The Cleveland Browns have expressed interest in free agent wide receiver Tyrell Williams, formerly of the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Cleveland Browns being interested in Tyrell Williams is not entirely surprising. Williams has made some highlight-worthy plays during his four years with the Chargers. Williams caught 41 passes for 653 yards and five touchdowns last season. While these numbers do not jump off the page Williams could be a complimentary receiver in the right situation. Apparently the Browns believe they are that situation.
The reality is that this a reactionary move due to the contract the Breshad Perriman is reportedly seeking. A contract that some have described as expensive. Considering where Perriman was before Cleveland signed him midseason, this is a bit of tough sell. Perriman was literally on the street until the Browns came calling to resurrect his career.
Tyrell Williams may not be what many expect him to be
Looking at other options is fine, however Tyrell Williams will not necessarily be less expensive or even a better investment. Williams is expected to receive a very large contract this offseason and it is hard to justify that. Williams broke the 70 yard barrier three times last season. Two of those occasions occurred in back-to-back games, against the Browns and Titans respectively. Both of those games saw Williams end up with 118 yards. The other occasion was a 71-yard performance against the Kansas City Chiefs.
There were nine games last season that Tyrell Williams had less than 30 yards. That number is staggering for someone many expect to get a large payday. If Williams were to receive a contract that reflects his performance last season that would be fine, but the fact is that he will be overpaid. Just because the Cleveland Browns have a ton of cap space does not mean that they should overpay for Tyrell Williams. There are better ways to utilize the funds available to improve the team.
The Browns would be better off either paying Breshad Perriman, drafting a wide receiver after the first round or finding another less expensive free agent. Tyrell Willams may work out with a new team, he might not. The fact of the matter is that Tyrell Williams is inconsistent and sometimes underwhelming. Passing on Tyrell Williams is more than forgivable. In fact it may be the correct path to go down for John Dorsey and the Browns.
