Can Nyheim Hines break the injury jinx of Browns return specialists? JoJo Natson and Jakeem Grant were heralded returners whose careers ended here with injuries.
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Browns GM Andrew Berry added 13 new veteran players in the first month of 2024 free agency. That seems like a lot for a team that won 11 games and finished second in its division last year.
None was what would be considered a “splash” signing (or trade). Possibly three of them project as starters.
But there are at least four who can make a difference or at the very least raise questions about other players on the roster.
These are the four most interesting player transactions of Berry in 2024.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy
How acquired: Obtained from Denver Broncos in exchange for 2024 draft picks Nos. 135 (fifth round) and 205 (sixth).
Contract: Jeudy was guaranteed $12.987 million in the fifth-year option of his Denver contract. Berry did a salary-to-bonus conversion of that year and then negotiated a three-year extension for $52.5 million. The result is Jeudy is virtually guaranteed $42.5 million over the next three years with reasonable cap numbers of $4.7 million in 2024, $7.975 in 2025 and $9.175 million in 2026.
The 15th overall pick of the 2020 draft, Jeudy underachieved in Denver and was lambasted by former players-turned-analysts Steve Smith Sr. and Mark Schlereth.
He averaged 53 receptions, 763 yards and 2.75 touchdowns. Some of that was due to Bronco dysfunction. Jeudy played for three head coaches and one interim coach, three offensive coordinators and four starting quarterbacks.
Berry acknowledged Denver’s role in Jeudy’s uninspiring career when he said, “We feel we have an individual who’s an elite separator, can play inside and outside, has produced in less-than-ideal circumstances and usage for various reasons in Denver. And we feel he complements our group real nicely.”
Jeudy turns 25 on April 24. The Browns are hoping the influence of Amari Cooper, whom Jeudy has looked up to for years, will mature Jeudy into an immediate No. 2 receiver and potential No. 1.
If nothing else, Jeudy’s addition foretells the seismic change in the Browns’ offense under new coordinator Ken Dorsey, from under-center, play-action passing game to full-throttle shotgun, spread – and often empty – formations.
Quarterback Tyler Huntley
How acquired: Signed in free agency to a one-year deal for $1.125 million salary and signing bonus of $167,500.
When Lamar Jackson’s backup in Baltimore went unsigned by the Ravens, Berry scooped up Huntley, calling it “a really fantastic opportunity for our organization.”
Huntley was 3-6 with 8 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in three years behind Jackson, so he is not expected to hold a prominent position on the roster. He was signed after Berry already added Jameis Winston to be Deshaun Watson’s top backup and spiritual mentor.
But Huntley’s addition couldn’t help but raise concerns about Watson’s recovery from shoulder surgery and reserve quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s recovery from a hip injury.
If Watson isn’t ready for Game 1 – or if he misses other games in 2024 – Berry feels better about a Winston-Huntley QB tandem than Winston-DTR.
Running back/returner Nyheim Hines
How acquired: Signed in free agency for $1.145 million plus $500,000 signing bonus.
Hines missed the entire 2023 season after suffering a torn ACL when involved in a SeeDoo accident.
Prior to the accident, he was a third-down receiving back and accomplished punt and kick returner.
In four years with the Indianapolis Colts, Hines averaged 52 receptions for 384 yards (7.4 yards per catch) and 7 touchdowns total. As a returner for Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone, Hines averaged 11.8 yards on punt returns and 20.2 on kickoffs. He has 2 touchdowns on punt returns and 2 on kickoffs (with Buffalo) in his six-year NFL career.
Hines is the latest attempt by the Browns to deploy a bona fide return specialist to energize the field position game. Injuries prematurely ended the Browns’ careers of would-be return specialists JoJo Natson and Jakeem Grant.
As the NFL adopts a new hybrid kickoff to bring the kick return back into the game, Hines could join James Proche as dual returners in the new format.
The fact Hines joins free agent signee D’Onta Foreman in the running back room, along with holdovers Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong, suggests the Browns don’t expect Nick Chubb to be fully recovered from multiple knee surgeries at the start of the 2024 season.
Linebacker Devin Bush
How acquired: Signed in free agency for $1.125 million in salary plus $375,000 signing bonus.
Bush was the 10th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2019 draft. The Steelers don’t miss very often on drafting linebackers.
This is what draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic wrote about Bush in his 2019 Draft Guide, aka The Beast:
“ … there is no doubting his toughness, football character and competitive drive (and it isn’t manufactured — he has a genuine energy and enjoyment for hunting the football and playing physical). Overall, Bush doesn’t have ideal take-on skills to thrive inside as a MIKE [middle linebacker], but his ability to diagnose, his reaction quickness and his closing speed are special, projecting best as an impact starting WILL [weakside linebacker] in the NFL.”
As a rookie, Bush led the Steelers in tackles (109), matched T.J. Watt with four fumble recoveries and joined safety Minkah Fitzpatrick as the only defensive players to score a touchdown.
But in his sixth game in 2020 – against the Browns – Bush suffered a torn ACL. His play never recovered his past form. His defensive snap count with Pittsburgh never approached his career-high 889 as a rookie. The Steelers declined his fifth-year option for 2023.
Bush signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks and found a home on special teams, starting only three games at linebacker and playing only 250 snaps on defense.
In the Jim Schwartz defense, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and ex-Eagle Jordan Hicks are the linebackers who will play most of the time. Since Anthony Walker and Sione Takitaki left in free agency, Bush has a chance to reclaim himself as a play-maker at the linebacker position.