The Browns have signed Kenny Britt to a four-year deal worth $32.5 million, and I like the move. Given the situation he was in, Britt was one of the league’s more impressive receivers last year.
Britt was stuck on a Rams offense that ranked last in the league in passing, yet still managed (in 15 games) to catch 68 passes for 1,002 yards last year, with 5 TDs. Most of the other 1,000-yard receivers were in far more favorable situations.
For fantasy purposes, this looks like a lateral move. The Browns probably will have a bottom-10 passing game, and they’ve got some other receiving talent. They selected Corey Coleman in the middle of the first round last year, and he could still develop into a Brandin Cooks type player. They’ve still got lots of cap space, and if they’re able to re-sign Terrelle Pryor, then they might have one of the 10 best trios of wide receivers in the league.
Britt was plagued by off-field issues earlier in his career, including a car chase with police in 2011. He was suspended by the league in 2012. But he’s wiser and more settled down now. (I think; on Hard Knocks last August, he was shown speeding around in a high-powered golf cart, flipping it over at the team facility.)
In my opinion, Britt is way above average as a No. 2 receiver. In my opinion, only one team in the league last year had two wide receivers who were better than Britt: the Broncos. Six others would be in the ballpark: Packers, Lions, Vikings, Saints, Colts, Raiders and Washington.
Britt averaged 9.0 yards per target last year; that was 9th-best among wide receivers with at least 100 targets.
| RECEIVERS WITH 100-PLUS TARGETS (yards per target) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Avg/Tgt |
| Julio Jones, Atl. | 129 | 83 | 1409 | 17.0 | 6 | 10.9 |
| DeSean Jackson, Wash. | 100 | 56 | 1005 | 17.9 | 4 | 10.1 |
| Brandin Cooks, N.O. | 117 | 78 | 1173 | 15.0 | 8 | 10.0 |
| A.J. Green, Cin. | 100 | 66 | 964 | 14.6 | 4 | 9.6 |
| Michael Thomas, N.O. | 121 | 92 | 1137 | 12.4 | 9 | 9.4 |
| T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 155 | 91 | 1448 | 15.9 | 6 | 9.3 |
| Pierre Garcon, Wash. | 114 | 79 | 1041 | 13.2 | 3 | 9.1 |
| Marvin Jones, Det. | 103 | 55 | 930 | 16.9 | 4 | 9.0 |
| Kenny Britt, L.A. | 111 | 68 | 1002 | 14.7 | 5 | 9.0 |
| Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 125 | 94 | 1128 | 12.0 | 7 | 9.0 |
| Tyrell Williams, S.D. | 119 | 69 | 1059 | 15.3 | 7 | 8.9 |
| Mike Wallace, Balt. | 116 | 72 | 1017 | 14.1 | 4 | 8.8 |
| Rishard Matthews, Tenn. | 108 | 65 | 945 | 14.5 | 9 | 8.8 |
| Amari Cooper, Oak. | 132 | 83 | 1153 | 13.9 | 5 | 8.7 |
| Jarvis Landry, Mia. | 131 | 94 | 1136 | 12.1 | 4 | 8.7 |
| Willie Snead, N.O. | 104 | 72 | 895 | 12.4 | 4 | 8.6 |
| Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 154 | 106 | 1284 | 12.1 | 12 | 8.3 |
| Jordy Nelson, G.B. | 152 | 97 | 1257 | 13.0 | 14 | 8.3 |
| Davante Adams, G.B. | 121 | 75 | 997 | 13.3 | 12 | 8.2 |
| Quincy Enunwa, NYJ | 105 | 58 | 857 | 14.8 | 4 | 8.2 |
| Marqise Lee, Jac. | 105 | 63 | 851 | 13.5 | 3 | 8.1 |
| Odell Beckham, NYG | 169 | 101 | 1367 | 13.5 | 10 | 8.1 |
| Stefon Diggs, Minn. | 112 | 84 | 903 | 10.8 | 3 | 8.1 |
| Brandon LaFell, Cin. | 107 | 64 | 862 | 13.5 | 6 | 8.1 |
| Golden Tate, Det. | 135 | 91 | 1077 | 11.8 | 4 | 8.0 |
| Kelvin Benjamin, Car. | 118 | 63 | 941 | 14.9 | 7 | 8.0 |
| Steve Smith, Balt. | 101 | 70 | 799 | 11.4 | 5 | 7.9 |
| Mike Evans, T.B. | 173 | 96 | 1321 | 13.8 | 12 | 7.6 |
| Emmanuel Sanders, Den. | 137 | 79 | 1032 | 13.1 | 5 | 7.5 |
| Demaryius Thomas, Den. | 144 | 90 | 1083 | 12.0 | 5 | 7.5 |
| Terrelle Pryor, Clev. | 140 | 77 | 1007 | 13.1 | 4 | 7.2 |
| Julian Edelman, N.E. | 159 | 98 | 1106 | 11.3 | 3 | 7.0 |
| Michael Crabtree, Oak. | 145 | 89 | 1003 | 11.3 | 8 | 6.9 |
| Jordan Matthews, Phil. | 117 | 73 | 804 | 11.0 | 3 | 6.9 |
| Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 150 | 107 | 1023 | 9.6 | 6 | 6.8 |
| Sterling Shepard, NYG | 105 | 65 | 683 | 10.5 | 8 | 6.5 |
| DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 151 | 78 | 954 | 12.2 | 4 | 6.3 |
| Brandon Marshall, NYJ | 128 | 59 | 788 | 13.4 | 3 | 6.2 |
| Allen Robinson, Jac. | 151 | 73 | 883 | 12.1 | 6 | 5.8 |
| Jeremy Kerley, S.F. | 115 | 64 | 667 | 10.4 | 3 | 5.8 |
| Tavon Austin, L.A. | 106 | 58 | 509 | 8.8 | 3 | 4.8 |
He also accounted for 30 percent of his team’s receiving production. Only four wide receivers last year accounted for a bigger portion of their team’s passing game.
| PERCENT OF TEAM'S RECEIVING YARDS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Ind | Team | Pct |
| Odell Beckham Jr., NYG | 1,367 | 4,027 | 34% |
| T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 1,448 | 4,491 | 32% |
| Mike Evans, T.B. | 1,321 | 4,165 | 32% |
| Jarvis Landry, Mia. | 1,136 | 3,716 | 31% |
| Kenny Britt, L.A. | 1,002 | 3,313 | 30% |
| Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 1,284 | 4,377 | 29% |
| Julio Jones, Atl. | 1,409 | 4,960 | 28% |
| Jordy Nelson, G.B. | 1,257 | 4,445 | 28% |
| DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 954 | 3,418 | 28% |
| Amari Cooper, Oak. | 1,153 | 4,137 | 28% |
Not a monster deal for the Browns, but a step forward.
—Ian Allan