarded by a Super Bowl team as recently as last year.
If the Browns could unlock his talent, they might be looking at a serviceable player who could make plays for them.
